Gene Hackman has passed

[Craiglxviii]

Gene Hackman, 95, the acclaimed two-time Oscar-winning actor, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63, a classical pianist, were found deceased in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on Wednesday afternoon, along with their dog.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed their deaths early Thursday, stating there was no immediate evidence of foul play. The cause of death has not yet been released.

[Nathan45]

That's a shame. Wonder if it was a gas leak...

[Craiglxviii]

That's a shame. Wonder if it was a gas leak...

My first thought, given that it’s stated as “non suspicious”.

[Jotun]

That came out of left field, even if he was well into his nineties. He was one of my favorite actors.

[Nathan45]

Given his career, I'm shocked he only had 2 Oscar's, although it highlights how tough the competition was in his prime.

[Micael]

I’m sorry to see him go, he had a helluva run.

TMZ:

Gene Hackman, Wife Betsy Deaths Called 'Suspicious'
February 27, 2025 8:12 AM PST
Exclusive

gene hackman house getty backgrid main
Gene Hackman's death and the deaths of his wife and dog are puzzling authorities, who have labeled his passing "suspicious."

According to a search warrant, obtained by TMZ, a Santa Fe detective who sought a search warrant wrote in his affidavit, he believes "the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation because the reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10-15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak."

Breaking this down ... Gene's wife, Betsy Arakawa, was found in the bathroom on the ground near the countertop, lying on her right side. The deputy saw a black space heater near her head. The deputy believed the heater could have fallen in the event Betsy abruptly fell to the ground.

The deputy also noticed an orange prescription bottle on the countertop, which was open with pills scattered on the countertop. It appears she had been dead for some time, because the body was in a state of decomposition with bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet.

Gene was found in a separate room off the kitchen. He was fully clothed and they suspected he may have suddenly fallen, because his sunglasses were found next to his body.

The fire department came and advised they did not see any signs of carbon monoxide leak or poisoning. The New Mexico gas company came to the residence and conducted testing on the gas lines in and around the house, and concluded, "As of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence."

The deceased dog, a German Shepherd, was found 10 to 15 feet from Betsy, in a closet of the bathroom. Two other dogs were found alive and healthy -- one inside the house and one outside.

The bodies were discovered by 2 maintenance workers, who said they hadn't seen them in approximately 2 weeks. When the maintenance workers arrived to discover the bodies, the front door was ajar, but the deputy says there were no signs of forced entry.

Story developing.

[Bernard Woolley]

It’s really sad.

[Johnnie Lyle]

Very

[Nathan45]

Man I'm hoping the investigation is simply being extra careful and checking every possibility, because if it was not a accidental gas leak or CO issue...the alternatives are pretty dark.

[Rocket J Squrriel]

He was one of those actors that you could drop into just about any role and he would make it work. Then there was Lex Luther in 'Superman'... CHris Reeve may have been the star but Gene Hackman stole the show.

https://youtu.be/qdvDV8tAXeo?feature=shared


RIP sir.

[Nathan45]

The final scene in Unforgiven is in my top 10 movie moments of all time.

[Sukhoiman]

Very sad to hear, such a great actor. I'm a 90s kid + military nerd.... so I remember him most from crimson tide....but really there are a good 10 or more movies he has been great to watch in.

I was rooting for him along with Clint and a few others to get to a century....just like Kirk did.

RIP.

[Craiglxviii]

His and his wife’s bodies were found, in separate rooms. Both in “a state of partial decomposition”; Geneva’s found fully clothed and sitting in a chair, his wife on the bathroom floor with a bottle of prescription pills scattered around her. The first report says that she was “partially mummified”.

Not pleasant reading.

[David Newton]

Guess?

He died of natural causes and she committed suicide.

[Belushi TD]

I was thinking the same thing.... She was almost 30 years younger than him, wasn't she?

My favorite Hackman movie is "The Replacements". Yes, I know it was total early 2000's cheese, but I've always loved the combination of Hackman, Keanu Reeves and the soundtrack coupled with the underdog story. A group of friends and my family watch it every year before the super bowl.

Belushi TD

[Nathan45]

Not a bad guess, although if that's the case it's especially tragic, she should have had a lot more life. I've heard that the loss of a long term spouse can temporarily lead to extreme depression, to the point where sometimes a suicide watch can be called for.

[Craiglxviii]

Guess?

He died of natural causes and she committed suicide.

The gas/ asphyxiation theory has been ruled out, so a likely contender.

Such a shame.

[Lordroel]

Guess?

He died of natural causes and she committed suicide.

The gas/ asphyxiation theory has been ruled out, so a likely contender.

Such a shame.

That does sadly not explain the death dog.

[Nathan45]

Might have starved to death. Course it's just speculation. The surviving dogs might have had more fat.

[Paul Nuttall]

Theory on the Secret Projects Site

Hackman died of natural causes. His wife OD'ed on pills as a result. Dog got trapped in a closet and expired after a few days.


What I find a bit surprising is the two dogs outside dont seem to have made much noise all that time...or at least not enough to get neighbours annoyed enough to have a look.