Hollywood star Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa found dead at their home

Oscar-winning American actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been found dead in their home in New Mexico in the US.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the couple, who had been married since 1991, were found dead along with their dog on Wednesday afternoon in their Santa Fe home.

The police said it is currently an active investigation but they do not believe that foul play was a factor at this time.

Hollywood star Hackman, 95, received two Oscars, two Baftas, four Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award in an acting career which spanned six decades.

He secured the best actor Oscar in 1972 for his role as Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection.

Hackman landed a further Academy Award in the best supporting actor category for his part in 1992 western Unforgiven, directed by Clint Eastwood.

Born in California in 1930, Hackman left home at age 16 to enlist in the marine corps and served from 1947 to 1952 as a field radio operator and then as a broadcast journalist.

He went on to study journalism and television production at the University of Illinois, but later pivoted to pursue an acting career.

Hackman had a few TV and theatre roles before breaking through with his performance in 1967’s Bonnie And Clyde, which starred Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in the titular roles, which landed him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.

He also picked up Oscar nods for his role in 1970’s I Never Sang For My Father and 1988’s thriller Mississippi Burning.

The actor secured a new cohort of fans for his portrayal of supervillain Lex Luthor in the 1978 Superman film starring Christopher Reeve in the eponymous role and Marlon Brando as Jor-El, Superman’s biological father.

He reprised the role for its subsequent sequels, 1980’s Superman II and 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.

Hackman acted opposite many Hollywood heavyweights in his time including Al Pacino in 1973’s Scarecrow, Gene Wilder in 1974’s Young Frankenstein and Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton in 1981’s Reds.

His other notable roles included the hit movies The Poseidon Adventure from 1972, 1974’s The Conversation and Runaway Jury in 2003.

He took a comedic turn playing a conservative senator in 1996’s The Birdcage alongside Robin Williams and Nathan Lan, who star as a gay couple.

Hackman also featured in the star-studded cast of Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums, with Welcome To Mooseport in 2004 marking his last big screen appearance.

The actor found his feet on the stage in the early days of his career in the 1960s and performed in several Broadway theatres including at the Music Box Theatre for the comedy Any Wednesday.

He also appeared in Children From Their Games at the former Morosco Theatre, Poor Richard at Helen Hayes Theatre and The Natural Look at Longacre Theatre, before later returning in 1992 to perform Death And The Maiden at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

A police statement shared with the PA news agency said: “On February 26 2025 at approximately 1.45pm, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased.

“Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time – however, exact cause of death has not been determined. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”