Earlier this week, the passing of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, was confirmed after they were found dead at their home in Santa Fe. The news has left fans and loved ones of the actor in shock, with tributes pouring in from around the world.
As people reflect on Hackman’s life, many are curious about his later years, when he largely stepped away from the public eye. Though he became reclusive, he did make a few rare appearances.
To learn more about his most recent public outing, keep reading.
Gene Hackman, who was 95 at the time of his death, made his first public appearance in over two decades just a year before his passing. His wife, Betsy Arakawa, was 63 years old. Tragically, on February 26, 2025, their dog also passed away at their home in New Mexico.
An official statement from Santa Fe County confirmed the couple’s deaths: “We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail.”
The statement continued, “We do not currently believe foul play was involved, but this remains an ongoing investigation.” Nearly 21 years after his last public appearance, Hackman and Arakawa were seen out in public last year.
The couple, married since 1991, was photographed leaving Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hackman, holding a cane in one hand, was seen leaning on his wife’s arm. A few of these images can be found on X.
Hackman met Arakawa in Los Angeles, where she worked part-time at a fitness center. They began dating in 1984.
In 1986, Gene Hackman divorced his first wife, Faye Maltese, after nearly 30 years of marriage. They had been married since 1956 and had three children together: Leslie Anne, Elizabeth Jean, and Christopher Allen.
Due to health issues, Hackman, best known for his roles in Behind Enemy Lines and Mississippi Burning, largely stepped away from acting in 2004.
In a 2009 interview, Hackman revealed, “A stress test I took in New York was actually the straw that broke the camel’s back.” He explained, “The doctor told me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
Hackman had an illustrious career spanning from 1961 to 2004, during which he starred in 79 feature films, earning an enviable reputation among aspiring actors. He won two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild award.
Renowned director Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Hackman on his 1974 film The Conversation, paid tribute to the actor, saying, “The loss of a great artist is always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman was a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I honor his life and contributions while grieving his passing.”