Gene Hackman dead: Francis Ford Coppola leads tributes to Hollywood icon and wife
The couple, who had been married since 1991, were found alongside their dog, with local reports indicating that no foul play is suspected
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Tributes have been flooding in for Hollywood icon Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, following news of their deaths on Thursday.
The couple, who had been married since 1991, were found alongside their dog, with local reports indicating that no foul play is suspected.
In the wake of the heartbreaking news, filmmaker Frances Ford Coppola and Star Trekâs George Takei were among the notable figures paying tribute to the legendary actor and his longtime partner.
On Thursday, Coppola, who worked with Gene in the 1974 film The Conversation, wrote on Threads: âThe loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity.
âI mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.â
Takei posted a touching tribute to the late actor on X, writing: âWe have lost one of the true giants of the screen.
âGene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe.
Hackman with his Cecile B. DeMille Award at the 2003 Golden Globes
AFP via Getty Images
âThatâs how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.'
Irish comedian Dara Ă Briain also shared on the micro-blogging site: âAh, Gene Hackman. The finest screen actor ever, I think. Not a single duff performance, in a long, long career.
âAnd the best delivery ever of a single word: when he says âCigars!â In Young Frankenstein.â
Meanwhile, Kelly paid tribute to the star while appearing on Good Morning Britain as the news broke: âThat is a real shocker, I was just reading about what an amazing actor he is, when you think of the movies that he's been in...French Connection, everybody remembers that!
âWonderful, wonderful film! I had no idea he was 95! That's really really sad.
âHe's an absolute icon, brilliant. He was so funny in Birdcage... he could do drama, he could do comedy, he could do absolutely anything.â
Elsewhere, fans took to social media to pay tribute to the film icon.
Threads/Francis Ford Coppola
X/George Takei
One wrote on X: âI loved Gene Hackman. He dressed up every movie he was in, and retired from acting only to become a fiction writer. What a life!â
âSad news to see that legendary actor Gene Hackman has died gone but not forgotten,â another penned. A third added: âThere'll never be another actor like him. An absolute giant of cinema. RIP Gene Hackmanâ.
Echoing a similar sentiment, a fourth shared: âIâve always admired Gene Hackman, I donât think Iâve ever watched him in a movie where he wasnât wonderful. RIP and thank you for all the wonderful films.â
X/Dara Ă Briain
The outpouring of support comes after Hackman was found dead along with his wife in their New Mexico home, police have revealed.
Officers in Santa Fe said the star, 95, was found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their pet dog.
Police have said there are no signs of foul play, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
âAll I can say is that weâre in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant,â Adan Mendoza, the Santa Fe County sheriff said.
Police have not revealed a cause of death.
Hackman and his wife Betsy pictured in 1996 with his daughters Leslie, and Elizabeth
Handout
The former Marine built an impressive career spanning decades, appearing in over 80 films notably his breakout role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), as well as making his mark on television and the stage.
The acclaimed actor received two Oscars and two Baftas in his acting career.
He secured the best actor Oscar in 1972 for his role as Detective Jimmy âPopeyeâ 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.
The Get Shorty actor was married twice, with his most recent marriage to classical pianist Betsy Arakawa. He shared three children with his first wife, Faye Maltese.
Gene Hackman, who has died at the age of 95, appeared in some of the biggest films of all time, but he also famously turned down some major roles
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Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their New Mexico home from suspected poisoning.
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Foul play was not suspected, but authorities did not disclose how they died and said an investigation was ongoing.
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News of Hackmanâs death broke Thursday morning after their bodies were found the previous day.
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Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in February 2025. An investigation has been launched to find out what happened to them.
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The Oscar-winner, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found dead in their Santa Fe home on Wednesday.
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Gene Hackman was last seen in public last year, when he was spotted holding hands with his wife Betsy Arakawa, who he married in 1991 before his death today aged 95
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According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, the investigation is active, and foul play is not suspected
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&description=Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog passed away in their home in New Mexico According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, the investigation is active, and foul play is not suspected %23genehackman) |
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According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, the investigation is active, and foul play is not suspected
Read more >> : Cick here
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&description=Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog passed away in their home in New Mexico According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, the investigation is active, and foul play is not suspected %23genehackman) |
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Police are frantically looking into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog.
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