Everything we know so far about the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa

28 February 2025, 12:19

The deaths of Hollywood star Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have shocked Hollywood and the wider world, leaving many searching for more information.

Hackman, 95, was beloved by film fans for his more than 30-year stint as one of Hollywood's most reliable stars - winning Oscars for his turns in 1971's The French Connection and 1992's Unforgiven.

Arakawa, who at 63 was 32 years Hackman's junior, was a pianist and founded a home furniture business. She also helped Hackman edit the novels he wrote later in life.

Here's everything we know so far about their deaths.

Where did they die?

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their home in rural New Mexico, a south-western US state.

They were found by a maintenance worker who came to their house to do some routine work on Wednesday (February 26). He called the police.

One of their three dogs had also died.

Hackman was inside a utility room near the front door of the house. Arakawa was in the bathroom.

When did they die?

We don't know exactly when they died, but it was likely to have been some time before they were found.

Officers said the bodies showed clear signs of decomposition and even partial mummification.

How did they die?

We don't know yet how Hackman and Arakawa died, although there is some circumstantial evidence.

Officers have said there are no apparent signs of foul play - but the deaths are suspicious enough to require a full police investigation.

The couple were not directly with each other when they died. Arakawa was found near a space heater surrounded by scattered pills. Hackman appeared to have fallen over.

Police said there was no sign of "external trauma" - suggesting they had not been physically attacked - and nor was there any evidence pointing to a break-in. Nothing appeared to have been removed from the house.

Officers have also been exploring the possibility of a gas leak. Engineers from the local gas company have been out to the house to inspect the gas lines - but these appear to be fine.

"As of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence," New Mexico gas company said.

Although no signs of problems have been found so far, a detective noted that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide may not show signs of poisoning.

Police are still waiting to get back a full postmortem and toxicology report, which should help them determine the cause of death.

What do police think?

Police have said that while they do not currently suspect foul play, they are not ruling anything out.

The local sheriff said that the results of the full postmortem and the evidence they collect from inside the house will prove crucial in working out what happened.

What have Hackman's family said?

Hackman's daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter Annie, said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy.

"He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa.

"We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss."

Elizabeth also said separately that she believed her father and Arakawa may have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

What have other Hollywood stars said?

Tributes have poured in from celebrities and influential figures across the globe after Hackman and Arakawa's deaths.

Tom Hanks wrote: "There has never been a 'Gene Hackman Type.' There has only been Gene Hackman."

Michelle Pfeiffer, who along with Hackman was up for starring in the Hannibal Lecter film The Silence Of The Lambs before turning the part down, wrote on Instagram: "What a tremendous talent and tremendous loss for cinephiles everywhere.

"A true legend in cinema. Sending love and light to Gene and Betsy's family."

There's Something About Mary star Matt Dillon, who played Hackman's son in thriller Target, described his fellow actor as "a master".

Dillon added: "I learned so much from him. Before a scene he would tell me - 'Fill up.'"

Barbara Streisand, who was in romantic comedy All Night Long with Hackman, wrote: "Gene Hackman was an incredible actor. He lived a long life and left an amazing legacy. May he rest in peace."

Young Frankenstein director Mel Brooks wrote: "I was privileged to know Gene Hackman because he played tennis with another Gene - Gene Wilder.

"And that Gene told him about a little role called The Blind Hermit in our movie Young Frankenstein. He said, 'Do you think Mel would let me play it? I've always wanted to do a comedy.' Needless to say, I was over the moon and he was perfect."

In a simple post, Iron Man actress Gwyneth Paltrow shared a picture of her and Hackman in 2001 Wes Anderson-comedy The Royal Tenenbaums, about a dysfunctional and talented family whose patriarch (Hackman) gives them some unexpected news.

Hackman's co-star from The Firm, Jeanne Tripplehorn, who played the wife of Tom Cruise in the film, called the actor the "greatest".

She added he was an "actor unparalleled with a heart of gold".

"He will always have a place in my heart for being not only the best actor one could ever hope to work with but a gentle man who was a source of quiet strength and kindness when I needed it the most," she also wrote.

"I cherish our time together. Blessed beyond words. We will never see the likes of him again."

Hank Azaria, who was Hackman's co-star in the comedy The Birdcage, described working with him as "an honour and an education", while No Country For Old Men and Avengers star Josh Brolin said he was "crushed by the sudden deaths" in an Instagram post.

Josh Brolin also wrote: "He was always one of my favourites. Not many who beat to their own drums like he did. Rest in peace."

The Shawshank Redemption actor Morgan Freeman said "bringing the French Film Garde a Vue (Under Suspicion) to life with the incredibly gifted Gene Hackman" was "one of the personal highlights of my career".

Famed director Francis Ford Coppola hailed Hackman as a "great actor" who was "inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity".

Coppola wrote and directed the Oscar-nominated 1974 mystery thriller The Conversation, which starred Hackman as a surveillance expert who has a crisis of conscience when he suspects the couple he is spying on will be murdered.

Alongside a photo of them working on the film, Coppola wrote in an Instagram post: "The 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.

"I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution."

Elsewhere singer Sting said the world had "lost a legend" while actor and director Clint Eastwood said Hackman would be "deeply missed".

Dirty Harry actor Eastwood starred opposite Hackman in 1997 political action thriller Absolute Power, where he played master jewel thief Luther Whitney.

Bafta also paid tribute, describing Hackman as a "much-celebrated actor" who had an "illustrious career".

Who is Gene Hackman?

Hackman was one of Hollywood's most famous and bankable stars for more than three decades, from his breakthrough in the early 1970s to his retirement in the early 2000s.

He was nominated for five Academy Awards - for Bonnie and Clyde (1968), I Never Sang For My Father (1970), The French Connection (1971), Mississippi Burning (1988) and Unforgiven (1992).

He won the Best Acting Oscar for the French Connection and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven.

In the 1990s he transitioned towards supporting roles, appearing in several big hits alongside other major stars and delivering memorable performances.

Films in this period included The Firm alongside Tom Cruise, Crimson Tide with Denzel Washington and Enemy of the State with Will Smith.

He retired after making his last film, 2004's political satire Welcome to Mooseport.

Hackman married his first wife in 1956, and had three children. They divorced in 1986. He married Arakawa in 1988.

Hackman later said he missed acting, but found the business side of the industry too stressful to continue.

He and his wife were seen in public only sporadically after that.

Who was Betsy Arakawa?

Betsy Arakawa was a Hawaiian-born classically trained pianist. She also co-founded her own furniture company in the early 2000s.

She and Hackman met in a gym in the mid-1980s.