American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola has hailed Gene Hackman as a “great actor” who was “inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity” following his death.
Oscar-winning American actor Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found dead in their Santa Fe home in New Mexico along with their dog on Wednesday afternoon, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
The police said it is currently an active investigation but they do not believe that foul play was a factor at this time.
Coppola wrote and directed the Oscar-nominated 1974 mystery thriller The Conversation which starred Hackman as a surveillance expert Harry Caul who has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that 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.”
Hollywood star Hackman received two Oscars, two Baftas, four Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award in an acting career which spanned six decades.
Bafta were among those to pay tribute to Hackman, describing him as a “much-celebrated actor” who had an “illustrious career”.
He secured the best actor Oscar and Bafta for his role as Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in 1971 action thriller The French Connection.
Hackman landed a further Academy Award and Bafta in the best supporting actor category for his part in 1992 western Unforgiven, directed by Clint Eastwood.
Actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa at the 65th Academy Awards (Alamy/PA)
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, and 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.
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Valerie Perrine, who portrayed his on-screen love interest Eve Teschmacher in the Superman films, described the late actor as a “genius” and “one of the greatest to grace the silver screen”.
She added: “I had the honour of working with him on Superman. His performances are legendary. His talent will be missed.”
Perrine signed off her tribute, writing: “Goodbye my sweet Lex Till we meet again. Valerie.”
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.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa had been married since 1991 (Alamy/PA)
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 Lane, 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.”
Hackman and his wife Arakawa had been married since 1991.