Gene Hackman’s daughter fears actor, wife and dog were poisoned as mystery grows around deaths
The sheriff's department has said 'This is an active investigation.'
Gene Hackman’s daughter has shared her fears that her father and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were poisoned before their deaths.
The legendary actor, 95, and classical pianist, 64, were found dead in their Santa Fe home, alongside their pet dog.
Local media outlet the Santa Fe New Mexican reported that County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed the sad news in the early hours of Thursday morning.
While there are not said to be any immediately concerns regarding foul play, TMZ reports that Hackman’s family believe carbon monoxide poisoning may be to blame.
His daughter, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, told the outlet that everyone is unsure of what happened, but think the cause may be related to toxic fumes.
It must be noted that a cause of death has yet to be confirmed, with investigations still ongoing.
Gene, pictured here with his wife Betsy, and daughters Leslie and Elizabeth (Picture: Getty)According to ABC News, a neighbor called in with concerns about their wellbeing, with officers performing a welfare check on their home.
It was then that their bodies were discovered, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Denise Avila said.
KOB4 reports that police were dispatched at around 1:45pm, with the sheriff’s office eventually identifying the couple in the evening.
Police officers have been pictured outside their Santa Fe home (Picture: AP)In an interview Wednesday evening, the sheriff said there are no immediate concerns about foul play, though he did not provide a cause of death.
A statement from the sheriff, as reported by PA, reads: ‘We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail.
‘This is an active investigation – however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor.’
He continued: ‘All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant.’
They were first approached by a concerned neighbor for a welfare check (Picture: AP)A legendary actor, Hackman received two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Silver Bear throughout his six-decade career.
The couple had been married since 1991 and moved to New Mexico from Los Angeles in 2004. They were last seen out in the Santa Fe area together in February 2025.
Born in California in 1930, Hackman enlisted in the army after lying about his age at 16, serving for four-and-a-half years in the Marines before deciding to pursue a career in acting.
Betsy Arakawa was a classical pianist (Picture: Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)Hackman appeared in countless iconic roles but will perhaps be best remembered for his two Academy Award Winning parts.
He won his first Oscar for the part of Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle in William Friedkin’s thriller The French Connection (1971) and the other for Best Supporting Actor for his role as ‘Little’ Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s Western film Unforgiven (1992).
His other Oscar-nominated roles were in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Mississippi Burning (1988).
The pair have been married since 1991 (Picture: Alpha-Nina Prommer)The versatile performer played over 100 roles throughout his career, including as Lex Luthor in Superman movies in the 1970s and 1980s.
He said his role in the 1973 film Scarecrow, alongside Al Pacino, was his favorite role of his career.
He also starred in the hit movies Runaway Jury and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conservation, which won the Palm d’Or, as well as Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums.
His last film appearance was in Welcome to Mooseport in 2004, where he played Monroe Cole.
The actor won two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Silver Bear throughout his six-decade career (Picture: Everett/Shutterstock)Struggling with stress and burnout, Hackman decided to quit acting due to heart troubles in 2004, telling Empire of his decision five years later: ‘The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York.
‘The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.’
He told Reuters in 2008 that he was sure of his decision to leave Hollywood behind: ‘I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer.’
‘I’ve been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don’t want to do it any longer.’
Hackman won an Oscar for his role in The French Connection (alongside Jan Fonda) at the 1972 awards (Picture: Bettmann Archive)He also began writing novels around this time, telling the publication: ‘I like the loneliness of it, actually. It’s similar in some ways to acting, but it’s more private and I feel like I have more control over what I’m trying to say and do.’
‘There’s always a compromise in acting and in film, you work with so many people and everyone has an opinion. … I don’t know that I like it better than acting, it’s just different. I find it relaxing and comforting.’
Between 1999 and 2013, Hackman wrote five novels that tended toward the historical fiction genre: Wake of the Perdido Star (1999),Justice for None (2004), Escape from Andersonville (2008), Payback at Morning Peak (2011), and Pursuit (2013).
Hackman also played Lex Luthor in Superman films in the 70s and 80s (Picture: Warner Bros/Dc Comics/Kobal/Shutterstock)Often characterised as impatient and prickly in the press, Hackman had a marked dislike for all of the attention and posturing that fame required.
When asked about this reputation in a 1992 interview with All About Actors, he said: ‘It’s probably accurate. The movie business is very stressful, and a lot of times people doing interviews hang around sometimes for a couple of days before they talk to you, or even after they talk to you.
‘You just forget they’re there, and you say something, or you’re impatient or tired or whatever else. Then they write that. That’s all right. I don’t care. Sure, I get frustrated and angry or upset and all that.’
He continued, explaining his dislike of the press: ‘A lot of pictures, I just do them, and then I walk away, although sometimes I do publicity for them. But most times, I try not to.’
Hackman had three children with first wife Faye Maltese (Picture: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)He also often spoke about the way he felt his job as an actor was altogether separate from his job as a movie star, famously saying: ‘I was trained to be an actor, not a star.
‘I was trained to play roles, not to deal with fame and agents and lawyers and the press.’
‘It really costs me a lot emotionally to watch myself on-screen. I think of myself, and feel like I’m quite young, and then I look at this old man with the baggy chins and the tired eyes and the receding hairline and all that.’
Hackman starred in over 100 films throughout his career(Picture: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)Tributes have already begun to pour in for the acting legend, with Star Trek’s George Takei writing on X: ‘We have lost one of the true giants of the screen.
‘Gene 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.
‘That’s how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.’
The actor navigated comedy and drama with equal ease (Picture: Sidney Baldwin/Columbia/Castle R)Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Hackman on The Conversation, posted to Instagram: ‘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.’
Writer Dara Ó Briain posted: ‘Ah, Gene Hackman. The finest screen actor ever, I think. Not a single duff performance, in a long, long career. And the best delivery ever of a single word: when he says “Cigars!” In Young Frankenstein.’
Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis posted a photo of Hackman on Instagram with the caption: ‘Loved you in everything! The Conversation, The French Connection, The Poseidon Adventure, Unforgiven—tough yet vulnerable.
Francis Ford Coppola (right) is among those who have paid tribute to the actor (Picture: Getty Images)‘You were one of the greats. God bless those who loved you. Rest well, sir.’
Actor Josh Brolin, known for films like The Goonies and No Country for Old Men, wrote: ‘I am crushed by the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (and their dog). Crushed.
‘He was always one of my favorites. Not many who beat to their own drums like he did. Rest in Peace.’
Slumdog Millionaire star Anil Kapoor also called Hackman a ‘genius’ performer. ‘A true legend whose legacy will live on,’ he wrote in his social media tribute.
Hackman has often been described as one of the finest and most versatile actors of all time(Picture: 20th Century Fox/D’Antoni Prodcu)
Valerie Perrine, who played Hackman’s character’s on-screen girlfriend Eve Teschmacher in Superman, wrote on X: ‘The great Gene Hackman has passed away. He was a genius & 1 of the greatest to grace the silver screen.
‘I had the honor of working with Him on Superman. His performances are legendary. His talent will be missed. Goodbye my sweet Lex. Till we meet again.’
Hackman was previously married to Faye Maltese from 1956 to 1986, and the pair had three children together: Christopher, Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne.
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