Gene Hackman
has died. The legendary actor and two-time Oscar winner was a screen staple for decades, and left an enduring mark as one of the faces of 1970s Hollywood. He and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, who has also pᴀssed, have been married since 1991.
According to the Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office (via AP), deputies found Hackman, Arakawa, and a dog ᴅᴇᴀᴅ inside their New Mexico home during a welfare check on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 26. In a statement, the authorities said there’s no immediate suspicion of foul play, but no cause of death has been officially determined and an investigation is ongoing.
Gene Hackman’s Career On The Big Screen
The Prolific Actor Had A Diverse Filmography
One of the most prolific and prominent actors of his generation, Hackman carved out a strong career on the big screen, starring in everything from blockbusters to independent dramas. Hackman sH๏τ to global prominence for his starring role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in William Friedkin’s action thriller, The French Connection, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He gained further acclaim acting in movies including The Poseidon Adventure, and The Conversation, as well as portraying Lex Luthor in Superman.
Hackman was nominated for a total of five Oscars across four decades: for Best Supporting Actor in Bonnie & Clyde (1967), I Never Sang For My Father (1970), and Unforgiven (1992), and for Best Actor in The French Connection (1971) and Mississippi Burning (1988).
Hackman worked consistently through the ’80s and ’90s, starring in acclaimed movies like Get Shorty, Under Fire, The Firm, Crimson Tide, and Enemy of the State. He won his second Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actor, for his villainous role as ‘Little Bill’ Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s epic revisionist Western masterpiece Unforgiven. One of his most enduring roles, playing Royal Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson’s 2001 movie The Royal Tenenbaums, was also one of his last, as he retired from acting after 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport.
Gene Hackman Leaves A Lasting Legacy As An All-Time Hollywood Great
After more than two decades since Hackman retired from acting, his status as a Hollywood icon has only grown. His four-decade filmography is littered with works that continue to be revisited, and new audiences continue to be struck by his gravitas, charisma, and screen presence, which were rarely matched. The film world has lost a true great with Hackman‘s pᴀssing, but he has left a body of work any actor would be proud of, including some of the most enduring characters in cinema history.
Source: AP
