Inside Gene Hackman’s reclusive life in New Mexico to escape ‘stress’ of Hollywood before actor & wife are found dead

GENE Hackman led a rather reclusive life in New Mexico before he and his wife were found dead. Police in Santa Fe revealed today that the Hollywood movie star, 95, was found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog in their $3.8 million home on Wednesday.

Cops have said there are no signs of foul play, per the Santa Fe New Mexican. "All I can say is that we're in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant," Adan Mendoza, the Santa Fe County sheriff said. Police have not yet revealed a cause of death.

Gene had retired from acting and lived a reclusive life with his wife in the years leading up to both of their deaths. The actor, known for his roles in The French Connection, Superman and The Royal Tenenbaums, had not starred in a movie since 2004. And his last public appearance was last March when he and Betsy were seen leaving a restaurant after dining out.

His last film role came about when he played Monroe 'Eagle' Cole in the political satire Welcome to Mooseport. It was after his role in the political flick that he announced he would be stepping down from acting and retiring for good. Leaving Los Angeles for good, he and his pianist wife headed to their pad in New Mexico for a more lowkey and secluded life.

The couple moved to Santa Fe in the 1980s. New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern region of the United States and is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Santa Fe is New Mexico's captial.

Gene was a well-respected member of the community and even served as a board member of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in the 1990s. The couple's stunning home was even featured in Architectural Digest in 1990, with the actor said to have been involved with “every aspect of the house.”.

The actor remodelled his house on twelve acres of hilltop land with a 360-degree view, with the block, which was built in the 1950s, renovated for Gene and his wife Betsy. The secluded home was renovated into a "part pueblo, part colonial New Mexico, part Spanish Baroque" property for the couple.

"It had a kind of magic in it," Gene said in the interview. "It's totally different from my other houses. The Montecito house was very formal.". Gene Hackman's last public appearance came when he was seen leaving a New Mexico restaurant. Hackman was spotted holding onto Betsy's arm while he used a cane on March 28, 2024, during a rare public appearance.

The couple were on a dinner date in Santa Fe, New Mexico, heading into Pappadeaux's restaurant. The Hollywood legend had celebrated his 94th birthday just weeks before these pictures were taken. Earlier in the day, the couple were also seen visiting a local Speedway store, where Gene bought a cup of coffee and an apple pie.

He previously spoke about how Hollywood - and his profession - was incredibly "stressful". "The business for me is very stressful," he said once when touching on how a doctor had given him a health warning. Gene previously underwent surgery after suffering problems with his heart.

He was once rushed to the hospital with chest pain and needed to have a balloon catheter inserted after an artery had dangerously narrowed. In 2009 he said: "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 went on: "When I'm actually on the set or on a stage, actually doing the work, I loved that process and I loved the creative process of trying to bring a character to life. "And then, when you're actually shooting or performing, there is a kind of a feeling that comes over you, a confidence and kind of a wonderful, washed-over feeling of wellbeing, if you will, when it's going well.

"Whereas, the business part of show business is kinda wicked. You jump from trying to be a sponge, if you will - in terms of input from other actors and the director and everything that’s surrounding you. "You jump from that to a luncheon meeting with an agent and a producer on another film.