In a statement to the Santa Fe New Mexican, County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said at Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found dead on Wednesday afternoon in their home in the Santa Fe Summit community northeast of the city.
Hackman had further success in the 70s with roles in The Poseidon Adventure and A Bridge Too Far, and also displayed a talent for comedy with acclaimed turns in Young Frankenstein and Superman, playing the superhero’s nemesis Lex Luthor in the latter.
Hackman also started his second career as an author of historical fiction with his first book Wake of the Perdido Star, which was followed by four others, the most recent of which was published in 2011.
Hackman enjoyed a 40-year career in film, including performances in The French Connection, Superman and The Royal Tenenbaums, before he retired in 2004.
“Film-making has always been risky — both physically and emotionally — but I do choose to consider that film a moment in a checkered career of hits and misses,” Hackman said in a 2021 interview.
