Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead at their New Mexico home, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
No foul play is suspected, but the exact circumstances of their deaths have not been revealed. The investigation is still ongoing.
Sheriff’s deputies found the couple and their dog deceased when they went to check on their welfare at around 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed this.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 63, lived in a Southwestern-style ranch house in a gated community on a hill with a view of the Rocky Mountains, just outside Santa Fe. Hackman was known for his tough-guy roles in movies, playing both villains and heroes over a career that spanned decades. He was one of the best actors of his time, earning five Oscar nominations and winning for The French Connection in 1972 and Unforgiven in 1992.
He retired from acting in the early 2000s and was rarely seen in Hollywood after that, though he made occasional appearances at awards shows. Hackman also served as a board member for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in the 1990s and enjoyed a quiet life in Santa Fe.
He met Arakawa, a pianist from Hawaii, in the mid-1980s. They moved in together soon after and bought their home in Santa Fe by the end of that decade. The couple did not have children but adopted three German shepherds in 1999.
In his later years, Hackman focused on writing novels. He once told Empire magazine that he and Arakawa enjoyed watching simple, low-budget films together at home.
