The legendary actor Gene Hackman has passed away at the age of 95. He was found dead in his home with his wife and their dog
Unfortunately, we have to get the day started with some sad news today, as it has been reported that we’ve lost one of the great legends of cinema, Gene Hackman, at the age of 95. Hackman, his retired pianist wife, 63-year-old Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were all found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon. Yahoo reports that New Mexico police have said that the causes of death are under investigation, “but they do not believe foul play is a factor at this time.” Of course, there’s a lot of speculation going around that the cause of death may be carbon monoxide poisoning, but nothing has been confirmed as of right now.
Born on January 30, 1930 in San Bernadino, California, Eugene Allen Hackman did a lot of moving around in his younger years, but had already decided that he wanted to be an actor by the time he was 10 years old. He left home at 16 and lied about his age so he could enlist in the United States Marine Corps. After being discharged in 1951, he worked several jobs and studied of journalism and television production for a while at the University of Illinois. He really began pursuing an acting career at age 26, when he joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California and befriended a fellow actor named Dustin Hoffman. The pair were voted “The Least Likely To Succeed” by their classmates – so, to prove them wrong, they moved to New York City with their pal Robert Duvall and focused on breaking into the entertainment industry. Things well very well for all three of them.
Hackman made his screen acting debut in an episode of the TV series The United States Steel Hour in 1959. His first film role was in 1961’s Mad Dog Coll, where he went uncredited. Over the course of a career that lasted 45 years, Hackman worked on more than 100 projects, including Bonnie and Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, Downhill Racer, The French Connection, The Poseidon Adventure, Scarecrow, The Conversation, Young Frankenstein, Night Moves, French Connection II, A Bridge Too Far, Superman, Superman II, Reds, Uncommon Valor, Hoosiers, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Mississippi Burning, Postcards from the Edge, Narrow Margin, Unforgiven, The Firm, Geronimo: An American Legend, Wyatt Earp, The Quick and the Dead, Crimson Tide, Get Shorty, The Birdcage, Extreme Measures, The Chamber, Absolute Power, Antz, Enemy of the State, The Replacements, The Mexican, Heartbreakers, The Royal Tenenbaums, Behind Enemy Lines, Runaway Jury, and much more. His last screen acting role was in the 2004 comedy Welcome to Mooseport, where he starred opposite Ray Romano.
He earned Oscar nominations for his performances in Bonnie and Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, The French Connection, Mississippi Burning, and Unforgiven – and took home the Academy Awards for his work on The French Connection (Best Actor in a Leading Role) and Unforgiven (Best Actor in a Supporting Role).
Gene Hackman was truly one of the all-time greats, and it’s sad to know that he’s no longer with us. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans.
