Gene Hackman’s daughters and granddaughters broke their silence after his unexpected passing.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy. He was loved and admired by millions worldwide for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss,” Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth Hackman, Leslie Hackman and granddaughter Annie Hackman wrote in a statement to PEOPLE.
Hackman, 95, his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and their dog were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26. The Associated Press reports that an open prescription bottle and pills were found on a countertop near Arakawa. They also say that the gas lines were tested in and around the home, but no signs of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning were found at the time.
The exact causes of death have not been confirmed as of 4:30 p.m. on February 27.
Hackman had three kids with his ex-wife Faye Maltese – a son Christopher and daughters Elizabeth and Leslie. The two were married in 1956 but divorced in 1986. He and Arakawa married in 1991.
Gene Hackman’s Acting Legacy
20th Century Fox/Getty ImagesGene Hackman as Detective Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle in the film ‘The French Connection’
Hackman’s Hollywood career spanned over four decades, appearing in numerous films and earning many awards. He was honored at the highest level, being nominated for five Oscars and winning two.
He was first nominated in 1968 for “Bonnie & Clyde” as Best Supporting Actor and received that same nomination for “I Never Sang for My Father” in 1971. Hackman won his first Oscar in 1972 for Best Actor in “The French Connection. He was nominated for Best Actor once again in 1989 for “Mississippi Burning.” His second and final Oscar win came in 1993 as Best Supporting Actor in “Unforgiven.”
Hackman also had a successful career in television and theatre.
Gene Hackman Explored a Writing Career
M. McCarthy/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesGene Hackman
Along with a very successful acting career, Hackman also explored a career as an author, being a part of a total of five books.
Between 1999 and 2008, Hackman co-authored three historical fiction novels with park ranger and archaeologist Daniel Lenihan. They first wrote “Wake of the Perdido Star,” which is about a young boy growing up on the high seas. “Justice for None” follows a World War I veteran who deals with racial injustice. His last book with Lenihan was “Escape from Andersonville,” where a Union Captain is captured but escapes and works to free the other prisoners.
His first solo novel was published in 2011, writing a Western Novel titled, “Payback at Morning Peak.” He then published “Pursuit” in 2013.
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