The Oscar-winning actor made his admission more than 20 years before his death
Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman made a candid and heartfelt confession about death more than two decades before he and his wife were found unresponsive at their New Mexico home.
Gene, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were both found dead along with their dog at their Santa Fe home on Wednesday (February 26).
No cause of death has yet been confirmed for the couple, though a statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff has confirmed that there does not appear to be any foul play involved.
“This is an active investigation,” the sheriff’s office added.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa married in 1991 (Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Tributes for Gene and Betsy have been pouring in in the wake of the news, and now, an interview Gene conducted in 2004 has resurfaced due to the actor’s comments about the end of life.
Gene shared his thoughts on death in an interview with Larry King, when the interviewer asked the Unforgiven star what he ‘fears’.
“Do you worry about your health?,” King asked.
Gene then responded: “I try to take care of myself. I don’t have a lot of fears.”
See a clip from the interview below:
However, he then went on to open up about death, saying: “I have the normal fear of passing away, I guess we all think about that, especially [as] you get to be a certain age.”
Gene made a candid reference to Betsy as he said he wanted his wife and family to be ‘taken care of’, adding: “Other than that I don’t have a lot of fears.”
The actor’s comments came just a few years before Gene told Reuters in 2008 that he was ‘not going to act any longer’.
Gene explained at the time he simply didn’t ‘want to do it any longer’.
Prior to his retirement, Gene firmly established himself as a Hollywood star thanks to his performances in titles like The Conversation, Superman and The French Connection, the latter of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Gene Hackman won two Oscars for his work (Evening Standard/Getty Images)
The actor married Betsy in 1991, following a previous 30-year relationship with his first wife, Faye Maltese.
Sharing the news of Gene and Betsy’s death, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office said: “On 26 February, 2025, at approximately 1:45pm, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and a dog were found deceased.”
Gene has been remembered by fans as ‘one of the greatest actors of his, or anyone’s generation’.
One tribute reads: “He was a powerhouse, as adept at comedy as he was drama. Today is a very sad day, we’ve lost a legend. Gene was a giant of cinema. R.I.P Gene Hackman.”
