Gene Hackman, Hoosiers Star, Dead At 95

Gene Hackman, the legendary actor who appeared in tons of popular films including "Hoosiers," "Heartbreakers," and as Lex Luthor in "Superman," has died on February 27, 2025 at the age of 95. The two-time Oscar-winning star was found unresponsive alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa (who was 63), in their New Mexico home, alongside their beloved dog. Santa Fe Sheriff's Office, who confirmed the couple's deaths, informed Sky News: "We do not believe foul play was a factor in their deaths however, exact cause of death has not been determined at this time."

Hackman was born January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California. As a child, Hackman bounced from place to place with his father, Eugene, and his mother, Lydia, before putting down roots in Illinois, where he was raised by his maternal grandmother, Beatrice. When the actor was only 13, his father abandoned the family for several years, waving goodbye to Hackman while he was playing in the street. "It was a real adios," he told Vanity Fair. "It was so precise. Maybe that's why I became an actor. I doubt I would have become so sensitive to human behavior if that hadn't happened to me as a child — if I hadn't realized how much one small gesture can mean."

He dropped out of school at age 16 and lied about his age to enlist in the United States Marines, where he was trained as a radio operator. This skill would be put to good use when Hackman served in China, working as a disc jockey.

After his discharge from the Marines, Gene Hackman moved to New York City, where he continued to pursue opportunities in radio, returning to the nomadic lifestyle he lived as a child as he took jobs across the United States. While living in California, Hackman enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse where he, at age 27, made the acquaintance of Dustin Hoffman, who was only 19, per Vanity Fair. Hackman, Hoffman, and Robert Duvall became good friends in the 1950s and 1960s. They worked menial jobs and supported one another as they began to build their acting careers. 

Hackman, Hoffman, and Duvall gradually became a tight-knit family. After working a series of non-acting jobs in order to make ends meet, Hackman won his first substantial film role playing the romantic rival for an occupational therapist, portrayed by Warren Beatty, who falls for a wealthy mental patient, played by Jean Seberg, in the drama "Lilith" (1964). It wasn't until 1967 that Hackman scored a meaty role in a major motion picture, "Bonnie and Clyde," where he played the role of Buck Barrow. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination. Hackman was once again honored with an Oscar nomination for his work in the motion picture "I Never Sang For My Father."

After two nominations, Gene Hackman finally won an Academy Award for his performance as Popeye Doyle in the 1971 film "The French Connection." Roles in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" (1974) and super-villain Lex Luthor in 1978's "Superman: The Movie" soon followed. After taking a few years off, Hackman teamed up with Warren Beatty again for a role in the 1981 film "Reds" and later starred in one of the best sports films ever made, 1986's "Hoosiers." 

He was honored with yet another Academy Award nod for his work in 1988's "Mississippi Burning" and a Best Supporting Actor win for 1992's "Unforgiven," which he appeared in alongside Clint Eastwood. Hackman followed that with parts in "Get Shorty" (1995), "The Birdcage" (1996), and "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001), to name a few of his most memorable roles across two decades. Hackman also had the opportunity to work for the first time alongside his longtime friend Hoffman in the 2003 film "Runaway Jury."

Hackman was married twice. His first was to Faye Maltese in 1956. The couple was married for three decades before divorcing. He is survived by his three children from his marriage to Faye — Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie. In 1991, the actor married classical pianist Betsy Arakawa. They lived out of the spotlight in a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.