Gene Hackman shocked the world when he retired from Hollywood.
After a storied career, that included over 70 film credits and two Academy Awards, Gene retired from film in 2004, after making his last appearance in Welcome to Mooseport.
Five years after trading in the lights of Hollywood for a quieter life in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife Betsy Arakawa—and 16 years before his death at the age of 95—the French Connection star finally explained why.
“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” Gene said in an interview with Empire magazine published in 2009. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
At the time he revealed his then-new past time that allowed him to bond with his wife.
“Watching DVDs that my wife rents,” the Royal Tenenbaums alum said about how he spent his time with the classical pianist. “We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce.”
Gene and Betsy, 65, were found dead inside of their Santa Fe home alongside one of their dogs on Feb. 26. At the time, authorities confirmed to NBC News that no foul play was suspected, though a subsequent affidavit obtained by the outlet deemed their deaths to be “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
A Feb. 27 news release confirmed that initial autopsies were performed on Gene and Betsy, and there were no signs of external trauma.
“Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were requested for both individuals,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said. “The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending.”
As authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the couple—who were married in 1991—tributes poured in from fans, friends and colleagues, including Antonio Banderas, Prince William and Kate Middleton and more who remembered his impact.
Francis Ford Coppola who directed Gene in the 1974 film The Conversation, paid tribute to the two-time Oscar winner.
“The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity,” Francis wrote alongside a photo of him and Gene on Instagram Feb. 27. “I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
Gene—who was the father of Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie, whom he shared with his first wife Faye Maltese—was also mourned by his family.
“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa,” Elizabeth, Leslie and granddaughter Annie Hackman said in a statement to E! News. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
Keep reading to look back on Gene’s life and career…
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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