Gene Hackman and his wife Besty have been found at their home (Image: GETTY)
Two time Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman has been found dead at the age of 95 alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza has confirmed just after midnight that the legendary actor and the classical pianist, 63, and their dog had been found dead, but no foul play is suspected in relation to their passing.
The pair reportedly began dating in the mid 1980s following the end of his first marriage.
Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office said in a statement: “We do not believe foul play was a factor in their deaths however, exact cause of death has not been determined at this time.”
Gene stepped away from the spotlight in 2004 and had remained out of the spotlight for the past 20 years following his retirement.
The actor previously shared his reason from stepping back from was largely due to his health as he made a candid home life admission.
Gene Hackman has sadly died at the age of 95 (Image: Getty)
Gene Hackman and his wife Besty were found dead at their home (Image: Getty)
“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” he told Empire from his home in Santa Fe. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
The 95-year-old actor revealed he enjoyed spending quiet evenings at his Santa Fe home with his other half as he shared the couple’s “little home comforts”.
Gene shared: “We like watching DVDs that my wife rents; we like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce.”
Every Friday night was also set aside for a Comedy Channel marathon.
Gene Hackman pictured with his three children (Image: Getty)
Gene had kept his home life relatively private throughout his longstanding career.
He was married to his first wife, Faye Maltese, from 1956 to 1986. The couple welcomed three children: son Christopher and daughters Elizabeth and Leslie. Five years after his split with Maltese, who died in 2017, Gene wed classical pianist Betsy.
Gene also acknowledged that it was “tough” being the child of a celebrity, telling The Irish Independent, “I couldn’t always be home with them when they were growing up and then, living in California, they’ve had my success always hanging over their heads.”
He is survived by his son Christopher, 64, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58.