Gene Hackman opened up about his fear of dying in 2008 (Image: CNN)
veteran Gene Hackman spoke about his fear of dying in a resurfaced interview following his tragic death.
On Thursday (Februrary 27), it was announced that the 95-year-old actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead alongside their family dog in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The cause of death has yet to be announced, although it has been suggested that “foul play is not suspected as a factor”.
After the devastating news hit the headlines, tributes have poured in for the French Connection (1971) and Superman (1978) star, sparking renewed interest in his life and illustrious career.
In a 2004 interview with CNN’s Larry King, Hackman spoke candidly about his health issues, including undergoing angioplasty for “heart problems,” and suffering from “severe angina”, reports .
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The actor was found dead with his wife Betsy Arakawa and their family dog (Image: AP)
When asked about his fears of death, he confessed: “I try to take care of myself. I don’t have a lot of fears. I have the normal fear of passing away.
“You know, I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age. I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of fears.”
A statement released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office read: “On February 26, 2025 at approximately 1:45 p.m, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95 and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64 and a dog were found deceased.
“Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time however exact cause of death has not been determined. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.”
Gene and Betsy tied the knot back in 1991. The French Connection star and two time Oscar winner Gene reportedly started dating Betsy in the mid 1980s, but said he did not abandon his first wife Faye Maltese for her.
He said: “By the way, I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman. We just drifted apart. We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a great deal of work and love.”
Gene was born in January 1930, and enlisted in the Army after lying about his age when he was 16. He served in the military for four and a half years before going into acting.
But in 2008, he announced his retirement, telling press: “I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer. I really don’t want to do it any longer.”