Gene Hackman, a Hollywood legend known for the films The French Connection, Bonnie and Clyde
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Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead in their home in Santa Fe. Hackman was known for his roles in the films The French Connection, Bonnie and Clyde, and Unforgiven.
Gene Hackman, an unforgettable actor of the 70s or ‘golden decade’ of Hollywood, as well as the 80s and 90s, has died at the age of 95.
Transmitted by UNN with reference to BBC and Rai News.
Details
Famous American actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63, a classical pianist, were found on Thursday at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA), along with their dog.
A statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in New Mexico reads: "We can confirm that Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead Wednesday afternoon at their home on Sunset Trail.
Born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California, Hackman had a difficult childhood and adolescence due to the attitude of his father, who later left the family when Gene was 13. At the age of 16, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy after lying about his age, served for five years, mostly as a radio operator, and was stationed in China and Japan.
After serving in the military, he decided to pursue acting. Hackman settled in Los Angeles, where he got small supporting roles, but decided that theater was his favorite thing to do and moved to New York to try his luck on the Broadway stage. It didn't work out right away:
I lived in New York for about eight years before I found a job. I sold women's shoes, polished leather furniture, and drove a truck.
In 1963, Hackman began acting in Off-Broadway productions and small roles on television. He eventually caught the attention of Hollywood producers and made a return trip to Los Angeles to appear in the movie Bonnie and Clyde, where he played the brother of the main character Warren Beatty (Clyde).
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Gene Hackman began making a name for himself in the 1970s, starring as New York detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in the movie The French Connection. He also appeared in the 1972 disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure.
Over 100 films in Gene Hackman's career. Since the 1960s, he has been playing the villain, or ruthless, amoral characters with a cynical sarcasm, with great success.
He has also appeared in the hit films The Runaway Jury and The Conversation by Francis Ford Coppola, as well as The Tenenbaums by Wes Anderson.
Hackman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle in William Friedkin's 1971 thriller The French Connection, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood's 1992 western Unforgiven.
His last appearance on the big screen was as Monroe Cole in the movie Welcome to Muscle in 2004.
Hackman and his first wife, Faye Maltese, were together for 30 years and raised three children before divorcing in 1986.
In the last years of his life, he and his second wife, Betsy, a classical pianist, remained out of the public eye, except for a rare joint appearance at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards. Then Hackman received the Cecil B. deMille Award.
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