Actor Gene Hackman and wife found dead at home with their dog
A statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff in New Mexico said there is an “active investigation” ongoing into the deaths.
The police department said: “We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail.
“This is an active investigation – however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor.”
“All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant,” Adan Mendoza, the Santa Fe County sheriff said.
The acclaimed actor received two Oscars and two Baftas in his acting career which spanned decades.
He secured the best actor Oscar in 1972 for his role as Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection.
Hackman landed a further Academy Award in the best supporting actor category for his part in 1992 Western Unforgiven, directed by Clint Eastwood, CNN reported.
The screen star, who celebrated his 95th birthday in late January, was known for his reclusive nature, having stepped away from Hollywood nearly two decades ago.
Hackman first rose to fame with his breakout role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and went on to star in iconic films such as Superman, The French Connection, and Get Shorty, CNN reported.
Despite his successful career, he made the unexpected decision to retire from acting in 2004.
Hackman’s wife Arakawa, 63, was a classical pianist.
Hackman also starred in the 2001 Wes Anderson hit The Royal Tenenbaums.
“You go through stages in your career that you feel very good about yourself. Then you feel awful, like, ‘Why didn’t I choose something else?’” Hackman reflected to GQ magazine in 2011, seven years after his retirement from acting.
“But overall I’m pretty satisfied that I made the right choice when I decided to be an actor. I was lucky to find a few things that I could do well as an actor and that I could look at and say, ‘Yeah, that’s all right.’”
Hackman appeared in nearly 80 films over four decades.
He received five Academy Award nominations, winning two, as well as two BAFTA Awards out of five career nominations.
Hackman was nominated for eight Golden Globe awards and won three, in addition to being presented with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2003 for his “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”
More to come