Two-time Academy Award winner Gene Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were discovered dead in their Santa Fe Summit residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday afternoon.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed that the couple, along with their dog, had been found lifeless. While there were no signs of foul play, Mendoza refrained from disclosing a possible cause of death or estimating when they may have passed.

Hackman and Arakawa had been together as husband and wife since 1991. The legendary actor turned 95 in late January, but his frail appearance during a rare public outing last year had sparked concern among fans.

Over the course of four remarkable decades, Hackman built an impressive Hollywood legacy before stepping away from acting. By the late 2000s, he had quietly retired from the industry, a decision he had hinted at during a 2004 interview with Larry King, where he admitted he had no future projects in the pipeline.

Over the span of his career, Gene Hackman appeared in more than 70 films, earning numerous accolades along the way. Among his most notable achievements were winning the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actor in The French Connection and later securing the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.

In 2009, Hackman revealed that his decision to step away from Hollywood stemmed from a stress test that raised concerns for his doctors.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” he told Empire. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”

After retiring from acting, Hackman shifted his focus to quieter, more personal pursuits, including painting, fishing, and writing.

Reflecting on his love for writing, he shared: “It’s very relaxing for me. I don’t picture myself as a great writer, but I really enjoy the process.” He also noted the contrast between writing and acting, saying: “It’s one you can kind of manage, because you’re sitting there by yourself, as opposed to having 90 people sitting around waiting for you to entertain them.”

Hackman, pictured at the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on January 19, 2003, leaves behind his three children—Christopher, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne—whom he shared with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family of the legendary Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa.