Gene Hackman's tragic passing has raised several questions about how he lived his final years in the gated Santa Fe home that he shared with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who was also found dead alongside her husband on Wednesday.
While the 95-year-old was found in the mudroom of their home, Betsy, 65 passed away in their bathroom, surrounded by prescription medicine according to police reports.
Following their shock death, police revealed that the legendary actor may have passed away as early as February 17, when his pacemaker no longer found a heartbeat.
As the investigation into their deaths continues, Gene and Betsy's neighbors are reeling from the tragedy that unfolded so close to them.
The New York Times spoke to several of the residents within Santa Fe Summit, the gated community where the couple settled down in their later years.
© WireImageAccording to their neighbors, Gene and Betsy lived an extremely reclusive life and were rarely seen outside of their home.
"They have a gate, and we have a gate, and we just have never even seen each other," James Everett, their next-door neighbor, revealed to the publication.
© Getty ImagesAnother resident, Bud Hamilton, shared that despite only having dinner with Gene once, the star would donate a painting every year to the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico to auction, after learning of Bud's involvement in the charity.
Helen Dufreche, who lived nearby, explained that the last time she had seen Gene was in 2017, ready to go on an adventure with a mountain bike in the back of his truck.
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyShe added that he looked fit, "just like he did in Crimson Tide."
"He wanted to be quiet, he didn't want to be bothered, and I don't blame him," said Harvey Chalker, who has lived in the community for decades.
Gene was notoriously private in his twilight years, and as he became more frail, he began to leave the house less and less.
© Getty ImagesAccording to real estate agent Claire Lange, another of the pair's neighbors, Santa Fe Summit was the perfect place for privacy. "Santa Fe is about enjoying the beauty, but also about being private and doing your own thing," she said. "People live here very, very quietly."
Gene Hackman: 5 surprising facts
© Getty Images1. Joining the Marines
At 16, Gene left home to join the Marines, just three years after his father had abandoned his family.
2. 'Least likely to succeed'
Gene studied acting at Pasadena Theatre's acting school, where he was classmates and friends with Dustin Hoffman. Both were dubbed "least likely to succeed" because they didn’t fit the typical young leading man stereotype. Of course, they both proved everyone wrong.
3. His big break came later
Gene Hackman's career proves that big breaks can come later in life. At 37, he landed his first big role in the classic Bonnie and Clyde, which earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, it wasn’t until he was 41 that he landed his first leading role.
4. Retiring from acting
By the early 2000s, Gene had hundreds of film credits to his name but the stress of his career was taking a toll on his health. He told Empire that part of the reason for his retirement was the physical and emotional strain attendant on acting.
5. He didn’t watch his hit films
The French Connection, one of his most famous films, earned him an Oscar. However, Gene admitted in a 2021 interview with The New York Post that he only watched the film once during the initial screening. He didn’t enjoy watching himself on screen and didn’t grasp the lasting legacy of his films.
The ongoing investigation into Gene and Betsy's deaths has led police to the prescription medication they found near Betsy after her death.
"We're looking at that specifically and other medications, of course, that were possibly in the residence," said Santa Fe Sheriff Adam Mendoza on Today.
© Getty Images"But we're hoping [the toxicology report] comes sooner than later so we can answer some of these questions and hopefully it'll help us in our investigation to help determine…the matter and cause of death."
Gene is survived by his three children: Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 63, and Leslie, 58. His two daughters and his granddaughter Annie released a statement following his death that read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy."
© Sygma via Getty Images"He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa," they shared. "We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss."
