Italian
The two-time Oscar-winning actor was found dead in his Santa Fe home, next to the body of his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog
The famous 95-year-old actor was found lifeless yesterday in his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Next to him were the lifeless bodies of his wife Betsy Arakawa, a 63-year-old pianist, and their dog. The causes of death are unknown.
The sheriff of Santa Fe County stated in an interview that “there were no clear signs pointing to a criminal act.”
Life
Gene Hackman was born on January 30, 1930 in San Bernardino, California. His real name was Eugene Allen Hackman. His father left the family when he was only 13 years old. He lived with his mother who died in a fire at their house when he was 30 years old. The incident may have been caused by the same woman who fell asleep in bed with a lit cigarette.
He enlisted in the Marines at a very young age, where he stayed for several years and even went to China and Japan. When he returned to the United States, he did all kinds of jobs, became interested in journalism and television production, and then, around the age of 30, decided to study acting in California, at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he met Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall.
The cinema
Gene Hackman was a true legend of American cinema. In addition to the Oscars for “The French Connection”, 1972 and “Unforgiven”, 1993, he won the Silver Bear in Berlin in 1989 for Best Actor in “Mississippi Burning” directed by Alan Parker, and four Golden Globes, including one for his career, and two Baftas.
Also memorable is his role in the movie Young Frankenstein where he plays the part of the blind hermit. The “monster” ends up in the hermit’s shack and there gets “burned” by the boiling soup and “ignited” by the hermit’s candle.
