The deaths of the French Connection star, 95, and wife Betsy Arakawa, 63 are not being treated as suspicious at this time, although the pair were found dead alongside their dog
Hollywood star Gene Hackman has been found dead alongside his wife at their home in Santa Fe in the US, the local sheriff has confirmed.
The deaths of the French Connection star, 95, and wife Betsy Arakawa, 63 are not being treated as suspicious at this time – although the pair were found dead alongside their dog.
The Superman star and Betsy had previously been reported to have had two German Shepherds. People Magazine report that the couple had previously had three Alsatians in the 1990s. And there’s a great little story of how this came to be.
In a heartwarming tale, the third pooch was adopted to join the first pair.
Hackman is understood to have adopted a dog called Gene, which wandered onto the set of The Replacements while they were shooting in Baltimore. The dog had arrived with another. According to the animal shelter, the pair were brought to it in a limo, where they were given the names Gene and Keanu.
The latter dog was given the name Keanu after Gene’s co-star, Keanu Reeves. Gene would later to go on and adopt, unsurprisingly, the one called Gene.
Taking to X, (Twitter), one person who claims to be a vet, said: “I was on critical care late one night my senior year of veterinary school at Colorado State when Gene Hackman and his wife showed up with their elderly sick dog.
“They had driven eight hours to get the best care for their dog. He seemed like a pretty devoted dog lover to me.”
Elsewhere Hackman led a quiet life in his later years. He is understood to hjave steered clear of the Hollywood social scene barring the odd appearence at award shows.
Gene also went on to write books after stepping away from acting. He wrote them from a hiltop ranch, authoring two novels, Pursuit and Payback at Morning Peak and coauthoring three more.
Earlier in his career, Gene had been in the Marines and then later worked as a journalist. He hadn’t started into the world of acting until he was in his 30s but joined the military at 16.
Reports from Military.com claim that despite finding a niche during his service in the Pacific as a DJ for Armed Foces Radio, he was often demoted for abandoning his post and fighting.
“I have trouble with direction, because I have trouble with authority,” he would later say. “I was not a good Marine.”
He was discharged as a disabled veteran after a motorcycle accident.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
