Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman shared one thing he and wife of almost 34 years, Betsy Arakawa, enjoyed doing together before tragically being found dead together.
The bodies of the 95-year-old and his classical pianist partner were discovered at their home in the Santa Fe Summit community northeast of the city, in New Mexico, yesterday evening (26 February), with officials stating there is no indication of foul play.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed the deaths of Hackman, the 63-year-old and their pet dog during a statement yesterday.
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"All I can say is that we're in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant," he said.
"I want to assure the community and neighbourhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone.”
Mendoza did not comment on the cause of death or when the couple might have died.
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The two-time Academy Awards-winning actor retired from acting in 2004, with more than 100 acting roles under his belt, and subsequently vacated Los Angeles with Betsy and moved to New Mexico.
The pair lived a private life, with Hackman rarely agreeing to be interviewed - underlined by his retirement announcement four years later.
At the time he told Reuters: "I haven't held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I'm not going to act any longer. I really don't want to do it any longer.
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“I've been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don't want to do it any longer.”
In 2009, Hackman was asked how retirement was going during an interview with Empire, and revealed touching intimate details about his and Betsy's life together.
"We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce," the Hollywood veteran said, as he explained they regularly watch DVDs that Betsy rents.
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With the publication writing how Hackman shared that on Friday nights the pair enjoy a Comedy Channel marathon, the highlight of which tends to be performances by Eddie Izzard - who the pensioner applauded for her 'amazing' 'speed of thought'.
Hackman and Betsy started dating in the mid-80s and before getting married in 1991, but clarified that he did not abandon his first wife Faye Maltese for her.
He said: "By the way, I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman. We just drifted apart. We lost sight of each other. When you work in this business, marriage takes a great deal of work and love."
Topics: Gene Hackman, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships
Joe Yates