Gene Hackman, legendary actor and two‑time Oscar winner, passed away in 2025 at age 95. He was found deceased in his Santa Fe home on February 26 alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa Los Angeles Times+9E! Online+9CBS News+9. Hackman likely died around February 18, according to pacemaker data The Guardian+2CBS News+2CBS News+2.

The New Mexico Chief Medical Investigator confirmed his cause of death as heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease listed as a significant contributing factor The Sun+7CBS News+7CBS News+7. Betsy Arakawa died days earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare rodent-borne illness Reuters+9The Guardian+9The Guardian+9.

Hackman’s career was both prolific and nuanced—spanning roles from the gritty detective Popeye Doyle in The French Connection to Endicott in Unforgiven. He retired quietly in 2004, but his impact endures through a body of work defined by gravity, moral complexity, and emotional authenticity.