Emma Heming Willis, Bruce Willis’ wife and caregiver, 46, is speaking out about Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s devastating deaths and calling for more for those who spend their lives looking after others.

The model, who has turned to advocacy for frontotemporal dementia awareness after her husband’s diagnosis in 2023, took to Instagram to comment on the recent news, which shook Hollywood to its core. “This is not something I would normally comment on,” Willis began in the social media video posted Monday, adding, “But I do really believe that there is some learning in this story.” The 46-year-old then went on to explain how the deaths of The French Connection actor and his wife highlighted how “caregivers need care too.”

Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, married since 1991, were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Feb. 26. An investigation concluded that the wife had likely been dead for longer than the husband, succumbing to a respiratory disease known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The twice-Oscar-winning actor had been suffering from Alzheimer’s, leading authorities to conclude that he was neither fully aware that Arakawa was gone nor capable of calling for help before dying of severe heart disease.

What’s more shocking is that the 65-year-old is estimated to have been dead for two weeks when they were finally found by a maintenance worker and a security guard, while Hackman’s pacemaker suggests he died a week after his wife. Despite the actor having three children, no one ed to check on the couple — Arakawa Hackman’s sole caregiver.

Although Willis seems to have more than the late pianist — Bruce’s ex-wife Demi Moore herself continuing to be very present in his life — she’s dedicated to advocating for all caregivers, whose plight can often be overlooked. “[Caregivers] are vital,” she continued. “It’s so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person.”

The model argued that there’s a “common misconception” that informal caregivers have “got it figured out” and have “got it covered.” “I don’t subscribe to that,” Willis concluded. On Feb. 22, she celebrated National Caregivers Day with another Instagram post asking that systems “stop saying ‘Let me know if there is anything I can do to help,’ and start saying ‘Here’s how I can help.’”

Emma and Bruce, 69, share two daughters (Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10)  from a marriage celebrated in 2009 and have been together since 2007. In Mar. 2022, the Willis family announced that the Die Hard actor had been diagnosed with the language disorder aphasia and was retiring, but nearly one year later they found he was also suffering from dementia. The model has been vocal about how advocacy helped her regain control of her life after the distressing development and will publish her first book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Hope and Purpose on the Caregiving Path, later this year.

A UK study published in 2020 concluded that “almost half, 43.7%, of caregivers reported moderate loneliness and 17.7% reported severe loneliness,” while in America “40% to 70% of family caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression,” per the Family Caregiver Alliance. Alzheimer’s or dementia caregivers are especially likely to struggle with mental health.

Thankfully, much like Willis, there are many people fighting for this scenario to change. The Family Caregiver Alliance has a helpful list of the Top 17 Resources for Family Caregivers “as rated by the family caregivers [they’ve]served for more than 40 years.” We will need or have all needed care at one point or another in our lives — let’s make sure those who must dedicate most of their time to providing it are being looked after too!

It’s a strange and somber thing to imagine Gene Hackman going out in the way he did. The news of his ing, alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa and even their dog, is as mysterious as it is tragic.

There’s an eerie stillness to the lack of answers, and it feels almost poetic that Hackman’s final chapter should have this enigmatic quality to it — after all, his life was never one to follow a straight or expected path. He didn’t even have what you’d call a “conventional” Hollywood story.

For Hackman, it all started with a lie. At 16 years old, he lied about his age and ed the United States Marine Corps. That decision, impulsive as it might have been, set the stage for everything that came next.

Gene Hackman: Radio DJ, rebel, and Marine Corps veteran

Born in 1930 in San Bernardino, California, he grew up during the Great Depression. His father walked out on the family when Hackman was still a kid. By the time he hit his teenage years, he was just another restless kid with more questions than answers about life. The Marines would eventually become both a proving ground and a source of conflict.

Hackman trained at Parris Island, South Carolina, where countless young men have been put through the wringer. From there, he was shipped off to China, just two years after World War II ended. His primary role was as a radio operator, which sounds pretty unremarkable until you realize that this was where Hackman first started to experiment with performance. But let’s not romanticize his time in the Corps too much. Hackman was, by his own ission, a terrible Marine. He was demoted three separate times for leaving his post and getting into fights, and his rebellious streak earned him more than his fair share of trouble. “I had trouble with authority,” he later itted.

Even amid the chaos of his military years, Hackman found moments of joy and growth. He would later say, “I had a good time in the Marines.” Hackman moved between several units and assignments during his five years of service (1947–1952):

• 1947: Signal School Battalion, San Diego: Hackman’s Marine career began with training in communications.
• 1947–1948: Headquarters and Service Battalion, Camp Pendleton:  After completing his training, Hackman was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, a major hub for Marine operations.
• 1948–1949: 3rd Marine Regiment: Hackman ed the 3rd Marine Regiment. This assignment took him to China, where he served as part of the U.S. military’s postwar presence in the region.
• 1949–1950: Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division: Back in the States, Hackman was assigned to the 1st Marine Division, one of the Corps’ most prestigious units.
• 1950–1951: 2nd Signal Battalion, 2nd Marine Division: Hackman returned to the communications field with the 2nd Signal Battalion.
• 1951: 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion:  Reconnaissance units are known for their specialized missions and demanding training, but Hackman’s time here was short-lived due to the injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident.
• 1951–1952: Fleet Marine Corps Reserve: After his accident, Hackman was placed in the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve, effectively marking the end of his active-duty service.

Hackman was indeed discharged as a disabled veteran at the age of 20. He went back home to Illinois, tail between his legs, and moved in with his mother. He worked at a music store, used the GI Bill to study journalism, and dabbled in TV production. But deep down, Hackman wasn’t built for “quiet” or “forgettable.” By the mid-1950s, he found himself in California, chasing a wild, improbable dream: Acting. 

He enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse and immediately found himself labeled as someone who didn’t belong. The students there voted him and his friend Dustin Hoffman “least likely to succeed.” That’s the kind of rejection that would make most people pack it in. But The French Connection actor wasn’t most people. From the restless kid who lied his way into the Marines to the Oscar-winning actor who became a household name, Hackman’s story is a proof to the power of persistence.

Yesterday, Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested to Fox News that we could see a full release of a “lot of flight logs, a lot of names, [and] a lot of information” pertaining to deceased socialite-pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and what’s expected to be a long, disturbing, and revelatory list of associates.

And perhaps this is nothing more than a case of especially poor timing, but with the discovery of legendary actor Gene Hackman‘s body yesterday (per the Associated Press, the 95-year-old French Connection star was found dead in his home on Wednesday along with his wife, 63-year-old Betsy Arakawa, and one of their three pet dogs, the other two of whom were found alive), some are wondering if any ties between Hackman and Epstein were ever discovered.

Was Gene Hackman on Epstein’s list?

No, Gene Hackman has never been reported as an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, per the release of court records in January 2024. Per The Independent, those records named such public figures as Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, the latter of whom directed Bondi to review the list and information, per CTV News. Bondi, a Republican, was named as Attorney General on Feb. 4.

Major Hollywood figures that were named in the court records include Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Spacey, George Lucas, Cate Blanchett, Bruce Willis, Cameron Diaz, and Chris Tucker.

It’s worth noting that being named in this list does not directly imply that the person knowingly collaborated with Epstein in his nauseating crimes. The list includes such people, but it also includes those who have accused Epstein of those very crimes, the victims of those crimes, and unintentional, happenstance connections with Epstein, who worked as a financier and had an affluent social circle.

Accs of Epstein include John Connelly, a former detective and investigative journalist who was investigating Epstein, and Vicky Ward, an investigative journalist who allegedly faced barriers from Vanity Fair when she sought to cover the Epstein case.

Per NPR, Epstein allegedly operated an underage sex-trafficking ring out of Florida and New York, which lasted approximately a decade after it began in 1994. He was first investigated around 2005, but was never prosecuted on a federal level, and served just 18 months before his release in 2009, after which he was required to as a sex offender.

Ten years later, in 2019, he was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges following an exposé by the Miami Herald. He famously ed away while in prison from an alleged suicide.

How did Gene Hackman die?

At the time of writing, a cause of death has not been released, and while reports initially said the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department didn’t suspect foul play, TMZ later reported that a search warrant from one of the Santa Fe detectives labeled the deaths of Hackman, his wife, and their pet dog as “suspicious.”

Nevertheless, the circumstances are unusual. Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in different rooms, while prescription medications were found scattered on a countertop near Arakawa. The house’s gas lines were also checked for the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning, but no problems have been found. Most pertinently, Arakawa’s body displayed signs of mummification in her hands and feet. Mummification — wherein dead tissue hardens and shrinks from what’s often dehydration — of the entire body can take several weeks to a year.

Across a career that took him from 1959 to 2004, Hackman amassed a collection of two Oscars, four Golden Globes, and two British Academy Film Awards. Welcome to Mooseport was his final film.

On Feb. 26, 2025, the world lost an absolute titan of cinema — Gene Hackman. At the age of 95, the actor ed away alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and even their pet dog, in what can only be described as a deeply tragic and mysterious set of circumstances.

Hackman and his wife were found deceased in separate rooms of their home, with no immediate signs of trauma or foul play. Authorities also ruled out the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning, a common cause in cases of simultaneous household deaths. Pills were found scattered near Arakawa, but investigators have yet to confirm any connection to the cause of death. Even the family dog was found dead, adding another layer of mystery to the case.

At this point, the official cause of death remains undetermined. The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office has classified the situation as “suspicious enough” to warrant further investigation, though they’ve emphasized that there’s no evidence of an intruder or external violence. While the circumstances surrounding his death are unsettling, they also create a moment for us to stop, reflect, and really appreciate the immense legacy he leaves behind.

Gene Hackman’s Oscar wins, explained

Gene Hackman grew up in a broken home, with his parents separating when he was young. He left home at the age of 16 and lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served for four and a half years. After his military service, Hackman moved to New York City to pursue acting, attending the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse Theatre School. There, he met and befriended fellow actor Dustin Hoffman, and both were voted “Least Likely to Succeed.” 

Despite this discouraging start, Hackman’s determination led him to Broadway, where he began his career in theatre. His breakthrough came with his role in Lilith (1964), followed by a more significant part in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), where he played Buck Barrow. His performance earned him two Academy Awards and both were more than deserved. His first win came in 1972 for The French Connection, where he played the gritty, no-nonsense Detective Popeye Doyle.

His second Oscar, for Best ing Actor, came over 20 years later in 1993 for Unforgiven, where he played the sadistic sheriff Little Bill Daggett. If anything, these wins highlight Hackman’s ability to reinvent himself over time. Some might argue that his performances, while solid, lacked the emotional vulnerability or transformative depth seen in contemporaries like Robert De Niro or Al Pacino. But that’s not to diminish his achievements. Hackman carved out a niche for himself as a dependable and grounded actor, which is no small feat in an industry that often prizes flashiness over substance.

And as we gear up for the Oscars 2025, it’s hard not to think about how someone like Hackman comes to define what it even means to win an Academy Award. But perhaps the best way to Hackman isn’t through awards, but by revisiting his films — the good, the great, and even the forgettable ones.

The news of Gene Hackman‘s death came as a shock to many and there has since been an outpouring of respects from Hollywood stars who were saddened to hear about his ing. While he did live to a grand old age of 95, it’s the circumstances surrounding his death that are the most shocking details. The legendary actor was found dead along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their pet dog.

The fact that all three mysteriously died at presumably the same time certainly indicates that it was not natural causes that led to the Oscar-winning actor’s death. County Sheriff Adan Mendoza was quick to rule out foul play, although the deaths have been labeled as “suspicious.” Naturally, there has already been a lot of speculation surrounding the sad news, but one theory seems the most likely right now, at least with what information has been shared so far.

Was Gene Hackman’s death caused by carbon monoxide poisoning?

Based on the fact that the police aren’t particularly concerned about foul play, people online have speculated that the most likely cause of death for the couple and their dog would have been a carbon monoxide leak. It’s possible that a faulty items within the house, such as a stove, heater, or even a fireplace, could have been leaking the deadly gas without Hackman’s and Arakawa’s knowledge.

Actor Gene Hackman, 95, and wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, was found dead along with their dog in their Santa Fe home.

Evidence suggests it may have been carbon monoxide poisoning.

Sheriff: No foul play suspected pic.twitter.com/hvfxbfRQ8O

— WayneTech SPFX®️ (@WayneTechSPFX) February 27, 2025

Of course, right now, this is just speculation – and there are plenty of other possibilities that could explain this tragedy. We’ll have to wait for the police to investigate the incident more thoroughly and share their findings. At the time of this writing, however, a search warrant obtained by TMZ points to a bottle of pills that were found next to the deceased female. It also states that there were no obvious signs of a gas leak.

Hackman retired from acting due to health reasons in 2004, however, he still seemed to be in good shape for a man of his age, and he was even spotted out in public last year. Even so, at 95 years of age, one’s health can turn for the worst very fast. Any number of health complications could have led to his ing, but it’s the added mystery of his wife and dog also being found dead that may have led people to initially believe that it was carbon monoxide poisoning that killed them.

What is carbon monoxide poisoning?

According to the CDC, Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless colorless gas which means there is no way to detect a leak within one’s household. As previously mentioned, it can leak from everyday items or appliances that might be faulty in some way.

Symptoms are described as “flu-like.” Individuals suffering from CO poisoning will usually experience headaches, dizziness, vomiting, chest-pain, and confusion among other things. However, the gas can kill fast, often people who do die from CO will in their sleep before they even notice any symptoms. If this is how Hackman and Arakawa died, then it’s likely they would have simply went to bed and not woken up.

Carbon monoxide countermeasures

There are a number of ways to prevent such an untimely end. Installing a carbon monoxide alarm or ensuring all appliances are installed properly and serviced by a qualified technician are some great ways to ensure you and everybody in your home’s safety. 

Thursday was a sad day in Hollywood. Screen legend Gene Hackman, 95, his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog were found dead at their Santa Fe home. In a statement released just after midnight, County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed that the couple had been found on Wednesday afternoon.

What we know

Though authorities underlined that there’s no indication of foul play, an affidavit written by a Santa Fe detective and obtained by TMZ deemed the circumstances of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”

Initial suspicions pointed to a gas leak, leading to local gas company New Mexico Gas Co ing authorities in the investigation, per The Guardian. However, the same statement notes that the fire department at the scene found “no obvious signs” of this upon the initial investigation. The gas company also concluded that “as of now, there are no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems associated to the pipes in and around the residence.”

It’s unknown when exactly Hackman and Arakawa died, though the bodies were found in “in a state of decomposition.” According to CNN, police arrived at the home around 1:45 pm as a result of a neighbor requesting a welfare check on the couple, but there are conflicting reports. TMZ later reported that the bodies were found by two maintenance workers, who said they hadn’t seen them in two weeks. The front door was open, but the detective says there were no signs of forced entry.

Husband and wife had been dead “for some time” and were found in different rooms. Arakawa was found in the bathroom, lying on her side, a space heater next to her head, and a prescription bottle and scattered pills on the counter. According to TMZ, “the deputy believed the heater could have fallen in the event Betsy abruptly fell to the ground.” Hackman was found lying in a mudroom, fully clothed, his sunglasses next to his body. Authorities suspect he may have also fallen.

The reporting party found the front door of the residence unsecured and opened, deputies observed a healthy dog running loose on the property, another healthy dog near the deceased female, a deceased dog laying 10–15 feet from the deceased female in a closet of the bathroom, the heater being moved, the pill bottle being opened and pills scattered next to the female, the male decedent being located in a separate room of the residence, and no obvious signs of a gas leak.”

As of writing, no cause of death has been confirmed. In a phone interview with The New York Times, County Sheriff Mendoza clarified that “there were no obvious signs of trauma to the bodies and that no note had been found.” He also made sure to reassure the community, saying, “There’s no immediate danger to anyone.”

Hackman’s career

Whatever the circumstances, Hackman’s death will leave the entertainment world in mourning. He was one of America’s most highly regarded actors, famed for his performances in The French Connection, Unforgiven, The Royal Tenenbaums, and — of course — his hilarious villainous turn as Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies.

Over the course of his career, he was a fixture at awards shows, picking up five Oscar nominations. He was nominated for Best ing Actor for Bonnie & Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, Mississippi Burning, and Unforgiven, and walked away with a much-deserved Best Actor Academy Award for his all-time great performance as “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection.

Hackman retired from acting in 2004 citing health reasons, explaining that after a stress test, “the doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.” He spent his final years enjoying his retirement, beginning a second career as a novelist and providing narration for the occasional documentary. Even into his later years, he remained physically active and was occasionally photographed out and about, remaining an active cyclist into his late 80s.

We will update this story as more information comes in. Here’s hoping the Santa Fe sheriffs shed some light on Hackman and Arakawa’s mysterious and sad deaths, which we can only hope were peaceful. In the meantime, I’m going to rewatch The Royal Tenenbaums, my favorite Hackman movie.

Gene Hackman, 95, was found dead in his home in New Mexico, along with wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog. Tributes from the film world have been pouring in since, honoring the two-time Oscar-winning actor, who many considered one of the masters of his craft.

Francis Ford Coppola, the legendary director, who worked with Hackman in the 1974 film The Conversation, was one of the first to publicly mourn his friend and collaborator with an Instagram post. “Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity,” the filmmaker said, confessing that he was both mourning the loss and celebrating “his existence and contribution.”

And talk about contribution. Hackman made over 80 movies in his lifetime, and wrote five historical fiction novels after retiring in 2004. He started in 1956, at California’s Pasadena Playhouse, where he met Dustin Hoffman. The two were voted “The Least Likely To Succeed.” That’s when Hackman decided to move to New York, where he worked odd jobs to his acting career. He would eventually work with Warren Beatty in 1964’s Lilith, which would directly result in his breakout Oscar-nominated role in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde.

ing the list of tributes, actress Viola Davis described Hackman as “one of the greats” and “tough yet vulnerable.” “I loved [him] in everything,” she eulogized. Antonio Banderas took to X to mark what he called a “a very sad day for the cinema’s family,” sharing a photo of the late actor with Arakawa, whom he married in 1991.

The couple was very private, relocating to New Mexico in the late ’80s to escape the intrusiveness of showbiz. They met at a California fitness center, where Arakawa worked part-time to her classical music dreams. She was Hackman’s second wife after Faye Maltese, with whom the actor shared three children, son Christopher Allen and daughters Leslie Anne and Elizabeth Jean. Hackman and Arakawa didn’t have any children, but they did share a love for dogs, at one point parenting three German shepherds.

Director and producer Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor) also shared the news to his social media profile, calling them “so awful.” He praised Hackman’s acting genius, specifically highlighting his work in The Conversation for “[changing] the way [he] looked at acting and what actors could bring to a role.” Fellow actor and author George Takei very accurately tapped into what made Hackman such a unique talent. “He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe” — the larger than life roles are usually the most attention-grabbing, but it takes a genuinely fantastic actor to breathe life into regular men.

Eddie Izzard also paid tribute. “You made a deep mark on the world of cinema. Now sleep well,” the British comedian reflected. In one of his last interviews, in 2009, Hackman said he and his wife reserved Friday nights for Comedy Channel marathons, “with particular attention paid to … Izzard.” “The speed of thought is amazing,” the actor praised. The love was reciprocated.

“One of the personal highlights of my career was bringing … Under Suspicion to life with the incredibly gifted Gene Hackman,” Morgan Freeman offered. The two also worked together in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Western, Unforgiven, for which Hackman won his second Oscar — the first came with his iconic performance in The French Connection.

Nathan Lane, who worked with Hackman in The Birdcage, shared the sentiment: “[He] was my favorite actor as I think I told him every day we worked together.” Josh Brolin, David Axelrod, Hank Azaria, Valerie Perrine, Edgar Wright, Dara Ó Briain, and Adam Scott all shared their own tributes.

Gene Hackman’s legacy as one of the finest American actors will live on. New Mexico authorities have not revealed his cause of death at the time of writing, but there are no suspicions of foul play. May him, his wife, and their beloved dog rest peacefully.

Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead in their home in New Mexico along with their dog on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The actor was one of Hollywood’s greats with memorable performances in films like 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, 1971’s The French Connection, and 1974’s The Conversation. Arakawa, however, was much more reserved.

What do we know about Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy?

Little is known about Arakawa except that she was a classically trained pianist believed to have been born in Hawaii in 1962. According to the Daily Mail, she was working part-time at a California gym to her career in classical music when she met Hackman. By 1989, per a New York Times profile published that year, they had been living together for five years, though reports of when they struck up a relationship vary.

Hackman was married to Faye Maltese between 1956 and 1986, but he made sure to make it clear that he did not leave his wife for Arakawa. Rather, they had slowly grown apart because of the demands of the actor’s job. “By the way, I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman,” he told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel while discussing the similarities between himself and his character in 1985’s Twice in a Lifetime. “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,” he added. The actor had three children from his marriage with Maltese, son Christopher Allen and daughters Leslie Anne and Elizabeth Jean.

Though his career ultimately ended his first marriage, Hackman wasn’t too interested in stardom, and was instead much more concerned with just doing his job, and doing it well. So, by 1989, the actor and Arakawa had moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they enjoyed a quieter life. “Where we live, in Santa Fe, you can lead your own life and not be bothered by the latest gossip,” Hackman told The Irish Independent in 2000.

The New York Times described their home as a “two-bedroom adobe house on a wide brown plain.” In 1990, it was featured in Architectural Digest, where Hackman mentioned his wife’s contribution to its remodelling. Both were very involved in the process and Arakawa would keep Hackman posted on its progress while he was away on set.

Arakawa was also very ive of Hackman’s second career. After retiring from acting in 2004, the two-time Oscar winner (five times nominated) turned to writing, publishing three historical fiction books with collaborator Daniel Lenihan and two on his own. His wife would provide “unwavering, specific read-throughs,” he told podcast Writer’s Bone in 2014.

They also shared a love for dogs, at one point owning three German shepherds, including one that wandered onto the set of Hackman’s film The Replacements and was named after the actor, per The Baltimore Sun.

Hackman and Arakawa married in 1991 and stayed together until their deaths in 2025. The cause of death is still unknown, though the police have indicated there’s no foul play.

Francis Ford Coppola was one of the first Hollywood legends to pay tribute to Gene Hackman following the actor’s ing on Wednesday. Coppola directed Hackman in 1974’s The Conversation, one of his best and most underrated films.

In an Instagram post, the revered director, 85, described his collaborator and friend as “a great actor” and artist whose “inspiring and magnificent” work and “complexity” are cause “for both mourning and celebration.” The director went on to state that, as such, he “[mourns] his loss, and [celebrates] his existence and contribution.”

He paired the message with a photo of the two working together on the set of The Conversation. In the eerily prophetic thriller, Hackman played Harry R. Caul, a neurotic surveillance expert who suspects the information he’s been collecting for a client only known as The Director (Robert Duvall) could get someone killed. The narrative then blurs reality and delusion as Caul gets caught up in a conspiracy, becoming increasingly paranoid and remorseful about his job. The Conversation is a cautionary tale about the surveillance state made during a time when it had barely even reared its head, much less the become the nightmare creature we dread today.

Hackman collected numerous fantastic performances over his career, starring in over 80 films and winning two Academy Awards from five nominations, but The Conversation is easily one of his best — but, much like the film, can often be overlooked. This is probably because it came out right in between Coppola’s historic run, sandwiched between the first Godfather film and Godfather II and Apocalypse Now. Yet, though smaller in scope, The Conversation could easily rival the others in sheer cinematic quality. From the masterful script to the groundbreaking soundscape, it’s a riveting watch.

But Hackman didn’t particularly enjoy the experience of playing such an uptight, rigid man, nor was he the first choice for it — Coppola wanted Marlon Brando. “[Caul] was really a constipated character,” the late actor told The New York Times in 2001, adding, “But the misery was partially Coppola’s fault because he had let it be known that he wanted Brando for that role and Brando didn’t want to do it. I loved the idea of the role, but I also knew that I was second choice.” Though the role did not earn him an Academy Award nomination, it did get him named Best Actor by the National Board of Review, as well as BAFTA and Golden Globe nods.

When he made The Conversation, Hackman had just won an Oscar for The French Connection. Together, the two films cemented his place as one of Hollywood’s most fascinating leading men. As Coppola described him in a 1973 issue of Sight & Sound, “He’s ideal because he’s so ordinary, so unexceptional in appearance.” Yet, behind his unassuming appearance, Hackman harbored a charisma that kept you glued to the screen and engrossed in any of his characters.

The veteran thespian was found dead in his home alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog, on the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 26. Though the cause of death has not been disclosed at the time of writing, authorities say there was no foul play involved. Hackman was 95 and he will be sorely missed.

Hollywood titan Gene Hackman (95) has been found dead in his Santa Fe home, alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa (63) and their dog. The cause of their deaths is currently unknown, but law enforcement has confirmed there’s no suspicion of foul play, so as far as we know, this is simply a tragic accident.

From the moment news of Hackman’s death broke, tributes have been flooding in, paying homage to a man universally considered one of the greatest American screen actors. Hackman had a four-decade long career beginning in 1961, dazzling audiences with magnetic performances in the likes of Bonnie and Clyde, The Poseidon Adventure, The French Connection, Reds, Crimson Tide, Unforgiven and Enemy of the State. And, of course, he was brilliant as the conniving Lex Luthor to Christopher Reeve’s Superman.

RIP Gene Hackman pic.twitter.com/jxXMvMFIqs

— Patrick Newman (@PotpourriCinema) February 27, 2025

But it’s one of his final performances for which many him most fondly. In 2001, Hackman starred as wayward patriarch Royal Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums. The story centers on Hackman’s self-centered character trying to wriggle his way back into his estranged family by claiming he’s about to die, resulting in equal parts laughter and melancholy.

The Royal Tenenbaums is a fantastic demonstration of Hackman’s skills and an all-around great movie. So, where can you watch it?

Streaming options

As of writing, The Royal Tenenbaums is available on most streaming services to rent for around $4, including Apple TV, the Microsoft Store, and Amazon Video. In the United States, it’s available to stream on Prime Video, and, in the United Kingdom, it’s available as part of the Disney Plus library.

If you haven’t seen it yet, prepare for an excellent, multi-layered family drama with a stacked cast. Hackman’s front-and-center, but when you have Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson ing you it’s difficult to go too far wrong.

But, today, all eyes will be on Hackman. Anderson wrote the part with him in mind, “against his wishes,” as the actor was hesitant to accept the role so late into his career. As the director later explained: “He was sort of forced to do the movie. I just kept bothering him. I wore him down. I don’t even have that much access to him, so I don’t know how I went about that, but eventually he just caved.”

That said, Hackman didn’t shy away from throwing his weight around on set. In a 2011 cast reunion (that Hackman didn’t attend), Anjelica Huston recalls a moment where Hackman told Anderson to “pull up your pants and act like a man!”

Gwyneth Paltrow appears to have had a much better time: “I loved being in scenes with him. He was kind of a bear of a guy, but I also found something very sweet and sad in there. I think he’s one of the greatest actors who ever lived. I mean, if you’re Gene Hackman you can be in a ****ing bad mood if you want.”

Hackman may not have died “tragically rescuing his family from the wreckage of a destroyed sinking battleship,” but whenever we rewatch The Royal Tenenbaums, we’re reminded of how great a screen presence he was. He will be missed.

William Friedkin’s The French Connection is a staple of 1970s filmmaking and one of the greatest crime movies of the 20th Century. It marked Gene Hackman‘s transition into leading man status, effectively setting him up for a career that would span more than 80 films and five Oscar nominations, of which he won two — including Best Actor for The French Connection.

Tracking the lives and jobs of two New York City cops as they chase a French drug lord, the film was based on Robin Moore’s eponymous 1969 nonfiction book about narcotics detectives Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso. The two men went on to contribute to The French Connection as advisors, with Egan even landing a speaking role, while Grosso appeared as a background performer.

Hackman played the Egan character, here renamed to Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle. He was ruthless and obsessive, with a curious method of interrogating his “perps” by asking them nonsensical, disorienting questions. Hackman would later muse, in a 2001 TV film about the making of the film, about how, for years after its premiere, people would approach him in the street with one of The French Connection‘s most famous lines, directly plucked from Egan’s repertoire: “Are you still picking your feet in Poughkeepsie?” He was ed on screen by Roy Scheider as Detective Buddy “Cloudy” Russo.

The French Connection was especially appreciated for its depiction of the grittier side of New York City. It adopted a nearly documentary style with minimal lighting, handheld cameras, and tons of improvisation from both the director and his cast. It didn’t hurt that the year they shot it was one of the coldest in the city’s recorded history, and that Egan and Grosso were always on deck to help correct any scene or behavior that stirred too far from the daily reality of drug-chasing cops. Its car chase set piece where Hackman’s Popeye trails a train across town is still revered to this day as one of the best of its kind.

The film was nominated for eight Oscars. It became the first R-rated movie to win Best Picture, adding to Hackman’s Best Actor trophy, as well as wins for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.

Sadly, Hackman, Scheider, and Friedkin have all ed away, leaving behind the legacy they created with the making of a perfect specimen of its genre and its time. The former was found dead in his home in New Mexico alongside his wife and dog on Feb. 26, 2025. He retired from acting in 2004, spending the rest of his active life writing historical fiction novels. He was 95.

How to watch The French Connection

According to JustWatch, the 1971 crime thriller can be purchased or rented in all the usual platforms in the United States, including Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, and Microsoft Store. Alternatively, it is also available to stream with a subscription to the History Channel’s streaming platform, History Vault.

In most European and South American countries, you can find The French Connection on Disney Plus.

Donald Trump is an actual supervillain. We’ve known it all along, of course, but now he’s not even trying to hide it, given that he’s evoking evil schemes from superhero movies for yuks. Yes, it turns out the orange wannabe overlord has a lot in common with Lex Luthor. Everyone, pretend to be shocked.

Just when you thought the man could not come up with anything freshly appalling to say — surely, after eight years of his galling gasbaggery, we’ve heard it all? — Trump goes and pulls off a belter by joking that he’s all for climatic change and rising sea levels as it’ll mean there will be “more beachfront property.” No, I’m not even taking this out of context. For proof, here’s the quote in context:

Amid mocking President Biden for his insistence that rising sea levels is a serious threat facing the whole planet — Trump attempts to ridicule Biden for using the word “existential” but not knowing what it means, even though it’s very clear that he’s talking about himself — Trump does indeed quip that the extent of climate change is that “basically, you’re gonna have a little more beachfront property, OK">that he could go to jail and then, à la Hackman, whip off his hair to reveal he was wearing a wig this whole time.