Gene Hackman, the legendary actor who bagged two Oscars during his illustrious career, sadly passed away on February 27, 2025, at the ripe age of 95. The star was discovered lifeless in his Santa Fe, New Mexico home, with his wife Betsy Arakawa and their beloved pet dog by his side.
Despite his glittering fame, Gene’s personal life was marred by a strained relationship with his offspring, a fact he later confessed to in a heart-wrenching admission. Born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California, Gene had a rocky start in life before finding solace in acting.
He tied the knot with his first wife, Faye Maltese, in 1956, and they were blessed with three children: Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie. However, after almost 30 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1986.
Five years later, in 1991, Gene wed classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and they remained inseparable until their deaths. While his professional journey was studded with remarkable milestones, including unforgettable roles in The French Connection and Superman, his personal life was fraught with difficulties, especially his tense relationship with his children.
Gene once confessed that his career often overshadowed his family life, resulting in his children feeling alienated during their crucial growing-up years, reports the Mirror.
Back in the day, Gene spilt his heart out to The Irish Independent in 2000, confessing the woes of fame on family life: “I couldn’t always be home with them when they were growing up and then, living in California, they’ve had my success always hanging over their heads.”
Fast forward to a 2012 chat with GQ, the actor poured out his soul about missing family ties, admitting: “I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on. Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when he was at an age where he needed support and guidance. It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.”
Christopher, Gene’s firstborn and only lad, once harboured dreams of treading the boards like his old man. Gene dished to Empire Magazine in 2020: “My son thought he wanted to be an actor at one time and was in New York and I wrote him a couple of little monologues. I guess that’s where I started. I really enjoyed it. Ideas would just pop into my head and I would write them down.”
After calling it quits with the acting game in 2004 post his gig in Welcome to Mooseport with Ray Romano and Christine Baranski, Gene beat a retreat to Santa Fe, New Mexico, shunning the Tinseltown glare with Arakawa.
Shy of the spotlight, Gene was last clocked in 2023, fighting fit and keeping busy with some garden graft near his gaff.
Gene’s children have largely stayed away from the limelight, with little information about their lives being public. Christopher, now 65, had a brief stint in the film industry as a camera operator and also pursued a career in computer programming.
He is married to Marian Ann Hackman, but details about their offspring are not known. Gene’s daughter Elizabeth, aged 62, has made her mark in broadcast journalism and screenwriting.
