Gene Hackman is arguably the most prolific and versatile actor of the last 70 years. Most of the world was introduced to the legendary performer as Buck Barrow in the classic cops and robbers film Bonnie and Clyde. He followed that up with stellar turns in big movies like the Poseidon Adventure and William Friedkin's The French Connection, where, as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, he set the bar for how the modern cop would be played. He continued to wow us with a whimsical side as Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor before transitioning into the loathsome sheriff Bill "Little Bill" Daggett in Clint Eastwood's seminal western Unforgiven. One thing you could count on is that Hackman would reel you into whatever movie he was in. So when he passed away at the age of 95, it was appropriate that he would weave one final mystery that had us on the edge of our seats.
According to USA Today, Mr. Hackman died from a heart condition that was accompanied by early signs of Alzheimer's Disease. In contrast, his 65-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa, died in a separate bedroom from a rare disease called Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Mr. Hackman lived a long life, and his contributions to cinema and the arts cannot be fully measured, so when the mystery swirled around his cause of death, it felt like the prolific performer was giving a final wink and a nod with one last turn to wrap the world around his finger.
Hackman's final movie was Welcome to Mooseport, opposite Ray Romano in 2004. Alas, it should have been something more memorable. After that, he and Betsy left the Hollywood lifestyle behind in favor of the serene solitude of Santa Fe, New Mexico. There, with their German shepherds, they became an essential part of the community.
By all accounts, the actor loved retirement, and the last twenty years of his life were spent in Southwestern bliss and comfort. But over the last several years, as he aged well into his 90s, photos began to emerge of a gaunt Hackman accompanied by rumors that he was in cognitive decline. It's understandable, for Pete's sake! He was approaching 100 years of age.
When news broke that the icon had passed away, it wasn't shocking, but you have to think that he was putting on one final mysterious performance somewhere in his head that we couldn't turn away from. No foul play was involved, but the world had to know how such a vital cinematic hero took his final breath. Like a great ending to one of his over 100 films, it was how he was supposed to leave this world. He has been on this planet for almost a century and still left us wanting more. In the best sense of the word, Gene Hackman was a character actor with an uncanny ability to be both an everyman and a larger-than-life bruiser. He was the consummate showman, and the only word that comes to mind in describing his career is "grateful".