Media365
Veteran actor Gene Hackman, pianist wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were reportedly found dead in their home in New Mexico. Switching from a role of tough guy to comedy in Young Frankenstein to playing a villainous role in Superman, the Hollywood star had an illustrious career in the film industry. Let’s know all about the actor who has bagged accolades including Oscars, BAFTA and Golden Globes.
Tragic struck Hollywood after Gene Hackman(95), his wife Betsy (63) and their dog were found dead in their home in the Santa Fe Summit community northeast of the city. The investigation is on and the reason for their death is yet to be revealed. However, reports suggest that there was no immediate indication of foul play.
Gene Hackman aka Eugene Allen Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, US. He is the the son of Eugene Ezra Hackman and Anna Lyda Elizabeth and had a brother named Richard. As per reports, at the of 10, he decided to become an actor. His parents had divorced when he was 13 and he left home at the age of 16 to get enlisted in the United States Marine Cops.
In 1956, Gene pursued an acting career and joined Pasadena Playhouse in Californias. He began with Broadway plays, starting with The Saintliness of Margery Kempe in 1959 and including Come to the Palace of Sin in 1963. He then went on to become part of several series- Tallahassee 7000, The United States Steel Hour, Route 66, Naked City, The Defenders, The DuPont Show of the Week and East Side/West Side and Brenner among others.
He made his breakthrough in acting after his portrayal as Jimmy Popeye Doyle in William Friedkin’s action thriller The French Connection (1971). He has also been part of Oscar-nominated films including Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang For My Father(1970) and Mississippi Burning (1988). Gene gained further fame after starring as Lex Luthor in Superman (1978) Superman 2 (1973). He has been part of several popular films including Scarecrow (1973), The Conversation (1974), A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Loose Cannons (1990) among others.
Gene Hackman was nominated for the Academy Awards for five films. But, bagged two awards.- Bonnie and Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, The French Connection (winner), Mississippi Burning and Unforgiven (winner).
He also won BAFTA Awards for- The French Connection / The Poseidon Adventure and Unforgiven. He also bagged Golden Globes for- The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven and Mississippi Burning. Other achievements include European Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Film Critic Awards.
