Gene Hackman, wife, and family dog found dead

Up until a few months ago, actor Gene Hackman, 95, had been out of the public eye for years.

When he resurfaced, he was hardly the hulking figure we saw in his last run of movies in the early 2000s.

Sadly, on Wednesday, it was reported that the bodies of Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead, alongside one of their dogs (two dogs were still alive).

Suspicious

When the report first broke, I found it rather odd that both Hackman and his wife were both reported dead at the same time.

When their bodies were found, they showed signs of mummification, so they had been there for some time.

Investigators have already reported they found pills in the home by the wife’s body, so there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, and while I have my opinions on what happened, I don’t want to voice them for fear of spreading fake news, so I will wait until the reports are released.

As far as Hackman is concerned, he has always been one of my favorite actors, and based on the tributes paid to him, he was also very popular in Hollywood.

For instance, Clint Eastwood, who worked with Hackman in one of my favorite westerns, “The Unforgiven,” stated, “There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.”

When you look at Hackman’s resume, there are not a lot of duds, especially when he was playing the lead.

Hackman got his career started in 1959, paid his dues doing some TV shows and minor movie roles, then just blew the doors off the industry in “The French Connection” in 1971.

Some of my favorites were the “Superman” franchise, playing Lex Luthor, “A Bridge Too Far,” “Uncommon Valor,” and “No Way Out.”

He also happened to star in some of my favorite movies of all time, which included “Hoosiers,” “The Unforgiven,” Mississippi Burning,” “The Firm,” “Wyatt Earp,” “Crimson Tide,” and “Enemy of the State.”

Hackman was about as versatile as it got, at home in a comedy, playing the villain in a western, a cop, or a soldier.

He closed his career out with “Welcome to Mooseport,” a rom-com about a retired president who decides to run for mayor in a local town.

I rarely gush over movie stars, but Hackman truly deserves the adulation he gets.

Rest in peace, sir, and thank you for all the amazing memories.