Hollywood star Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa found dead at their home
Oscar-winning American actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been found dead in their home in New Mexico in the US.
- The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed the couple had been found dead
- Police said it is currently an active investigation
- They do not believe that foul play was a factor
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The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed the couple, who had been married since 1991, had been found dead on Wednesday afternoon in their Santa Fe home.
The police said it is currently an active investigation but they do not believe that foul play was a factor at this time.
Hollywood star Hackman, 95, received two Oscars and two Baftas in his acting career which spanned decades.
He secured the best actor Oscar in 1972 for his role as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection.
Hackman landed a further Academy Award in the best supporting actor category for his part in 1992 Western Unforgiven, directed by Clint Eastwood .
Born in California in 1930, Hackman left home at age 16 to enlist in the marine corps and served from 1947 to 1952 as a field radio operator and then as a broadcast journalist.
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He went on to study journalism and television production at the University of Illinois , but later pivoted to pursue an acting career.
Hackman had a few TV and theatre roles before breaking through with his performance in 1967's Bonnie And Clyde, which starred Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in the titular roles, which landed him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
He also picked up Oscar nods for his role in 1970's I Never Sang For My Father and 1988's thriller Mississippi Burning.
The actor secured a new cohort of fans for his portrayal of supervillain Lex Luthor in the 1978 Superman film starring Christopher Reeve in the eponymous role and Marlon Brando as Jor-El, Superman's biological father.
He reprised the role for its subsequent sequels, 1980's Superman II and 1987's Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.