Actor Gene Hackman, his wife and dog found dead

By Lex Harvey and Todd Leopold, CNN

(CNN) — Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in New Mexico, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. He was 95.

Their cause of death has not been confirmed but it is not believed to be foul play, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila told CNN Thursday morning.

Deputies responded to a welfare check request at the home around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and found Hackman, Arakawa and a dog deceased, Womack-Avila said. An investigation is ongoing, police said.

CNN has reached out to Hackman’s representatives.

Hackman’s performances in such films as “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers,” “Unforgiven,” and “The Firm” elevated character roles to leading-man levels.

Hackman’s best roles were often of conflicted authority figures or surprisingly clever white-collar villains, such as the iconic evil villain Lex Luthor in the “Superman” film series in the 1970s and 80s. Many held a hint – sometimes more than a hint – of menace.

Hackman was 36 before he broke through in 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” a role he got after losing the part of Mr. Robinson in “The Graduate.” Before that, he’d served in the Marines, scuffled in California and New York – sometimes with a roommate, “Graduate” star Dustin Hoffman – and worked odd jobs, including truck driver and doorman.

He retired at 74. He had lived in Santa Fe in recent decades with Arakawa, a former classical pianist, and largely stayed out of the public eye.

Hackman had three children, whom he shared with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese, who died in 2017.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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