Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead on February 26, 2025. Here’s a look back at the actor’s health throughout the years.<\/p>\n
Gene Hackman<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and his wife,\u00a0Betsy Arakawa<\/strong><\/a>, were found dead alongside their dog at their New Mexico home on February 26, 2025. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza<\/strong> initially released a statement to the Santa Fe New Mexican<\/em>, via The Guardian<\/em><\/a>, confirming their deaths: \u201cWe can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday.\u201d Hackman was 95 years old, and his wife was 65.<\/p>\n The actor retired in 2004 and mentioned that health issues were one of the reasons he decided to step away from his career. Learn more about Hackman’s health over the years below.<\/p>\n In 1990, at the age of 60, Hackman underwent an angioplasty, according to a report by the United Press International<\/a>. Hackman had been experiencing chest pains that radiated down one of his arms while vacationing in Oregon. Doctors later revealed that he was only hours away from having a heart attack.<\/p>\n “We got him just in the nick of time,” Dr. Herbert Semler<\/strong> told UPI. “Fortunately for him, it was in a very excellent area that we could easily reach with a balloon catheter and dilate it.” Semler also noted that the narrowing of the artery, which caused the pain, was part of the natural aging process.<\/p>\n In 2004, Hackman made his final film appearance in Welcome to Mooseport<\/em> alongside Ray Romano<\/strong>. In a 2008 interview, he confirmed his retirement to Reuters<\/a>, but in a 2009 interview with Empire<\/a>, he revealed that health issues played a significant role in his decision.<\/p>\n “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn\u2019t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress,” Hackman explained.<\/p>\n In 2012, Hackman was airlifted to the hospital after being struck by a car while riding his bike in the Florida Keys, though he fortunately escaped with minor injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, as reported by CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n An angioplasty is a medical procedure used to open blocked or narrowed blood vessels, typically arteries, to improve blood flow. It is commonly performed to treat coronary artery disease. During the procedure, a small balloon is inserted into the affected artery and inflated to widen it. In some cases, a stent (a small mesh tube) is placed to help keep the artery open. Angioplasty can help reduce the risk of heart attacks and other complications related to poor blood circulation.<\/p>\n Over a week after their deaths, the causes of death<\/a>\u00a0for Hackman and Arakawa were revealed, according to\u00a0E! News<\/em><\/a>. The outlet reported that surveillance footage of Arakawa is believed to have died on February 11, 2025, and her cause of death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a severe respiratory illness transmitted through rodent urine, droppings, and saliva. However, new information emerged on March 16, indicating that Arakawa\u2019s death likely occurred a little later, as it was revealed she made a call on February 12.<\/p>\nGene Hackman’s Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What Is an Angioplasty?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How Did Gene Hackman Die?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n