What We Know About Death of Gene Hackman, Wife

The investigation is underway into the death of acting great Gene Hackman, who was found in his home near Sante Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday at the age of 95. The bodies of his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 64, and their dog also were found inside. Coverage:

• Police say they do not suspect foul play. A neighbor in Hyde Park called police about 1:45pm Wednesday for a welfare check on the couple, reports NBC News. "An active and ongoing investigation" is in play, says the local sheriff's office. Environmental factors such as carbon monoxide poisoning or a gas leak are among the possibilities.

• Arakawa was a Hawaii native and classical pianist, per Newsweek. She had co-owned a home-furnishing business in Santa Fe for years and preferred staying out of the spotlight. The couple met at a gym where she worked part-time decades ago and married in 1991. They had no children, but Hackman had three from a previous marriage.
• Hackman stepped away two decades ago from Hollywood and a prolific acting career that earned him two Oscars (for Bonnie and Clyde, and The Unforgiven), per Variety. ''Where we live, in Santa Fe, you can lead your own life and not be bothered by the latest gossip," he once told the Irish Independent. The couple lived on a ranch, where Hackman wrote novels.
• The New York Times lists five career highlights to stream, including The French Connection and Superman (in which he played Lex Luthor.)
• Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Hackman in the 1974 film The Conversation, was among those weighing in. "The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity," he wrote on Instagram. "I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution."
• "Villains are always the best roles," Hackman told the Washington Post in 1996. "It's even more appalling when you see someone who is diabolical and then you find out how charming, how human they are." He added, after a pause: "There is some quote that people live their lives trying to change the world to fit their own prejudices. That's kind of interesting. We all do that to some extent. We make the world the way we want it to be."

(More Gene Hackman stories.)