Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, wife found dead in Santa Fe home

[RocketMan]

Actor Gene Hackman and his wife and dog were found dead in their Santa Fe home.  No foul play is suspected at this time.  A cause of death was not released.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/oscar-winning-actor-gene-hackman-wife-found-dead-santa-fe-home

Such a shame.  He was a good actor, one I usually enjoyed watching.

'Wait, I was going to make espresso.'

[K Frame]

I've seen some indications online that it may have been a carbon monoxide incident.

[RocketMan]

I've seen some indications online that it may have been a carbon monoxide incident.

That's the first thing that came to mind for me.

[MechAg94]

So Michelle Trachtenberg's death was announced Tuesday.  Not the same level of actor as Mr. Hackman, but still well known. 

Are there any other deaths I missed this week?  Should we expect at least one more?

[MechAg94]

I just watched Unforgiven a short time ago.  Gene Hackman was one of the great actors of our time.  It seems to me that he wasn't always the lead, but even those movies wouldn't have been the same without him. 

[WLJ]

I've seen some indications online that it may have been a carbon monoxide incident.

Considering they're saying no foul play suspected that's one of a very few way this could have happened based on what we know so far.

RIP

[MechAg94]

Considering they're saying no foul play suspected that's one of a very few way this could have happened based on what we know so far.

RIP

Did he build his own house? 


I have Unforgiven stuck in my head.

[Brad Johnson]

That's the first thing that came to mind for me.

Same.

Brad

[WLJ]

Did he build his own house? 


I have Unforgiven stuck in my head.

Unforgiven is in fuzzy memory territory for me so can you explain. Thanks

[K Frame]

Never liked that movie at all.

[Northwoods]

Also heard speculation that if his wife died suddenly (eg stroke or heart attack) he might have been incapable of doing anything and would have died a few days later from lack of care.

[Northwoods]

Unforgiven is in fuzzy memory territory for me so can you explain. Thanks

https://youtu.be/Mjkt4UgcTmg?si=Us_0AULi8Ed3YQuS

[AZRedhawk44]

Unforgiven is in fuzzy memory territory for me so can you explain. Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TVu9kNKiqs

His character in Unforgiven built his own house.

[BobR]

With no foul play there are only a few ways they would all die together. Carbon monoxide rises to the top, intentional OD is another but I wouldn't put that close to the top, even people who have disregard for their own life won't usually take their pet with them. Gene Hackman just passing of natural causes is a possibility and then his wife was so distraught she decided to join him, IIRC she was quite a bit younger than him so the chances of her also going due to natural causes is slim.

Of course we may never find out if the family doesn't want the stuff released.

I may be in the minority because I never really liked him in the roles he played although I liked a few of the movies.

bob

[AZRedhawk44]

My favorite role of his was as Herod in The Quick and the Dead.

Not typically ranked amongst his finest... but that movie is one of my guilty favorites and I'm grateful to him for the performance.

[BobR]

It looks like CO poisoning is ruled out so natural/suicide may rise to the top. Another dog in the house was alive as well as one outside according to this article.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/actor-gene-hackman-wife-found-084400257.html


bob

[WLJ]

Saying they've been dead for around two weeks.

[dogmush]

LE is now saying it's "Suspicious"

https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1895156878243701087

[MechAg94]

Unforgiven is in fuzzy memory territory for me so can you explain. Thanks

He played the town Marshall and built his own house.  The deputies comments to another that there wasn't a straight angle in the house.  Later they were showing his roof leaking in multiple places. 

Poor timing on the humor I guess. 

[K Frame]

Damn.

Well this took an unexpected turn.

[Ben]

Interesting theory I read on Twitchy: Hackman died. Wife became distraught and committed suicide via pills. The one dog that was dead (found in the bathroom with the wife) ate some of the pills that had spilled on the floor.

https://twitchy.com/aaronwalker/2025/02/27/plot-thickens-in-death-of-gene-hackman-and-wife-n2409061

[JTHunter]

There was a space heater in the bathroom near the wife and some evidence of "mummification" in her hands and feet.  If they had been dead for a couple of days with that heater working, that might explain the dryness in her extremities.

[WLJ]

There was a space heater in the bathroom near the wife and some evidence of "mummification" in her hands and feet.  If they had been dead for a couple of days with that heater working, that might explain the dryness in her extremities.

They're saying two weeks

[WLJ]

Mel Brooks
@MelBrooks
I was privileged to know Gene Hackman because he played tennis with another Gene—Gene Wilder. And that Gene told him about a little role called The Blind Hermit in our movie YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. He said, “Do you think Mel would let me play it? I’ve always wanted to do a comedy.” Needless to say, I was over the moon and he was perfect.

https://x.com/MelBrooks/status/1895272789520588906

[MechAg94]

https://x.com/MelBrooks/status/1895272789520588906

I had no idea that was him until a bit later.