Gene Hackman kept himself fit with yoga and pilates before Alzheimer's diagnosis, reveal friends
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Gene Hackman was dedicated to maintaining an active lifestyle until his death at 95.
The Oscar-winning actor, known for his roles in 'The French Connection' and 'Unforgiven', was deeply committed to fitness, playing golf, practicing yoga, and even biking long distances, as reported by Fox News.
Gene Hackman worked hard to stay fit
According to friends, Gene Hackman stayed active by practicing yoga and playing golf. “He was very fit, you know, and he was 6-foot-2 plus an ex-Marine,” said Stuart Ashman, a close friend of Hackman and his late wife, Betsy Arakawa, who died last month from hantavirus.
Ashman shared, “He did pilates like three times a week. And then on the days that he didn’t do pilates, he would load his bicycle up to his SUV and drive to Albuquerque, which is 70 miles, and ride this trail down there, which is along the river and it’s paved and level. So he didn’t want to do mountain biking, but he did that. So he was in great shape.”
Despite his dedication to staying active, Hackman’s health ultimately deteriorated. On February 26, he was discovered deceased in his Santa Fe residence, only days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus, a severe respiratory illness primarily transmitted through exposure to rodent droppings. The CDC states that Hantavirus does not spread between individuals.
After a thorough police investigation, authorities confirmed that Hackman’s cause of death was heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease playing a contributing role. New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell stated that Hackman “was in very poor health” before his death.
Gene Hackman was ‘bothered’ by growing older
Stephen Marshall, an FBI agent who trained Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, through a community outreach program, recalled the 'French Connection' star “was concerned about the fact that he was getting older.”
Marshall told Fox News, “He didn’t like being old, and seeing himself on film bothered him because he knew he didn’t look like that anymore.”
Hackman, who stepped away from acting after 2004’s 'Welcome to Mooseport', even refused to attend a screening of his film 'Night Moves' due to his health struggles.
“She said Gene broke into a cold sweat when she brought it up,” Marshall recalled of Arakawa’s concern. “but he just didn’t want to be any part of it.”
The two-time Oscar winner also maintained a low profile in public. “When we went out, he didn’t want to advertise who he was,” Marshall shared. “I remember the first time we went out, we’re walking down the street in Santa Fe, and I noticed people noticing him. And I said, do you get used to the idea of people going, hey, that’s Gene Hackman? And he said, yeah, but now they add, and he got so old.”
Marshall insisted Hackman still looked great, but the actor remained self-conscious about his age. As the years went on, he and Arakawa ventured out less and less.
Hackman’s golf instructor, Mike Putnam, also recalled the actor’s determination to pick up the game in his later years.
“I think he always probably expected to do a little better than he was doing,” Putnam said. “But I was able to talk him through that and set the right expectations to help him enjoy it.” According to Putnam, Arakawa took to the sport faster, which sometimes frustrated Hackman.
