Gene Hackman once expressed his ‘fear’ of dying in resurfaced interview years before death at 95
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Gene Hackman had hauntingly spoken about death years before the shocking discovery of his body was made this week.
The legendary actor, who was 95, was found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog at their Santa Fe mansion in New Mexico on Wednesday, February 26.
Though the “exact cause of death has not been determined” by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office yet, there’s “an active and ongoing investigation” to find out the truth, as per The Post.
Gene Hackman said he has ‘the normal fear of passing away’
A 2004 interview of Gene Hackman with Larry King has resurfaced. In it, the star of ‘The French Connection’ spoke about his health and an angioplasty he had undergone in 1990, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Larry asked if he was concerned for his health, and he replied, “I try to take care of myself. I don't have a lot of fears. I have the normal fear of passing away, you know, I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age.”
“I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don't have a lot of fears,” he added.
Hackman and his second wife did not share any children but the Oscar winner was the father of three children — Christopher, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne — whom he had with his first wife, Faye Maltese.
Gene Hackman retired from acting to be away from stress
Though the icon enjoyed a celebrated career for years, he took retirement from acting in 2004 and began spending a quiet life in New Mexico.
In 2009, he told Empire, “The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York. The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
Also a year earlier, Hackman spoke with Reuters, where he said, “I haven't held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I'm not going to act any longer. I've been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don't want to do it any longer.”
Gene Hackman loved ‘loneliness’ of writing
Gene Hackman admitted to missing acting. “I miss the actual acting part of it, as it's what I did for almost 60 years, and I really loved that. But the business for me is very stressful,” he shared.
“The compromises that you have to make in films are just part of the beast, and it had gotten to a point where I just didn't feel like I wanted to do it anymore,” the ‘Superman’ actor added.
During the same interview, Hackman talked about his love for writing. He claimed, “I like the loneliness of it, actually. It's similar in some ways to acting, but it's more private and I feel like I have more control over what I'm trying to say and do.”
