What was Gene Hackman’s net worth? Who was Gene Hackman’s wife?
Introduction
Gene Hackman was an American actor who was known for his decades-long film career through Superman: The Movie, The Royal Tenenbaums, Bonnie and Clyde, and The French Connection.
He won two Academy Awards
In February 2025, he was found dead in his home with his wife and his dog.
Biography
He was born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California, as Eugene Allen Hackman, to Eugene Ezra Hackman and Anna Lyda Elizabeth (née Gray).
His parents divorced when he was 13. Soon after, his dad left the family.
In a later interview, Hackman described that his father left the family by “driving by with a casual wave goodbye.”
From age 16 to 20, he served as a field radio operator in the US Marine Corps.
Gene Hackman during a press conference on October 29,1969 in Reno – @Getty
In 1961, Gene landed his first movie role as a cop in Mad Dog Coll.
In 1967, Hackman had his breakout role in Bonnie and Clyde. For this performance, he also earned an Academy Award nomination.
Won his first Oscar
In 1972, he won Oscars for 1971’s The French Connection as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle. Brad Pitt cited the movie as a reason he participated in the crime thriller film Seven.
January 01, 1995 – @Getty
In 1975, Hackman reprised his Oscar-winning role as Doyle in the sequel French Connection II. It attracted positive reactions from the press, however, it was nowhere near as good as its predecessor.
In 1977, he played Polish General Stanisław Sosabowski in the war film A Bridge Too Far.
In 1978, Gene starred as Lex Luthor in Superman. It is the first of four installments in the Superman film series.
In 1987, he reprised his role in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The film grossed over $30 million.
Hackman at the Deauville American Film Festival on September 10, 1981 – @Getty
In 1993, he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as a villainous Sheriff in Unforgiven (1992). In the same year, he co-starred with Tom Cruise in the legal thriller film The Firm, which was directed by Sydney Pollack. It grossed $270 million against a budget of $42 million.
In 2000, Hackman and Keanu Reeves performed in The Replacements, a sports comedy film directed by Howard Deutch.
Retirement and the last movie
In 2004, he announced his retirement from acting at the age of 74. His last appearance was alongside Ray Romano in the comedy Welcome to Mooseport — a political satire comedy film directed by Donald Petrie,
Wife
Gene Hackman was married twice.
From 1956 to 1986, Hackman was married to Faye Maltese.
Hackman with his wife Faye Maltese when receiving the New York Film Critics Award for his role in ‘French Connection’- 1972 – @Getty
The couple first met in 1955, when Hackman was only 25 and nowhere near success.
Faye Maltese died in 2017.
They had three children:
- Leslie Anne Hackman
- Elizabeth Jean
- Christopher Allen
“I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on,” he confessed for GQ. The actor added: “It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.”
In 1991, Gene Hackman married classical pianist Betsy Arakawa.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa during PCC Celebrity Art Show on September 11, 1991 at Stringfellow’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills – @Getty
It’s reported that the two first met at a gym in the mid-1980s.
“I did not leave my real-life wife for a younger woman,” the Oscar winner said in a later interview regarding the rumors that he had left his first wife. “We just drifted apart.”
Death
On February 26, 2026, Gene Hackman passed away. He was 95.
He leaves behind three children he shared with his first wife. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss,” his family said in a statement.
“I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution,” said filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Hackman in the 1974 film The Conversation.
5/10/85 in Chicago – @Getty
A maintenance worker discovered Hackman, his wife, and one of their dogs dead for some time at the couple’s Santa Fe home.
The sheriff’s spokesperson said that foul play was not suspected. A prescription bottle was found on a countertop in the house.
Their bodies were found “in a state of decomposition.”
A sheriff’s detective wrote that there were no obvious signs of a gas leak.
According to TMZ, their family believes carbon monoxide poisoning is to blame. However, the Fire Department did not find signs of a carbon monoxide leak.
According to the preliminary autopsies, there was “no external trauma to either individual.”
He was last seen publicly with Betsy in March 2024 at a restaurant in Santa Fe.
Height
Gene Hackman was 6′ 1½″ (1.87 m) tall.
Gene Hackman sighted on April 17, 1977 at Chasen’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills – @Getty
Gene Hackman – Net Worth
So, how much was Gene Hackman worth?
Hackman earned most of his wealth from performing in 101 movies and TV series.
“I was trained to play roles, not to deal with fame and agents and lawyers and the press,” he once said.
Gene eas paid $1.3M for Lucky Lady, $2M for Superman, and $1.3M for The Quick and the Dead.
He penned two books — Pursuit and Payback at Morning Peak. He’s also the co-author of Escape from Andersonville, Justice for None, and Wake of the Perdido Star. Therefore, Gene Hackman had a net worth of $80 million at the time of his death.
Real estate
@Getty Images
In the ’80s, he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has stayed there ever since. The house is now worth a reported $3.8 million
In 1985, Hackman sold a 25-acre property in Montecito for $5.5 million.
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I am Bulgarea Candin Stefan, and I founded FamousPeopleToday.com in 2018. I’m using my bachelor’s degree in economics and 9 years of experience in blogging to guide millions of people through the incredibly complex world of celebrity net worths.