With more than 100 movie titles under his belt, Gene Hackman‘s greatest role was being a father to his three children, Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie, and his grandchildren.
Gene Hackman and Late Ex-Wife Faye Maltese Shared 3 Children
Gene and Faye Maltese, who died in 2017, welcomed son Christopher Allen in January 1960, daughter Elizabeth Jean in August 1962 and daughter Leslie Anne in October 1966.
The couple was married from 1956 to 1986. However, prior to their divorce being finalized, the Royal Tenenbaums actor moved on with his second wife, Betsy Arakawa. Gene and Betsy began dating in 1984 after meeting at a fitness center in Los Angeles. The pair later married in 1991 and resided in Santa Fe, New Mexico, until their deaths in February 2025
Although they never had any children of their own, Gene remained close with Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie. “He wishes he’d been around more for his children, but now he’s close with them and their kids,” a source previously told Closer Weekly.
Because Gene’s family remains mostly out of the spotlight, it’s unclear how many grandchildren he had.
While the Academy Award winner is close with his family now, his larger-than-life career did take him away from home a lot. “I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on. Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when he was at an age where he needed support and guidance,” Gene recalled during a 2011 interview with GQ magazine. “It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.”
Save for a few interviews, Gene left Hollywood behind in 2004. “I haven’t held a press conference to announce my retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer,” the Behind Enemy Lines star later explained in a 2008 interview. “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.”
In his later years, Gene led a quiet life. “His health is good, he still bicycles, does yard work and he’s a great handyman,” the insider explained to Closer Weekly. “After all the drama of Gene’s career, he loves the peaceful life he shares with the lovely Betsy.”
Gene Hackman Died in February 2025
Gene, Betsy and their dog died on February 26, 2025, at their Santa Fe home. A neighbor called authorities to conduct a wellness check, and they were found deceased inside of the house. He was 95 years old, while Betsy was 64 at the time of their deaths.
Authorities did not immediately confirm their causes of death. However, his daughter Elizabeth told TMZ she believed they might have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
