Gene Hackman admits fear of dying in shock interview before his death

In an interview that surfaced after hearing about his death, the late Gene Hackman spoke about the fear of dying.

It’s been announced this week that Gene, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico alongside their dog on Wednesday afternoon. Although it has been suggested that “foul play is not suspected as a factor,” the cause of death has not yet been revealed, despite what has been suggested.

On social media, people have paid tribute to Gene, who is best known for movies like the French Connection of 1971 and Superman of 1978. There’s also renewed interest in his life and a career, as well as that of his late wife Betsy.

In an interview with Larry King on CNN back in 2004, Gene mentioned a fear of passing away. He mentioned having angioplasty, a procedure used to open narrowed or blocked arteries before in the interview. Gene claimed that he had “severe angina” around 12 years prior to the interview and that he had “heart problems.”

Later asked if he worries about his health, he told host Larry: “I try to take care of myself. I don’t have a lot of fears. I’m a typical victim of a passing fright. I suppose we all consider that, especially when you reach a certain age, you know. My wife and my family should be looked after by me. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of fears”.

The Mirror’s live blog has updates on Gene Hackman’s tragic passing and Besty Arakwa’s wife.

Gene, Betsy, and a dog had already been discovered dead at their New Mexico home. As previously reported, a statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office read: “On February 26, 2025 at approximately 1: 45 p. m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95 and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64 and a dog were found deceased”.

The statement continued, “Foul play is not a factor in those deaths at this time, but the cause of death has not been determined. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an ongoing and active investigation.

Additionally, it has been reported that the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office in New Mexico stated in a statement that “we can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were discovered dead at their residence on Sunset Trail on Wednesday afternoon.” Although there is still work being done, we do not believe foul play was a factor at this time.

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Source: Mirror