Gene Hackman, who died last month at the age of 95, was a fiercely private man who spent his final years as a recluse.
In a 1989 interview with film critic John C. Tibbetts, the Hollywood legend explained that he kept quiet about his personal life as it was important for audiences to regard him as a “common man”. He shared: “I like to keep my personal life fairly common so that in my art, one can let go and one can soar.”
However, over the many decades of his illustrious career, Gene did offer some insight into the complexities of his family life, including the toll his stardom took on the three now grown-up children he shared with his first wife, Faye Maltese. Gene and bank clerk Faye, who were married from 1956 to 1986, welcomed their first child, Christopher Allen Hackman, in 1960, followed by daughters Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne in 1962 and 1966, respectively.
In their early years of family life, times were tough – with the Hackmans living in a New York City apartment. Then, in his late thirties, Gene had his big breakthrough with films such as Bonnie & Clyde (1967) and I Never Sang For My Father (1970), catapulting him to critical and commercial acclaim.
Even though the family was suddenly enjoying the comforts they could never before have imagined, Gene’s newfound success brought with it plenty of additional challenges. At his star soared, The French Connection thespian often found himself far from home on shoots, which meant he often missed out on quality time with his kids.
Opening up in a candid 2000 interview with The Irish Independent, Gene confessed: “It’s tough being the son or daughter of a celebrity. I couldn’t always be home with them when they were growing up and then, living in California, they’ve had my success always hanging over their heads.”
Christopher
In a 2011 interview with GQ, Gene spoke specifically about how his stellar career had impacted his relationship with his only son Christopher, now 65. He admitted: “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.
“It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.” However, it was clear that Gene placed value on being an affectionate father to Christopher, as evidenced in a 1984 interview with journalist Leta Powell, who asked him if he’d swapped hugs for handshakes with his then-twenty-something son.
Gene replied: “No, we still hug to this day, and I thank God that we are able to do that. I don’t think we’ll ever have a point where we have to shake hands.”
It was also evident that Christopher admired his father’s work, and, in his younger years, had hoped to follow in his footsteps as an aspiring actor. Speaking with Empire magazine in 2020, Gene revealed: “My son thought he wanted to be an actor at one time and was in New York, and I wrote him a couple of little monologues.”
A filmmaker, Christopher ended up working behind the scenes on projects such as Best Shot (1986), Made in U.S.A. (1987), and Chris & Don: A Love Story (2007).
Elizabeth
Gene’s eldest daughter Elizabeth, now 62, keeps a low profile, and not much is known about her personal or professional life. As previously reported by the Mail Online the middle child was spotted grabbing breakfast with younger sister Elizabeth at a Burbank branch of Denny’s in the days after news of their father’s death broke.
Gene, who had suffered from advanced Alzheimer’s disease, was found dead at his home on Sunset Trail, New Mexico, alongside his devoted wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, and one of their beloved dogs, Zinna. Tragically, it’s believed classical pianist Betsy died from hantavirus, pulmonary syndrome on February 11, with Gene passing away a week later from “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor”.
Given the severe nature of his condition, it’s believed Gene may not have been aware that his wife was lying dead in their bathroom as he spent his final days alone. At the time, the siblings issued the following statement to the PA news agency: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy.
He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.” Prior to the autopsy report, Elizabeth told TMZ of her theory that carbon monoxide poisoning could have been the cause of the initially mysterious deaths.
Although she kept a low profile, Elizabeth attended several glittering events with her famous father, including the 1978 screening of Superman at Washington’s Kennedy Centre. She was also photographed at the 1996 premiere of The Chamber, alongside sister Elizabeth and stepmother Betsy.
Leslie
Youngest child, Leslie, now 58, was also photographed with her dad on a number of occasions, including at the 41st Annual Golden Globe Awards, and the 1990 premiere of The Godfather Part III.
In 1984, Gene spoke with reporter Bobbie Wygant about his 1983 movie Misunderstood, which follows the story of a widowed shipping tycoon as he seeks to bond with his two young sons. It was a film that deeply affected Leslie.
Gene shared: “My youngest daughter has seen the film, and she was very affected by it. But I think she was affected because it was a film, not because I was in it. She liked it as a film, and she recommended it to her girlfriends, and they’re going to see a screening of it this week. She was very taken with it, and I hope the older children are too.”
In the aftermath of the recent deaths, Leslie took a moment to praise Betsy, who, after marrying Gene in 1991, was reportedly keen on encouraging the family members to reconcile their differences. At the time of his death, it’s understood that Gene was close with his children and grandchildren.
Describing Gene and Betsy as having had a “wonderful marriage”, Leslie said: “I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive. She took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health. I am appreciative to her for that, and I’m very saddened by her passing.”
Speaking with the MailOnline, Leslie, who recently broke cover after the autopsy report came to light, said that there was “no indication” that anything was wrong with Gene before his death. She said: “Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition,” before adding that her father did not have any major surgeries these last few months. He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health.”
She went on to explain that, as she lives in California, it had been a few months since she had last seen or heard from her father, who had become reclusive in his later years. Leslie, who shared: “We were close. I hadn’t talked to them for a couple of months, but everything was normal, and everything was good.”
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