What Happened to Gene Hackman After Retiring From Acting? See Where He Is Today

Gene Hackman made his most recent film appearance in 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport and has not appeared on the big screen since. After the Academy Award winner retired from acting, fans have been wondering what he has been up to in his personal life. Scroll below for details on where Gene is now. 

Why Did Gene Hackman Retire From Acting?

After serving in the Marine Corps as a teen, Gene, born in 1930, made the push to pursue his childhood dream of becoming an actor. In the early days of his entertainment career, the California native befriended Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall as they also looked to make names for themselves in Hollywood. 

Gene scored the role of Buck Barrow in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Other breakout roles that earned him critical acclaim followed in 1970’s I Never Sang for My Father, 1972’s The French Connection, 1989’s Mississippi Burning, 1993’s Unforgiven and more. 

In the early 2000s, the film veteran did not make many acting appearances. He later revealed that he officially made the decision to retire. 

“I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer,” Gene said in a June 2008 interview with Reuters. “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.”

Years after stepping away from the spotlight, Gene revealed there were some big factors related to his health that affected his decision to retire. 

“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” the Superman actor revealed in a January 2020 interview with Empire. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”

Where Is Gene Hackman Now? 

In recent years, Gene has been focused on spending time with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, whom he wed in 1991. He’s also a dad to his three kids, Leslie, Elizabeth and Christopher, whom he welcomed with his first wife, Faye Maltese. 

On top of acting for 40 years, Gene is also an accomplished novelist. He penned several books after stepping away from acting, including Payback at Morning Peak and Pursuit. The Wake of the Perdido Star author currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and occasionally steps out for rare public appearances. 

“His health is good, he still bicycles, does yard work and he’s a great handyman,” an insider told Closer in February 2020 after Gene turned 90. “After all the drama of Gene’s career, he loves the peaceful life he shares with the lovely Betsy.”