Authorities said Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead Wednesday afternoon on the estate they owned in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The couple, known for acting and classical piano, respectively, had owned the sprawling property in the Hyde Park area near Santa Fe since the '80s, according to Realtor.com.
It reportedly has a value of $3.8 million.
A view of Gene Hackman's home in Santa Fe, N.M. (Backgrid / Backgrid)
The 12-acre property has two homes, one of which existed when Hackman bought the property and another he had built about 25 years ago, the outlet reported.
The actor extensively revamped the original home with the help of architects Harry Daple and Stephen Samuelson, according to a 1990 article from Architectural Digest.
"The house was horrible. It was a 1950s block building that had sat empty and had deteriorated. But it was a great site, and the foundation had been well placed on the land," Samuelson told the outlet at the time.
Hackman reportedly incorporated pueblo, colonial New Mexico and Spanish Baroque styles into the home.
Gene Hackman's 12-acre property (Backgrid / Backgrid)
That massive renovation involved razing walls, creating a living area andmaking the ceilings significantly taller, according to Architectural Digest.
Hackman and Arakawa decorated the home with pieces from Sante Fe, New York, Germany and elsewhere, the outlet reported in 1990.
The actor reportedly described it as a "nice combination of soft southwestern pieces and hard-edged antiques."
Samuelson told Architectural Digest Hackman was a "deeply involved client" and characterized the home as "more primitive, like a barn converted into a house, massive and cozy at the same time."
Gene Hackman was 95 at the time of his death. (Backgrid / Backgrid)
Hackman looked to set up the home in Santa Fe because the area had "a kind of magic," according to the 1990 report. The actor and his wife spent significant time there over the years, especially after retiring.
The Oscar-winning actor was 95 when he died. Arakawa was 64.
"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 Santa Fe County Sheriff's office told Fox News Digital early Thursday morning.
The couple had been dead for some time, with authorities locating Hackman in a mudroom and Arakawa in a bathroom.
During the investigation, the sheriff did not discover any visible trauma to either Hackman or his wife and said they could have been victims of a double homicide, suicide, accidental death or natural causes. Authorities continue to investigate.
Gene Hackman arrives at the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles Jan. 19, 2003. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Since news of the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa broke, multiple Hollywood stars have expressed sorrow.
"The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity," Francis Ford Coppola said. "I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution."
"I am crushed by the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (and their dog)," Josh Brolin said in a social media post. "Crushed. He was always one of my favorites. Not many who beat to their own drums like he did. Rest in Peace."
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon and Christina Shaw contributed to this report.