Actor Gene Hackman and wife found dead in their home

Oscar winner Gene Hackman has died at his Santa Fe home at 95. His wife, Betsy Arakawa, was also found dead, with reports saying their dog was found dead as well. No foul play is suspected, but causes of death have not been determined.

UPDATE: Police are now stating the circumstances of their deaths as "suspicious enough" now to warrant a further investigation as Hackman and Arakawa were found in different rooms, there is no sign of a gas leak, a door was open, scattered pills were on the floor near Arakawa, and two of their three dogs were alive and roaming the property. No signs of blunt force trauma or home invasion at this time, but it could take a month to determine cause of death.

After lying about his age, 16, to join the military, Hackman was discharged in 1951 and studied journalism and television production at the University of Illinois before returning to California. He got the acting bug at the Pasadena Playhouse where he met Dustin Hoffman. Hackman got his first television role in 1961 with an uncredited role on Mad Dog Coll. He followed that up with small roles on Tallahassee 7000, Naked City, The Defenders, Route 66, The F.B.I. and The Invaders. During the 1960s, Hackman also had small roles in films including Lilith, Hawaii, Bonnie and Clyde, Downhill Racer, Marooned and The Hunting Party. He also appeared on Broadway in The Premise, A Rainy Day in Newark, Any Wednesday, Poor Richard and Death and the Maiden.

After earning an Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor, for 1970's I Never Sang for My Father, Hackman became an "overnight sensation" thanks to his starring role as Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle in 1971's The French Connection. Hackman became prolific throughout the 1970s and was one of Hollywood's most popular actors with roles in The Poseidon Adventure, Scarecrow, The Conversation, Young Frankenstein, Night Moves, Bite the Bullet, French Connection II, Lucky Lady, and A Bridge Too Far. One of Hackman's most famous roles came in 1978 as arch villain Lex Luthor in Superman, a role he reprised in 1980's Superman II, and again in 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

Hackman became even more ubiquitous in the 1980s in notable films including All Night Long, Reds, Under Fire, Uncommon Valor, Twice in a Lifetime, Power, Hoosiers, No Way Out, Split Decisions, Bat*21, Full Moon in Blue Water, Another Woman, Mississippi Burning, and The Package. Not slowing down in the 1990s, Hackman's notable films include Postcards from the Edge, Narrow Margin, Class Action, Unforgiven, The Firm, Geronimo: An American Legend, Wyatt Earp, The Quick and the Dead, Crimson Tide, Get Shorty, The Birdcage, Extreme Measures, The Chamber, Absolute Power, Twilight, Antz and Enemy of the State.

Hackman continued with a steady stream of films in the early 2000s with Under Suspicion, The Replacements, The Mexican, Heartbreakers, Heist, The Royal Tenenbaums, Behind Enemy Lines and Runaway Jury, but it all came to a screeching halt after the financial and critical bomb that was 2004's Welcome to Mooseport, after which he decided to call it quits at age 74. It was speculated that the unpleasant reactions to the movie led to his retirement, but Hackman later stated his doctor advised him that his heart was not strong enough to endure the stress he put himself under while acting so he left the industry. Instead of acting, Hackman turned to writing full time following the 1999 release of his historical fiction novel Wake of the Perdido Star. Hackman co-wrote, with Daniel Leniham, 2004's Justice for None and 2008's Escape from Andersonville. He published two more solo novels in 2011, the Western Payback at Morning Peak, and 2013, the police thriller Pursuit, and lent his voice to two documentaries, The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima (2016) and We, The Marines (2017).

In the 1970s, Hackman competed in Sports Car Club of America races, and won the Long Beach Grand Prix Celebrity Race. He remained an active cyclist in his retirement from acting. Following his last TV acting role in the 1968 TV movie Shadow on the Land, Hackman made one guest appearance -- as himself -- on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2008.

During his career, Hackman received five Oscar nominations, winning Best Actor for The French Connection and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. He also received five BAFTA nominations, winning Best Actor for The French Connection and The Poseidon Adventure, and Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. He also received eight Golden Globe nominations, winning again Best Actor for The French Connection and Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. In 2003 he received the Cecil B. DeMille Award. He had a total of 40 nominations from various organizations, with 34 total wins.