Gene Hackman died of heart disease, about one week after wife died of hantavirus: investigators
FOX NewsMAR 12
Hackman Dies Week After Wife's Rare Virus Death, Autopsy Reveals
Above: Gene Hackman, wife Betsy, Leslie, and Elizabeth at the premiere of his new movie "The Chamber" on Oct. 2, 1996. Image copyright: Hulton Archive/Stringer via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Gene Hackman's death alongside his wife and dog unveiled a man whose brilliance on screen — earning him two Oscars across six decades — masked profound personal demons. Nicknamed "Vesuvius" for his explosive temper, Hackman's life was shaped by a violent father who abandoned him at 13 and an alcoholic mother who died in a fire. His turbulent path included petty crime, physical altercations well into his 70s, and financial desperation after his first marriage collapsed — darkness that followed him from Hollywood to his final, mysterious end in Santa Fe.
Narrative B
Gene Hackman's brilliance radiated through his extraordinary versatility — morphing from the barbarous cop of "The French Connection" to Superman's wickedly gleeful Lex Luthor with seamless authenticity. Eschewing Hollywood's hunger for likability, Hackman fearlessly embodied darkness in characters like Unforgiven's savage sheriff and The Conversation's desperately isolated Harry Caul. His power lay in raw emotional honesty — whether erupting with violence or whispering "I love you guys" in Hoosiers — each role revealing a man who could turn four simple words into cinematic immortality.