Gene Hackman, an Oscar winning actor, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home.
The authorities verified the fatalities and said an inquiry is under way but there is no suspicion of foul play.
With performances in The French Connection and Unforgiven, Hackman won two Academy Awards to go along his sixdecade movie career.
While his performance of Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven won him Best Supporting Actor in 1992, his role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection got him the Best Actor Oscar in 1971.
For Bonnie and Clyde, I Never Sang for My Father, and Mississippi Burning, Hank received further Academy Award nominations.
Well-known for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in Superman films from the 1970s and 1980s as well as his roles in The Royal Tenenbaums, The Conversation, and Runaway Jury.
Among his many honors over his career are a Screen Actors Guild Award, four Golden Globes, and two BAFTAs.
After Welcome to Mooseport (2004), his last movie, he stopped acting and chose a quiet life in New Mexico.
Hackman was born in California in 1930 and served in the armed forces for more than four years before continuing on in journalism and television production at the University of Illinois.
At the Pasadena Playhouse he is good friends with Dustin Hoffman and he trained as an actor there.
Though he had a rough start, Hackman went on to have an outstanding career.
After three decades, his first wedding to Faye Maltese ended in 1986.
Growing older, he mostly kept off the radar and concentrated on writing rather acting.
Gene Hackman confessed once he never viewed himself as a star and found it nearly impossible to view himself on screen emotionally.
