Will Smith, 56, paid tribute to his “Enemy of the State” co-star Gene Hackman, 95, on social media following the film legend’s passing in February 2025.
Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found deceased in their New Mexico residence on Feb. 26. Their causes of death have not been disclosed as of the time of this writing.
Maintenance workers at the home discovered Hackman’s and Arakawa’s bodies in separate rooms around 2 p.m. that day. One of the couple’s dogs was also dead.
CNN reports local law enforcement believe the situation is “suspicious enough” for an investigation. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department acknowledged that currently unspecified pills were found near Arakawa.
“There was no obvious sign of or indication of foul play. There was no immediate sign of foul play, but I haven’t ruled that out yet,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated during a press conference.
The shocking news of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths rocked Hollywood. Numerous celebrities, such as filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and actress Viola Davis, offered public condolences for their fallen movie industry comrade.
On Feb. 27, Smith uploaded a throwback clip from 2023 of himself speaking with his acting coach Aaron Speiser about his experience working with Hackman. The two worked closely together on the 1998 film, “Enemy of the State.”
“At that level, he’s not letting Gene Hackman thoughts enter his mind,” the rapper-turned-actor told Speiser as well as the acting students who were in attendance for the conversation.
Smith added, “He has so many character thoughts that even when he’s not doing anything, his mind is running through the things that the character’s mind would be running through.”
“Rest In Peace, Gene — An absolute force of nature on camera,” Smith continued. “I’m blessed to have learned from him and carry his lessons with me to this day.”
The Philadelphia-bred entertainer, who rose to prominence as hip-hop artist The Fresh Prince, inspired his followers to leave positive messages about Hackman in the Instagram comment section.
One fan wrote, “This is one of my favorite movies you star in, Will… Wow! Mr. Gene Hackman, you are a treasure and will be deeply missed.” A second person chimed in, “One of your best movies.”
Similarly, someone offered, “‘Enemy of the State’ is by far my favorite Will Smith flick and Gene Hackman was so good in it. RIP.”
A fourth said, “I wonder what happened to him? A real shame. RIP.”
The unanswered questions about the mysterious deaths of Hackman and his spouse also sparked responses on the app. For instance, a concerned fan wondered, “RIP to Gene Hackman and his [wife], not to mention the dog, something ain’t right with this picture!”
The political thriller starred Smith as labor lawyer Robert Clayton Dean and Hackman as surveillance expert Edward “Brill” Lyle.
“Enemy of the State” presently has a 71% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Tony Scott-directed motion picture grossed $111.5 million in the United States with a worldwide total of $250 million.
Hackman scored five Academy Award nominations throughout his seven-decade career. He won Best Actor for his role in 1971’s “The French Connection” and Best Supporting Actor for his role in 1992’s “Unforgiven.”
The ex-marine’s filmography also contains appearances in movies like 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” 1986’s “Hoosiers,” and 1988’s “Mississippi Burning.” Hackman is also known for portraying iconic supervillain Lex Luthor in the 1980s “Superman” franchise.
Hackman’s last major appearance on the big screen was in 2004 for “Welcome to Mooseport.” He formally announced his retirement from acting four years later.
“I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer,” Hackman explained to Reuters in 2008. “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.”
Details about the final moments of Hackman’s life continue to trickle out as investigators share information with the press. According to TMZ, his fully-clothed body was located in a separate room off the kitchen.
Arakawa was found on the floor in a bathroom on her right side. She reportedly had been dead for a while to the mummification and the bloating in her hands and feet.
A Santa Fe deputy reported seeing an open orange prescription bottle on the countertop. Final results from both autopsies will take weeks. The couple’s dead German shepherd was found 10 to 15 feet from her in a bathroom closet. Two other dogs were found alive.
Hackman and Arakawa wed in 1991 shortly after moving to the Santa Fe area. In 1990, Architectural Digest covered the pair’s shared remodeled, southwestern-style ranch located on 12 acres in New Mexico.
Before Arakawa, Hackman was previously married for 30 years to Faye Maltese from 1956 to 1986. Maltese is the mother of Gene’s three children — Christopher Hackman (born 1960), Elizabeth Hackman (born 1962), and Leslie Hackman (born 1966).
“Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition,” Leslie informed The Daily Mail about her father’s health prior to his passing. She also told the outlet, “He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health.”
