The Prince of Wales shared a personal message following the death of Academy Award winner Gene Hackman. Prince William called the late Hollywood star a "genius of film." Reposting BAFTA's tribute to Gene on X (formerly Twitter), His Royal Highness wrote, "So sad to hear the news of the death of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy."
"Hackman was a true genius of film who brought each and every character to life with power, authenticity and star quality," the heir to the throne added, ending his message with his initial "W." Prince William has been president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) since 2010.
Gene was a two-time BAFTA and Oscar winner. He won his first Academy Award for his role in the 1971 film The French Connection and his second for his performance in 1992's Unforgiven. His acting credits also included The Birdcage, Welcome to Mooseport, The Royal Tenenbaums, Behind Enemy Lines, The Firm and Superman: The Movie.
Gene, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, as well as a dog, were found deceased at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Wednesday, Feb. 26. In a news release, the Santa Fe County Sheriff said, "An individual arrived to perform maintenance on the residence, became concerned after receiving no answer, and contacted neighborhood security to conduct a welfare check. Security then checked on the residence and observed Hackman and Arakawa on the ground unresponsive through a window and called 911."
The Santa Fe County Sheriff also revealed that "an autopsy was performed. Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual. Carbon monoxide and toxicology tests were requested for both individuals. The manner and cause of death has not been determined. The official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending. This remains an open investigation."
Per NBC News, authorities on Thursday said that Gene and his wife had been dead for “quite a while," and called their deaths “suspicious.”
In a statement, Gene's daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter, Annie, told The Post, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy."
“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa,” their statement continued. “We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”