What We Know About Gene Hackman's Children
While Gene Hackman retired from acting in 2004 due to the advice of a doctor, the impact he made in film history will never be forgotten(via Screen Rant). He had influential roles in films like "The French Connection" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." His career stretched decades, where he won Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild award.
Now, Hackman lives a quiet life with his second wife, Betsy Arakawa. The former actor is in his 90s, while his wife is in her 60s. Arakawa told Closer Weekly, "His health is good, he still bicycles, does yard work and he's a great handyman."
Fans may not know that the actor was married before settling down for a quiet life outside of Hollywood with Arakawa. He separated from his first wife earlier in his career, but the pair had a lasting bond. They had three children, with whom Hackman has a close bond.
His children have chosen to live private lives
Per AmoMama, Gene Hackman married his former wife, Faye Maltese, early in his career. They would eventually divorce after 30 years together.
Hackman and Maltese had three children together, Leslie, Elizabeth, and Christopher (via Closer Weekly). His children have chosen to remain out of the spotlight and live quiet lives. It doesn't seem that any of his children chose to follow in his acting footsteps.
In an interview with GQ, Hackman noted that while his relationship with his children remained strong, being away from home for acting gigs wasn't easy. He said, "I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on. Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when he was at an age where he needed support and guidance." He continued, "It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around."
A source close to Hackman told Closer Weekly that he wished he had been around for his children more while they were growing up but that they remain close to this day.