Does Gene Hackman Have Any Grandchildren?

When Gene Hackman died under extraordinarily tragic circumstances at age 95, Tinseltown lost a true icon. His Hollywood legacy includes over 100 acting credits that showcase his wide range of roles through the years. He was also known for being an actor who stayed out of the spotlight almost from the start of his career, and he shared little information about his family — including whether he had grandchildren. 

Although Gene retired from acting in 2004, he remained quite the beloved performer. Whether you know him from "The Royal Tenenbaums," "The Birdcage" or his role as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle from "The French Connection," his performances are beyond memorable. 

Off-screen, Gene was a husband, father, and even a novelist. He had three children with his first wife, Faye Maltese: Christopher Hackman, Elizabeth Hackman, and Leslie Hackman. Gene married his second wife, Betsy Arakawa, in 1991, and they never had children. Sadly, Betsy died days before he did — but both deaths were discovered at the same time. It was when the late couple's grieving family members shared a statement about the tragedy that fans learned Hackman had at least one grandchild.

Despite having a famous dad, Gene Hackman's three children have managed to stay out of the spotlight. Due to the lack of publicity across the board, it was once unknown if the actor had grandchildren. But after his death, Leslie Hackman and Elizabeth Hackman released a statement to People that read, "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. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss." The statement was also attributed to a granddaughter named Annie  Hackman, but it wasn't revealed whether Leslie or Elizabeth is her mother.

There is little information available about Leslie and Elizabeth, but Gene's son, Christopher Hackman, has three camera work credits for films, including his dad's 1986 basketball drama Hoosiers. Gene once reflected on his relationship with Christopher in an interview with GQ, "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, adding, "It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around." When asked to sum up his own life in one phrase, Gene had a poignant answer: "He tried."

Having a strained relationship with family members is one of the many tragic details about Gene Hackman's life, as is the complicated relationship he had with his profession. Even in his decades of work in Hollywood, he was never a fan of the spotlight. Case in point: Despite never actually announcing his retirement in 2004, he did confirm that his acting life was caput in an interview with Reuters four years later. "I just didn't feel like I wanted to do it anymore," he said.

In 2020, an insider told Closer Weekly that Hackman was living a "peaceful life" with his wife since retiring. However, despite his retirement as an actor, he couldn't resist delving into a new career path. The novelist explained to Writers Bone why he was drawn to writing: "I suppose it was my way of staying relevant. My other job, that thing I did for 60 or so years, was getting tougher as the years slipped by. The characters bouncing around in my head had to play out." 

Unfortunately, Hackman's health likely made doing any kind of work difficult in his final years. His autopsy report revealed that his cause of death was cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. Betsy Arakawa died from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome around a week earlier. She was thought to be her husband's caretaker, and forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden told Fox News Hackman likely wasn't aware she had died and struggled to take care of his basic needs during his final days. It seems the circumstances of his death were sad enough for his family members to feel the need to break their silence, even though they clearly value their privacy — just as he did.