What was the life of Gene Hackman before he died: pilates, painting and bike rides

Gene Hackman was a normal person in Santa Fe, in the United States. And he really loved it.

Residents of the city located in the state of New Mexico remember that they were excited to receive such an important celebrity in the community when he and his wife Betsy Arakawa have moved to the place for over 20 years, but always treated him like anyone else.

“He was not famous here” was the phrase that the BBC News report most heard by asking residents about why the film star chose to call the capital of New Mexico home.

They describe a floor and talking man who supported local businesses and enjoyed the local art scene.

Everyone there has a story about Hackman, who was found dead next to his wife and dog at home in the quiet desert city earlier this week.

‘You didn’t realize that you were talking to a celebrity’

Hackman was a lover of the arts and painter, so he fit very well: Santa Fe is known for his iconic adobe architecture and houses over 250 galleries.

Everything in Santa Fe is colorful, from the tapestries hanging on the walls of the stores to the clothes that people wear. There are murals in almost every metal alley and street art on the streets.

Hackman immediately became involved with local art museums, mainly as a member of the Georgia O’keeffe Museum Directors, while Arakawa had a luxury store for houses and collaborated with artists in various projects.

Hackman paintings are featured prominently in local restaurants, and there are some lucky residents who have hanging them in their homes. One of these people is Stuart Ashman, the executive director of the Artes de Cuba Gallery.

Ashman met Hackman at an arts meeting of the community. He was late and there was a single seat available when he arrived, just next to the Hollywood star. They tightened their hands and this started two decades of friendship.

“He was so foot on the floor that you didn’t realize that you were talking to a celebrity. He was more interested in you than talking about himself,” says Ashman.

Although both supported the artistic community, the true bond between the duo came through Pilates exercises. When asked who was best in the exercise, Ashman laughed.

“I think we were both very bad,” he recalls. “Our teacher said I was lazy and he was old and rigid.”

Ashman says that Hackman often got into trouble for being very chatty. “Gene, are you going to work out or just want to chat with Stuart today?” It was one of the questions the Pilates teacher most asked him, his friend highlights.

Every week, Ashman, who raised chickens, brought a dozen eggs to Hackman. Then, one day, Hackman appeared with a huge painting as payment to Ashman, who did not want to accept her. But Hackman insisted and said that exchanging an egg painting is “a very fair business.”

When Hackman was not at Pilates or bike rides through the beautiful Santa Fe landscape, he loved to spend his time at home, located in the hills above the city, friends report.

Rounded on a land of almost 5 hectares, the property that belonged to Hackman has panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, which extend to the colorado. The actor bought the house in the 1980s, before starting to make great reforms.

He wanted this house to have meaning, so he worked with an architect to mix the architectural styles Pueblo, colonial and Spanish baroque to honor the rich cultural history of Santa Fe.

Betsy Arakawa also liked the isolated life in Santa Fe. People interviewed by the report said she was a talented pianist and a smart business woman.

The only person who liked to work out more that Hackman was his own wife. Both were fit and always attended exercise classes and physical workouts, remember friends.

Although Hackman was an active member of the community for most of his post-Hollywood years, he was much more isolated after Covid-19 pandemic locks, according to residents of the region.

Those who knew him speculate that Hackman’s health and age made it difficult, as he needed to go down the hill to reach the city. But everyone still keeps a story about Hackman.

James Roybal, born and raised in Santa Fe, once signed up for a painting class in the 1980s. When he arrived, Hackman was there too.

They painted each other next to each other for conversations. Roybal couldn’t believe that a celebrity would like to be there in that class. He took a picture of the occasion, because he didn’t think anyone would believe him. Roybal is still boast of registering the moment.

Real estate agent and actress Victoria Murphy saw Hackman around the city on several occasions. “One day I was crossing the track and he started doing the same, but the red light was already activated for the pedestrians. He waved, smiled and lifted both hands, as if surrendering,” he recalls. “And I just smiled and continued.”

In a local restaurant in the city, customers said the artist was always in the supermarket or shopped on the main street. David, the general manager of a store in downtown Santa Fe, where Hackman was a longtime client, held tears as he remembered his friend.

“As he lived here, I wanted to use the money to help the local population. He always bought Seiko watches from my store to give friends and family as a gift.”

“He invested in local restaurants and supermarkets and appeared at inaugurations of art museums. Obviously he didn’t need the money, but he loved the place.”

“We lost a great resident of Santa Fe.”

This text was originally published here.