Many people are curious to know about Gene Hackman’s first wife. We are excited to discuss Faye Maltese. Fay Maltese was born in, 1929. She is best known as a famous personality. Maltese’s country of citizenship (nationality) is American. According to The New York Times, she was the lady to whom Gene met at 25 at a Y.M.C.A. in New York in 1955.
Before Gene returned to his native California, the duo married the following year as a happy couple. Later, he became an aspiring actor and enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Let’s look at Faye Maltese’s Ex in detail. Husband Gene Hackman’s Career, Children, and Much More!
Entertaining Hollywood with his acting over sixty years, the famous actor Gene Hackman was last featured in a movie in 2004 titled “Welcome to Mooseport.” The legendary actor told Reuters, “I’m not going to act longer.
I’ve been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful role comes up, but I don’t want to do it anymore,”.
He states that he is not officially retired, as he has noted in many other actions. Now in his 90s, Hackman sure deserves some peace. And that is actually what he is getting.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Eugene Alden Hackman |
| Nickname | Eugene |
| Date of birth | January 30, 1930 |
| Gender | male |
| Zodiac | Aquarius |
| Place of birth | San Bernardino, California, United States |
| Age | 93 |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Ethnicity | English, and Scottish |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Current residence | UNITED STATES |
| Net Worth | $90 Million (2024) |
| Height | 5 ft 10 |
| Current Spouse | Betsy Arakawa |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Storm Lake High School |
| Relationship status | Married |
| Category | Richest Celebrities |
| SOURCE OF WEALTH | Film and Television |
| Profession | American retired actor |
Early Life & Background
Film actor Eugene Allen Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, USA. His father’s name was Eugene Ezra Hackman, and his mother was Anna Lyda Elizabeth (née Gray). His mother was born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
He has a brother named Richard. Hackman has English and Scottish ancestry. Hackman’s family moved frequently, finally settling in Danville, Illinois, where they lived in the house of his English-born maternal grandmother, Beatrice.
His father worked for the local Commercial News as a printing press operator. His parents divorced when he was 13, and his father left the family. Hackman lived briefly in Storm Lake, Iowa, and went to Storm Lake High School.
Early Career and Struggles
Hackman chose to be an actor when he was 10 years old. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before seeking an acting career. He joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California in 1956, where he met and befriended another aspiring actor, Dustin Hoffman.
They were both believed unlikely to succeed by their classmates. Hackman received the lowest score the Pasadena Playhouse had ever given. Determined to prove them wrong, he moved to New York City, where he shared apartments with Hoffman and Robert Duvall.
Hackman worked diverse jobs to support himself, including at a Howard Johnson restaurant, where he met a former instructor who doubted his potential. Hackman was motivated by these rejections, using them as fuel to continue pursuing acting.
Breakthrough and Broadway Success
Hackman’s career took a significant turn when he began getting minor roles in T.V. series and Off-Broadway plays. His Broadway debut in 1963 with “Children From Their Games” Marked a pivotal moment in his profession.
Although the play had a short run, Hackman’s success with “Any Wednesday” in 1964 unlocked the door to the film industry. His first credited film role was in “Lilith” (1964), a testament to his growing influence in the entertainment world.
Stardom in the 1970s-1990s
Hackman became a prominent celebrity with his role as Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection (1971), which won him the Academy Award for Most Pleasant Actor. He persisted in taking on leading roles in various successful films, including:
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
- The Conversation (1974)
- Young Frankenstein (1974)
- Hoosiers (1986)
- Mississippi Burning (1988)
- Unforgiven (1992)
- The Firm (1993)
- Crimson Tide (1995)
- The Birdcage (1996)
Personal life & Children’s
Gene has been married twice and has three children from his first marriage. He first married Faye Maltese from 1956 to 1986. The couple had one son, Christopher Allen, and daughters, Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne.
Due to Hackman’s challenging film career, he was often away from home while his children were growing up. He wishes he’d been around more for his children, but now he’s close with them and their kids,” a source previously told Closer Weekly. After nearly three decades of wedding, Hackman and Maltese divorced in 1986.
However, before his divorce was finalized, the Royal Tenenbaums actor again found love with his now-wife, Betsy Arakawa. The couple tied the knot in 1991. They are enjoying a happy married life in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in a home featured in Architectural Digest in 1990.
Conclusion
Hackman remains a respected figure in Hollywood for his versatile and powerful performances. Talking about his retirement, he noted that health concerns impacted his decision to step away from acting.
Despite his retirement, Hackman sometimes engages in public appearances and interviews, deliberating on his storied career and life.
While Maltese died away on April 26, 2017, at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy of love and remembrance. Her demise was a painful moment for her family and those who admired her.