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Gene Hackman eerily talked about 'fear of passing away' years before his death: "I want to..."

The deceased couple had no offspring, but Hackman left behind three adult children from his first marriage to Faye Maltese.

Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were tragically found dead in their New Mexico home last month after a welfare check alerted the authorities about the couple's mysterious demise. As per ABC News, Arakawa died after contracting hantavirus, while Hackman passed away merely days apart from Alzheimer's and cardiovascular complications. Amid their death investigation, a resurfaced video is specifically garnering attention for a startling revelation from the legendary Oscar winner. In a 2004 interview with Larry King, Hackman eerily discusses his fear of death. 

“I try to take care of myself. I don’t have a lot of fears,” the 'French Connection' actor said back then. “I have the normal fear of passing away—you know, I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age.” However, he sounded worried while talking about the fate of his family in case of an untimely death: “I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of fears.” The New York Post reported, that the deceased couple had no offspring, but Hackman left behind three adult children from his first marriage to Faye Maltese: Christopher, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne. 

Initially one of his daughters suspected carbon monoxide poisoning; however, authorities refuted the claim and briefed that there was "no foul play" involved and "no gas leak" found. As per Reuters, Hackman had turned to co-writing novels after his retirement from acting in 2004; he published his third novel, 'Escape from Andersonville,' along with Daniel Lenihan in 2008. The duo published two other books titled 'Justice for None' and 'Wake of the Perdido Star.' “I don’t picture myself as a great writer, but I really enjoy the process," he stated back then.

In 2009 the 'Behind Enemy Lines' actor found out about his heart condition. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress,” he told Empire. Although his children were left out of the estate, the late pioneering actor left behind an incredible $80 million wealth in the name of his wife. BBC reported that his children could contest the final will since Arakawa is no more. As per legal documents obtained by the publication, the 'Heist' actor made his wife the sole beneficiary of his assets in 1995; the terms were updated in 2005 without any potential change. 

"You become very selfish as an actor," Hackman told The New York Times in 1989 while discussing his equation with his three children. "Even though I had a family, I took jobs that would separate us for three or four months at a time. The temptations in that, the money and recognition, it was too much for the poor boy in me." However, his daughter and grandchild had kind words: "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," they said. "We will miss him sorely, and are devastated by the loss." As Arakawa and Hackman's death investigation continues, the family has refused to share any further details about their passing.