Why Gene Hackman really retired as an actor and left spotlight ...

Gene Hackman was once a beacon of Hollywood success - starring in more than 90 movies and TV shows, and earning two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes throughout his vast, decades-long career.

But in the early 2000s, after spending more than 40 years in the spotlight, the Hollywood legend, now 93, shocked the world when he said goodbye to his highly publicized and glamorous life to instead enjoy a much quieter life in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

At what was arguably the height of Gene's success, he completely fell off the grid, disappearing from the public eye almost entirely and leaving many to wonder: What really led to his sudden departure?

The actor was first propelled into the spotlight when he starred in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, and he went on to star in a slew of beloved movies and TV shows like Superman, The French Connection and Get Shorty, to name a few.

Gene Hackman was once a beacon of Hollywood success, but in the early 2000s, after spending more than 40 years in the spotlight, the Hollywood legend, now 93, quit acting

He packed up his things, left the razzle-dazzle of Los Angeles for the quiet of New Mexico - and he never looked back. He is seen in his final role, Welcome to Mooseport 

Gene went many years without ever being seen by the public, however, he was recently spotted for the first time in ages - and he looked healthy and happy

But in 2004, he announced that he was done being an actor. He packed up his things, left the razzle-dazzle of Los Angeles for the quiet of New Mexico - and he never looked back.

Some initially thought that the shocking decision had to do with his marriage. The movie star - who once admitted to having a hard time with balancing his immense fame and family life - fell for a woman who worked at his gym (she was 31 years his junior) in the late '80s, and the two went on to become husband and wife in 1991.

As the 93-year-old re-emerges, FEMAIL went ahead and broke down his rise to the top - and sudden fall from grace. He is seen with his Get Shorty costars in 1995

And while on first glance, it seemed like Gene may have decided to leave the limelight so that he could settle down and become a family man, he later revealed that it actually had to do with a slew of health problems he was secretly facing.

It turns out, the Oscar-award winning actor actually quit acting because of the severe stress he was under, which became too much to handle after he started to have issues with his heart.

Gene went many years without ever being seen by the public, however, he was recently spotted for the first time in ages - and he looked healthy and happy as he enjoyed lunch at a Wendy's drive-through in New Mexico.

As the 93-year-old re-emerges, FEMAIL went ahead and broke down his rise to the top - and his sudden retirement before retreating from the limelight.

From what ultimately lead to his departure to what he's been doing since he left California, take a look back at Gene's journey from Hollywood heartthrob to low-key recluse.

Gene's rise to the top: He was propelled into the spotlight after he starred in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967 - and went on to become one of the most successful actors on the globe

It's been said that Gene (seen in 1930) decided he wanted to be an actor when he was just 10, and he dropped out of college and moved to California to follow his dreams of being a star

His breakout role came in 1967 - when he was cast in Bonnie and Clyde (seen with Warren Beatty), which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and skyrocketed him into the spotlight

He went on to star in a slew of beloved movies and TV shows like Superman (left), The French Connection (right), and Get Shorty, to name a few

Gene was born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California. He moved around a lot as a kid before his family eventually settled in Danville, Illinois. 

It's been said that Gene decided he wanted to be an actor when he was just 10 years old, and after serving for nearly five years in the United States Marine Corps and a brief stint at the University of Illinois, he dropped out of college and moved to California to follow his dreams of being a star.

Gene joined the Pasadena Playhouse in 1956, where he befriended other aspiring actors like Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall.

He soon started landing small roles and guest appearances, and he also began starring in a slew of off-Broadway plays.

His breakout came in 1967 when he was cast in Bonnie and Clyde, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and skyrocketed him into the spotlight.

After that, Gene's career started to soar and he soon became one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood.

His other well-known acting credits include Reds, No Way Out, Mississippi Burning, Get Shorty, Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (seen), The Firm, and The Quick And The Dead

Gene (seen in 1993) starred in more than 90 movies and TV shows and earning two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes throughout his vast, decades-long career

But things came to a screeching halt when he suddenly announced he was retiring from acting in 2004. He is seen in his final role in the comedy movie Welcome to Mooseport

During the '70s, he starred in a ton more movies and TV shows - including I Never Sang For My Father, for which he was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards; The French Connection, which earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor; The Poseidon Adventure; The Conversation; Young Frankenstein; A Bridge Too Far; and Superman.

The shocking revelation came when he was at the height of his career - and it left many people wondering what lead to his sudden departure. He is seen in his final movie in 2004

His other well-known acting credits include Warren Beatty's Reds, No Way Out, Mississippi Burning, Get Shorty, Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, The Firm (alongside Tom Cruise), The Quick and the Dead (which also starred Sharon Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Russell Crowe), Crimson Tide, Absolute Power, Enemy of the State, and The Birdcage (opposite Robin Williams and Nathan Lane).

Gene's career continued to flourish during the early 2000s - he was cast in the war film Behind Enemy Lines, the comedy flick The Royal Tenenbaums, and Welcome to Mooseport with Ray Romano - but things came to a screeching halt when he suddenly announced that his job as an actor was over in 2004.

The shocking revelation came when he was at the height of his career - and it left many people wondering what lead to his sudden departure. 

The lady who changed everything: Despite previously struggling to balance his work and family life, Gene settled down after falling in love with a 19-year-old woman who worked at his gym 

Gene married to a woman named Faye Maltese (seen) before he was famous, but he had a hard time balancing his work and his family life, and they split in 1986

He and Faye welcomed three kids together - one son, named Christopher Allen, born in 1960, and two daughters, named Elizabeth Jean (left) and Leslie Anne (right), born in 1962 and 1966

While Gene was becoming one of the most successful actors of his time, his personal life was falling apart.

'You become very selfish as an actor. Even though I had a family, I took jobs that would separate us for three or four months at a time,' Gene (seen with his daughters) once said

Gene got married to a woman named Faye Maltese - whom he had met long before he was famous - but he had a hard time balancing his work and his family life.

They reportedly started dating while he was 25 and in the military, and she was working as a secretary at a bank in Rockefeller Center. 

They wed in 1956 and went on to welcome three kids together - one son, named Christopher Allen, born in 1960, and two daughters, named Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne, born in 1962 and 1966 respectively.

However, after Gene was skyrocketed into the spotlight, he struggled to keep up with his relationship, and their marriage soon crumbled.

'You become very selfish as an actor. Even though I had a family, I took jobs that would separate us for three or four months at a time,' he once told the New York Times. 

'The temptations in that, the money and recognition, it was too much for the poor boy in me. I wasn't able to handle that.'

The actor went on to marry a woman he met at a gym in Los Angeles, named Betsy Arakawa - who was 31 years younger than him - in 1991. They are seen together in 1992

Their romance was highly controversial due to their massive age gap - she was only 19 when they met, while he was 50. They are seen together in 2003

He also admitted to GQ that he was 'gone so much' when his kids were growing up that he began to feel like he had 'lost touch' with them.

'Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when [my son] was at an age where he needed support and guidance,' he said.

'It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around.' 

The couple divorced in 1986 after 30 years together. But when the actor fell in love with a woman he met at a gym in Los Angeles, named Betsy Arakawa, a few years later, she changed everything for him.

Their paths first crossed while she was working at a fitness center he often visited and they started dating in the late '80s.

However, their romance was highly controversial due to their massive age gap, she was only 19 when they met, while he was 50, which means they're 31 years apart. 

Even so, they went on to tie the knot in 1991, and have been going strong ever since.

His sudden fall from grace: Gene retired from acting to live a much quieter life in New Mexico - and he later revealed that he left the spotlight due to health problems and the immense 'stress'

Gene told Empire in 2009 that the 'straw that broke the camel's back' was 'a stress test' he took per the recommendation of his doctor. He is seen in 2003, one year before his retirement

So why did Gene step away from Hollywood in the midst of his thriving career? Well, he told Empire in 2009 that the 'straw that broke the camel's back' was 'a stress test' he took per the recommendation of his doctor.

Gene (seen in 2003) previously faced problems with his heart. In 1990, he needed to have a balloon catheter inserted to help open an artery that had dangerously narrowed

Gene had previously undergone surgery after facing problems with his heart. In 1990, he was rushed to the hospital with chest pain, and he needed to have a balloon catheter inserted to help open an artery that had dangerously narrowed. 

While speaking to the publication about the reason that he stopped acting, he explained that his 'doctor advised him that his heart wasn't in the kind of shape' anymore that he should be 'putting it under so much stress.' 

'When I'm actually on the set or on a stage, actually doing the work, I loved that process and I loved the creative process of trying to bring a character to life,' he explained.

'And then, when you're actually shooting or performing, there is a kind of a feeling that comes over you, a confidence and kind of a wonderful, washed-over feeling of wellbeing, if you will, when it's going well.

While speaking to Empire about why he stopped acting, Gene (seen in 2005) explained that his doctor said 'his heart wasn't in the kind of shape' anymore that it should be 'under stress'

After leaving the spotlight, Gene settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife, where he took up fishing, painting, and writing. He went on to release five novels. He is seen in 2007

'Whereas, the business part of show business is kinda wicked. You jump from trying to be a sponge, if you will - in terms of input from other actors and the director and everything that’s surrounding you - you jump from that to a luncheon meeting with an agent and a producer on another film. 

'It's kind of a frying pan. It was jarring and at my age and with my health, I decided I didn't want to do that any longer.'

After leaving the spotlight, Gene settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife, where he took up fishing, painting, and writing.

He went on to pen three historical fiction novels with undersea archaeologist Daniel Lenihan, as well as two books on his own.

'It's very relaxing for me,' he said of writing. 'I don't picture myself as a great writer, but I really enjoy the process, especially on [my most recent] book. 

'We had to do a great deal of research on it to get some of the facts right, and it is stressful to some degree, but it's a different kind of stress. 

'It's one you can kind of manage, because you're sitting there by yourself, as opposed to having 90 people sitting around waiting for you to entertain them.'

He faced a terrifying incident in 2012, when he was struck by a car while riding his bike. He thankfully made a full recovery. He is seen in 2018

When asked by if he'd ever return to the big screen by Empire in 2009, Gene (seen in 2021) stated: 'I'm officially retired. No doubt about it. And I guess that [Hollywood] has moved on'

The former actor also got into architecture and design, and began flipping houses.

In addition, he did some voice work and narrated two documentaries in 2016 and 2017. 

He faced a terrifying incident in 2012, when he was struck by a car while riding his bike - resulting him getting thrown off the vehicle and obtaining 'serious' injuries, CNN reported at the time.

Afterwards, his publicist said in a statement, 'Gene's fine. Just a few bumps and bruises. He is already on his way home.'

When asked by if he'd ever return to the big screen by Empire in 2009, Gene seemed uninterested.

He stated: 'I'm officially retired. No doubt about it. And I would guess that [Hollywood] has moved on.' 

He echoed the same sentiment to GQ two years later. When the outlet wondered if he'd be interested in doing another movie, he stated, 'I don't know. If I could do it in my own house, maybe, without them disturbing anything and just one or two people.'

He added that it was 'very kind' that his fans wanted him back but that he was 'pretty satisfied' with his career and where he was now.