Gene Hackman Told Larry King He Had No More Projects Left in 2004 — Why Did He Retire?

In July 2004, the late Gene Hackman appeared on Larry King Live where he chatted about an illustrious career in acting that spanned decades. This was a rare conversation, as Gene wasn't one for interviews beyond the occasional press junket. "I don't like to talk about myself that much," he told host Larry King. When asked why, Gene said it was like watching himself in a movie. He always felt uncomfortable.

This is often the case with actors, many of whom enjoy the work itself but not the ancillary duties around it. "I love doing the acting," Gene shared. "I love that part of it. When I'm doing it, I'm just totally enraptured." It's hard to believe that just a few years later the man who starred in incredible movies like The French Connection and Unforgiven, would leave that world for good. Why did Gene Hackman retire? Here's what we know.

At one point in the interview, Larry asked Gene what he was doing next. "I don't have a project, Larry," he replied. "If you have a script, I'll read it." Larry clarified, asking if no one was in fact calling him. "No, it's probably all over," Gene said. This episode aired five months after the release of Gene's last film, Welcome to Mooseport. In 2008 Gene appeared in an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Several years later, he narrated two documentaries released in 2016 and 2017.

In 2009 Gene popped up for another one of his infrequent interviews, this time it was with Empire magazine. The interviewer speculated that it was Gene's poorly-received last film that pushed him to call it quits. The real answer is a bit more frightening. "The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York," he revealed. "The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress."

By that time, Gene had already been living in Santa Fe, N.M. for more than 15 years with his second wife, Betsy Arakawa. The couple enjoyed a quiet life together. She rented DVDs they would watch together, except for Fridays which were always devoted to comedy. Gene was particularly fond of Eddie Izzard. He also liked to paint and fish, until a second career came knocking on his door.

From 1999 until 2013, Gene wrote five books, three of which were co-authored by Daniel Lenihan. In May 2014, Gene was a guest on the Writer's Bone podcast where he discussed his life as a writer. Gene said he was initially attracted to writing in order to stay relevant. "My other job, that thing I did for 60 or so years, was getting tougher as the years slipped by," he said. "The characters bouncing around in my head had to play out."

Gene went on to say that character work in acting helped create characters in his book. He was influenced by writers like Mark Twain, who he like for his ability to tell stories in a simple way. When it comes to writing advice, Gene said just stick with it. Also, "Don't fall in love with your first draft. Take chances."