Reclusive actor Gene Hackman, 93, continues to enjoy his retirement

EXCLUSIVE: Reclusive actor Gene Hackman, 93, continues to enjoy his New Mexico retirement as star picks up lunch at fast food drive-thru

  •  READ MORE: The REAL reason Hackman vanished from the spotlight

Reclusive actor Gene Hackman continued to enjoy his retirement in New Mexico this week as he picked up a fast food lunch.

The legendary two-time Oscar winner, 93 – who has not starred in a film for nearly two decades – looked healthy and content as he bought lunch at a Wendy’s drive-thru, days after he was spotted for the first time in years.

The Superman star wore a red sweater, black gilet, jeans and trainer, completing his ensemble with a baseball cap and sunglasses as he headed out.

Hackman – who has over 100 credits to his name – was later seen jumping over a rope and disposing of his trash during the day,

 It was a rare sighting of the star – his last movie role was alongside Ray Romano and Christine Baranski in the 2004 comedy Welcome To Mooseport.

Icon: Reclusive actor Gene Hackman continued to enjoy his retirement in New Mexico this week as he picked up a fast food lunch

Gunslinger: Two-time Oscar winner Hackman earned Best Supporting Actor for his work as sadistic sheriff ‘Little’ Bill Daggett alongside Clint Eastwood in 1992’s Unforgiven (pictured)

On July 7 of the same year, he gave a rare interview to Larry King in which he announced that he had no new film projects lined up and believed his acting career was over.

Years later, he confirmed his retirement while promoting his third novel, Escape From Andersonville in 2008.

In 2011, he was asked by GQ if he would ever come out of retirement to do one more film, to which Hackman responded: ‘If I could do it in my own house, maybe, without them disturbing anything and just one or two people.’

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.

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.

He has not stayed completely away from the industry, however, as he has narrated two Marine Corps documentaries:  The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima (2016) and We, The Marines (2017).

Stepping out: The legendary two-time Oscar winner, 93 – who has not starred in a film for nearly two decades – looked healthy and content as he disposed of his trash


Order in: The Superman star wore a red sweater, black gilet, jeans and trainer, completing his ensemble with a baseball cap and sunglasses as he headed out


Leg up: Hackman – who has over 100 credits to his name – was later seen jumping over a rope and disposing of his trash during the day

Sighting: Hackman has been retired from the acting world for nearly 20 years

Outing: Hackman wore trainers as he leapt out of his car to dispose of his trash

Lunch break: Hackman was seen ordering his food at a drive thru

Stepping out: The star wore jeans and a cap as he stepped out

Car: The star parked up as he disposed of his trash

It was a rare sighting of the star – his last movie role was alongside Ray Romano and Christine Baranski in the 2004 comedy Welcome To Mooseport

Hackman began his acting career nearly 70 years ago, joining the Pasadena Playhouse in 1956, where he befriended fellow aspiring actor Dustin Hoffman.

He eventually moved to New York in 1963, and began performing in several Off-Broadway plays and smaller TV roles.

The thespian truly made his name in the 1970s, when he was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category for the 1970 flick I Never Sang For My Father.

The following year he officially became a leading man, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as New York City Detective Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle in The French Connection.

He went on to have consistent work, including in disaster film The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974) before landing the role of supervillain Lex Luthor in 1978’s Superman: The Movie.

Back in the day: He eventually moved to New York and began performing in several Off-Broadway plays a smaller TV roles in 1963. He is pictured in 1965

Iconic: He officially became a leading man when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as New York City Detective Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle in The French Connection (1971)

Leading man: He went on to have consistent work including in disaster film The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974; pictured)

Handsome: The talented actor is seen in Deauville, France, back in 1981

In the 1980s he starred in several films including Reds (1981), Under Fire (1983), Hoosiers (1986), No Way Out (1987) and Mississippi Burning (1988).

The 1990s brought him his second Oscar as he earned the Best Supporting Actor gong for his work as sadistic sheriff ‘Little’ Bill Daggett alongside Clint Eastwood in 1992’s Unforgiven.

He rounded out that decade by also starring in  Narrow Margin (1990), Geronimo: An American Legend (1993), The Firm (1993), The Chamber (1996), Wyatt Earp (1994), The Quick And The Dead (1995), Crimson Tide (1995), Get Shorty (1995,) Absolute Power (1997), The Birdcage (1996) and Enemy Of The State (1998).

Hackman continued to be active in the early 2000s with roles in Behind Enemy Lines (2001), Heist (2001), Runaway Jury (2003), and even earned the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums.

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