Talk about having good genes.
In order to show that he is still in great shape, Hollywood veteran Gene Hackman mowed the lawn at his Santa Fe, New Mexico estate.
The 93-year-old âUnforgivenâ actor was in good health as he held a shovel at his farm.
At a nearby Wendyâs earlier in the day, the two-time Oscar winner placed an order through the drive-thru while fueling up for arduous labor.
Hackman ate his chicken sandwich in the parking lot of the fast food restaurant before filling up on gas at a nearby station.
It was a unique chance to see the retiring and reclusive actor, who last made an appearance in the 2004 comedy âWelcome to Mooseport. â.
Despite being one of the top actors in the business and appearing in classic movies like âThe French connection,â âThe Conversation,â âSuperman,â âHoosiers,â and âThe Royal Tenenbaums,â Hackman has long shied away from the spotlight of Hollywood. â.
The father of three, who has lived in New Mexico his entire life with his pianist wife Betsy Arakawa, declines all interviews other than those with The Post.
Hackman spoke about his âcheckered career of hits and missesâ in his first interview in ten years, which he gave to The Post in late 2021. â.
On the occasion of âThe French Connectionâsâ 50th anniversary, the star said, âThe film certainly helped me in my career, and I am grateful for that.â. He won his first Best Actor Oscar in 1972 for âThe French Connection,â a hugely popular film.
The likeable actor went on to say that he didnât enjoy watching his own films again and hadnât seen the classic criminal caper since 1971.
He admitted in an interview with The Post that he hadnât seen the film since it was first shown 50 years prior in a small, dark theater at the headquarters of a post-production company.
In the 1980s, Hackman relocated to Santa Fe from wealthy Montecito, California.
More than 10 homes, including a mansion in New Mexico that was featured in Architectural Digest, were designed and built with the actorâs help.
Since leaving Hollywood, the actor has kept busy writing books, such as the 2013 police thriller âPursuit.â. â.
Despite being in his 90s, Hackman has continued to enjoy cycling, which keeps him in shape.
In 2012, a pickup truck struck the actor as he was bicycling in Florida. He was airlifted to the hospital, where he made a full recovery.