Gene Hackmans First Wife: The Untold Story Of Faye Maltese

Long before box office records fell and Academy Awards lined his shelves, Gene Hackman shared a modest cold-water apartment in New York City with his first wife, Faye Maltese. While the legendary actor rose to cinematic immortality through gritty performances in films like The French Connection and Unforgiven, Maltese remained entirely outside the Hollywood spotlight. She worked as a bank secretary at Rockefeller Center while supporting an ambitious young man through early acting classes alongside future icons like Dustin Hoffman. Their three-decade marriage weathered the lean years of obscurity, the sudden shock of stardom, and the grinding pressures of location shooting before quietly dissolving in 1986.

Understanding the life of Gene Hackmans first wife requires looking past the glamour of red carpets and examining the human cost of Hollywood ambition. Maltese didn't seek fame, give tell-all interviews, or court paparazzi lenses. Instead, she anchored a household that spanned thirty years, raised three children, and witnessed the slow transformation of an uncertain veteran into one of cinema's most revered character actors.

Early Life and Roots in New York

Born Faye Philippa Maltese on December 18, 1928, in New York City, she grew up in a traditional Italian-American family. Details of her childhood remain scarce, as she deliberately avoided the public eye throughout her adult life. By the early 1950s, she was living in Manhattan and working as a secretary and typist at a bank located in Rockefeller Center.

Her path crossed with Eugene Allen Hackman in 1955 at a local Y.M.C.A. dance in New York City. Hackman was twenty-five years old, working odd jobs, and trying to figure out a future after serving in the United States Marine Corps. In interviews years later, Hackman recalled being immediately drawn to her grounded nature and striking presence. They married on January 1, 1956, beginning a partnership that predated his acting breakthroughs by more than a decade.

Building a Life Before Stardom

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the couple lived a frugal existence. Hackman pursued acting at the Pasadena Playhouse in California and later at the Art Students League and acting schools in New York, where he befriended Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall. Friends from that era often described Maltese as the steady earner and emotional anchor while Hackman took low-paying theater gigs and auditioned tirelessly.

As they transitioned from struggling artists to parents, their family grew to include three children:

• Christopher Allen Hackman, born in 1960.
• Elizabeth Jean Hackman, born in the early 1960s.
• Leslie Anne Hackman, born in the mid-1960s.

Raising three children while Hackman struggled to break into film and television placed heavy demands on the household. When breakthrough roles finally arrived—culminating in his iconic Oscar-winning turn as Popeye Doyle in 1971's The French Connection—the family dynamic shifted permanently.

The Strains of Hollywood Success

Faye Maltese was rarely seen at public industry events. Photographers captured her alongside her husband at rare functions, such as the New York Film Critics Awards in 1972 or tennis tournaments in Los Angeles, but she consciously stepped back from the Hollywood social circuit.

As Hackman's career accelerated, he found himself constantly traveling for location shoots across the globe. In later interviews, the actor expressed deep regret over how his professional drive fractured his family life. He admitted that he frequently took jobs that separated him from Maltese and their children for three or four months at a time.

This physical and emotional distance took a heavy toll. Despite taking a temporary break from acting in 1977 to decompress in Monterey, California, Hackman returned to heavy filmmaking schedules in the 1980s. The accumulated strain proved insurmountable, and the couple separated, finalizing their divorce in 1986 after thirty years of marriage.

Later Years and Quiet Legacy

Following the divorce, Maltese retreated further into privacy. She lived for many years in the Van Nuys and Encino areas of Los Angeles, California, focusing on her family and maintaining distance from media attention.

Hackman married classical pianist Betsy Arakawa in 1991 and settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Meanwhile, Maltese continued a quiet life in California until her death on April 26, 2017, at the age of 88. She was laid to rest in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, leaving behind a legacy defined by dignity, resilience, and steadfast support during the most foundational years of a cinematic legend's life.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Gene Hackman and Faye Maltese get married?

They married on January 1, 1956, shortly after meeting at a Y.M.C.A. dance in New York City. Their marriage lasted for thirty years until their separation and subsequent divorce in 1986.

How many children did Faye Maltese and Gene Hackman have?

They shared three children together: a son named Christopher and two daughters named Elizabeth and Leslie.

What was Faye Maltese's career before marriage?

Before marrying Gene Hackman, Maltese worked as a bank secretary and typist at an office located in Rockefeller Center in Manhattan.

Why did Gene Hackman and Faye Maltese divorce?

Hackman openly attributed their divorce to the demands of his acting career. Continuous months away on international film sets created an emotional rift that thirty years of marriage ultimately could not withstand.

Did Faye Maltese remarry after her divorce from Gene Hackman?

No, after her divorce was finalized in 1986, Maltese remained single and lived a quiet, private life in the Los Angeles area until her passing in 2017.