Gene Hackman’s health was ‘really slipping’ in the months prior to his death, according to family friends.

The 95-year-old actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in separate rooms of their Santa Fe home on Wednesday, February 26.

On Friday, their friends, married couple Daniel and Barbara Lenihan and their son Aaron, opened up about the Unforgiven star’s health and said that it had been declining ‘in recent times.’

Daniel told PEOPLE that Hackman was ‘essentially kind of home-bound,’ and Barbara claimed the Oscar winner had ‘quit riding his bike through the neighborhood’ about a year ago.

Aaron also added that Arakawa had been doing her best to keep her husband ‘active and engaged.’

About the late couple, he said she ‘was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and as healthy as possible,’ adding that Hackman did puzzles and yoga via Zoom every single day.

Gene Hackman ‘s health was ‘really slipping’ in the months prior to his death, according to family friends; pictured March 1993 in Los Angeles

The 95-year-old actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in separate rooms of their Santa Fe home on Wednesday, February 26; pictured January 2003 in Beverly Hills

Barbara also told the outlet that Arakawa was ‘in perfect health’ and ‘was so fit.’ 

Aaron — whose family had known Hackman and Arakawa for over 30 years — said that the pair ‘were one of the тιԍнтest couples I’ve seen.’

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He said: ‘They seemed like real life partners, really, really close to each other, and they were both incredibly kind. And they were reserved, but they were real, [and] a lot of fun.’

Barbara added: ‘Gene was as proud of Betsy as she was of him. 

‘She had been a concert pianist. Over at their houses, she had a special building, a studio that half of it was her grand piano [and] another half was Gene’s art studio.’

Investigators have suggested that Hackman was likely to have been ᴅᴇᴀᴅ for nine days prior to the discovery of his body as his pacemaker was last operational on February 17.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told reporters: ‘I think that is a very good ᴀssumption that that was his last day of life.’

Arakawa was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the bathroom, next to a space heather and an open bottle of pills, according to an affidavit obtained by the outlet. 

On Friday, their friends opened up about the Unforgiven star’s health and said that it had been declining ‘in recent times.’ they said Hackman was ‘essentially kind of home-bound and claimed the Oscar winner had ‘quit riding his bike through the neighborhood’ about a year ago

Aaron also added that Arakawa had been doing her best to keep her husband ‘active and engaged.’ About the late couple, he said she ‘was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and as healthy as possible,’ adding that Hackman did puzzles and yoga via Zoom every single day; pictured March 1994 in Los Angeles

The longtime family friends of the couple said that the pair ‘were one of the тιԍнтest couples I’ve seen’; pictured alongside daughters Leslie and Elizabeth in October 1996 in Beverly Hills

Her body showed signs of ‘mummification’ and Hackman’s body showed similar ‘obvious signs of death.’ 

The pills were identified as an unspecified thyroid medication, Tylenol and the high blood pressure medication, diltiazem. 

Mendoza said it remains unclear who died first, explaining that it is ‘a very hard thing to determine.’

Initial concerns that the couple may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning was ruled out after the compound was tested, Mendoza said on Friday. 

No foul play is suspected and toxicology results remain pending.