Tony and Academy Award winning actor Alan Arkin died June 29, 2023 in Carlsbad, California as the result of a heart ailment at the age of 89.
Along with numerous nominations, Arkin earned a Drama Desk Awards for directing “The White House Murder Case” and “Little Murders”. He received a Theatre World Award for his role in “Enter Laughing”.
The consummate character actor, Arkin could mold himself into any role with any accent.
A veteran of Chicago’s Second City Comedy Troupe, he made his Broadway debut in 1961 in “From the Second City”. He also appeared in “Enter Laughing”, and “Luv”. He also directed “Hail Scrawdyke!”, “The Sunshine Boys”, “Molly”, and “Taller than a Dwarf”.
Before joining Second City, Arkin began his career as an entertainer in the 50’s as an organizer and singer for The Tarriers.
Over the course of his career he appeared in over 100 film and television productions including “The Russians are Coming the Russians are Coming”, “Wait Until Dark”, “Little Murders”, “Sesame Street”, “Last of the Red Hot Lovers”, “Free ie and the Bean”, “St. Elsewhere”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Glengarry Glen Ross”, “So I Married an Axe Murderer”, “Gattaca”, “100 Centre Street”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Firewall”, “The Muppets”, “Going in Style”, “The Kominsky Method”, and his final role in “Minions: The Rise of Gru”.
Born Alan Wolf Arkin on March 26, 1934 in Brooklyn, the family moved across the country to Los Angeles when Alan was eleven years old where his parents got teaching jobs but became embroiled in the “Red Scare” and were fired for being Communists. Arkin noted that movies were the most important thing to him but he didn’t get to go very often because the family was poor.
Along with being an actor, Arkin was a director on stage and screen; as well as, an author of children’s books and two memoirs.
He is survived by his third wife Suzanne; sons Adam, Matthew, and Anthony; and four grandchildren.
Feature file photo: Alan Arkin with his wife Suzanne Newlander at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.