Alan Arkin: A Versatile and Prolific Actor Who Left a Lasting Legacy

2023-06-30 14:20:16

Alan Arkin, a versatile and prolific American actor who distinguished himself in comedic and dramatic roles and who won an Oscar for his role as a heroin-addicted grandfather in the film “Little Miss Sunshine” in 2006, died at the age 89, Variety reported Friday, citing a statement from his family.

Arkin died at his home in Carlsbad, Calif., on Thursday, Variety reported. Archyde.com might not immediately confirm his death.

“Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and as a man. A loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed. “Arkin’s sons, Adam, Matthew and Anthony, wrote in a joint statement to People.

Arkin has starred in numerous films, been nominated for four Academy Awards and won a Tony Award, Broadway’s highest honor, in 1963 for his first major theatrical role in Carl Reiner’s “Enter Laughing.”

His first major film role also earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination for the role of a Soviet sailor in the 1966 Cold War comedy “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!”

Arkin was initially turned down for the role of “Little Miss Sunshine”, which eventually won him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, because the directors thought he was too wholesome. The character was a foul-mouthed, frail, and tottering 80-year-old grandfather due to years of drug addiction and bad behavior.

“It’s the best rejection I’ve ever received in my life: they thought I was too manly,” Arkin said, flexing his biceps and striking a muscle man pose during an interview. given to the New York Times in 2007.

Arkin played a memorable dramatic role as a psychopathic killer in the 1967 film “Wait Until Dark” alongside Audrey Hepburn. He later said he hated the scenes in which his character terrorizes Hepburn: “I didn’t like being cruel to her. It made me very uncomfortable”.

In 1968, he played a deaf-mute in the adaptation of Carson McCullers’ novel “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”, which earned him his second Oscar nomination for best actor.

In 1970 he starred in the film version of Joseph Heller’s novel “Catch-22”, delivering a strong performance in a film that was considered a disappointment.

Arkin received accolades for his performance in the 2012 thriller “Argo,” which tells the true story of a CIA mission to free six Americans from Iran by disguising them as members of an attack squad. fictional film regarding extraterrestrials, elaborately concocted. Director Ben Affleck’s film won the Best Picture Oscar.

He remained remarkably active in film and television until he was 80 years old. He received accolades and Emmy nominations for the television series “The Kominsky Method,” starring Michael Douglas, which debuted in 2018.

Parmi les autres films d’Arkin, citons “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution” en 1976, “The In-Laws” en 1979, “Edward Scissorhands” en 1990, “Glengarry Glen Ross” en 1992, “Grosse Pointe Blank” en 1997, “The Slums of Beverly Hills” en 1998, “Get Smart” en 2008, “Sunshine Cleaning” en 2008, “Stand Up Guys” en 2012 et “Going in Style” en 2017.

Not all of his films have had the expected success. For example, he said he made “Freebie and the Bean” in 1974 because “I needed bread”.

Alan Wolf Arkin was born on March 26, 1934 in the New York borough of Brooklyn, but his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 11 years old. Her father, a painter and writer, lost his job as a teacher following being accused of being a communist during the “Red Scare” of the 1950s.

Arkin was an early member of Chicago’s influential Second City comedy troupe and sang in a folk group that had great success with the song “The Banana Boat Song”, popularized by Harry Belafonte in the 1950s. Arkin also worked as a film and theater director, made numerous television appearances, and wrote several books.

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