Alan Arkin, the acclaimed American actor who earned an Oscar for his portrayal of a heroin-using grandpa in the film Little Miss Sunshine, has passed away at the age of 89.
In a statement released by Arkin’s publicist, his sons, Adam, Matthew, and Anthony, described their father as a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and as a man. They expressed that he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and that he will be deeply missed.
Arkin had a remarkable career spanning both the stage and screen. He first gained recognition as a member of Chicago’s renowned Second City comedy troupe. From there, he achieved immediate success in movies, most notably with the Cold War spoof The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, and later in life, he won an Oscar for his supporting role in the surprise hit Little Miss Sunshine. His first Oscar nomination came more than 40 years prior, for his role in The Russians Are Coming.
In recent years, Arkin starred alongside Michael Douglas in the Netflix comedy series The Kominsky Method, earning him two Emmy nominations. His friend and fellow actor, Michael McKean, paid tribute to Arkin on Twitter, reminiscing about how Arkin’s talent defied categorization.
Arkin’s extraordinary range as an actor allowed him to seamlessly transition between hilarious and sinister, insane and tragic. His versatility was unparalleled. Rest in peace, Alan. Nobody better, ever.
According to Variety, Arkin passed away at his home in Carlsbad, Calif. on Thursday.
Throughout his career, Arkin received four Academy Award nominations and won a Tony Award in 1963 for his breakthrough stage role in Carl Reiner’s Enter Laughing. In a testament to his talent, he was initially turned down for his role in Little Miss Sunshine because the casting team believed he appeared too healthy for the part of an 80-year-old grandpa struggling with the effects of drug abuse.
“It’s the best rejection I ever received in my life – they thought I was too virile,” Arkin humorously recalled during a 2007 interview with The New York Times.
Actors Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas are shown in a scene from “The Kominsky Method” in this undated handout photo.
Mike Yarish / Netflix
Arkin remained remarkably active in the film and television industry well into his 80s. Some of his other notable films include The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), The In-Laws (1979), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Get Smart (2008), and Going in Style (2017).
Alan Wolf Arkin was born on March 26, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York City.
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