Oscar, Golden Globe and Tony-winning acting legend Alan Arkin has died at the age of 89. Arkin’s death was confirmed by his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony to People Magazine.
The trio offered a joint statement on the family’s behalf, saying: “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”
After a brief career in music, the Brooklyn-born thespian became a member of the famed Second City improvisational comedy troupe and then a Broadway debut which led to a Tony-winning performance in 1963’s “Enter Laughing”.
He began his film and TV career in the late 1960s first in the comedy “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” before his breakout role opposite Audrey Hepburn in the still famous thriller “Wait Until Dark”.
That was followed with films like “Inspector Clouseau,” “Catch-22,” “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution,” “The In-Laws,” “Freebie and the Bean,” “Little Murders” which he directed, and a voice in cult classic “The Last Unicorn”.
However he really found major success in his elderly years beginning in the 1990s with a string of notable films, including “Edward Scissorhands,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “The Rocketeer,” “Gattaca,” “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” “Coupe de Ville,” “Havana” “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Jakob the Liar,” and “Slums of Beverly Hills”.
Success continued ever since with major roles like his Oscar-winning turn in “Little Miss Sunshine,” and Oscar-nominated work in Ben Affleck’s “Argo”. He also did “Rendition,” “Firewall,” “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause,” “Get Smart,” “Sunshine Cleaning,” “Marley and Me,” “The Change-Up,” “The Muppets,” “Going in Style,” “Dumbo,” “Spenser Confidential,” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru”.
He was the star of many TV movies, most notably the award-winning “Escape from Sobibor”. He was Grace’s father on “Will and Grace,” J.D. Salinger in “BoJack Horseman,” and had a leading role opposite Michael Douglas in the first two seasons of “The Kominsky Method”.
Arkin’s son, Adam Arkin, is also a well-known actor and director from shows like “Chicago Hope” and “Sons of Anarchy”.
