Actor Alan Arkin, who earned an Oscar for his performance in 2007’s “Little Miss Sunshine” among dozens of other accolades, has died.
The acclaimed stage and screen veteran was 89.
Fellow actor Jason Alexander first shared the news on Twitter, calling the actor a “wonderful, original voice for comedy.”
“On the few occasions I was in his presence, a kind and generous soul,” the “Seinfeld” star tweeted. “I learned so much from watching him. And the laughs I got from his glorious work seem endless. May he rest well.”
The Brooklyn-born actor’s cause of death has not been revealed, but his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony confirmed his passing to People.
“Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man,” the Arkins announced in a joint statement. “A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”
After spending most of his youth in New York, Arkin moved to Los Angeles with his family at 11 when his father landed a job teaching in the LA school system. But his dad struggled to keep employment as a member of the Communist Party during the height of the Red Scare.
After graduating from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1951, the “Argo” star went on to pursue his dream of being an actor, which he had since the age of 5.
After studying theater at various colleges, Arkin dropped out in 1955 to join the folk music group “The Tarriers” — with the group even landing a Top 5 hit with “The Banana Boat Song” in 1957.
Arkin made his uncredited film debut in the 1957 film “Calypso Heat Wave” and continued to record several albums with the band before stepping away in 1959.
Following his departure from the music industry, the struggling actor went back to the theater, eventually landing the starring role in the 1964 Broadway play “Luv,” which led to him being offered the role in his breakout film “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” in 1966 — which earned the then-up-and-coming actor his first Oscar nom and the Golden Globe for best actor.
After his childhood dream of becoming an actor was fulfilled and solidified in the industry, Arkin was a prominent face at the box office and in living rooms worldwide for the next three decades.
The tenured actor was nominated for four Academy Awards, six Primetime Emmys and two Tony awards over the course of his decades-long career.
In 2006, Arkin took home both the Oscar and BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the dedicated grandfather who helps his young granddaughter (Abigail Breslin) choreograph her pageant performance in “Little Miss Sunshine.”
In addition to his three sons, Arkin is survived by his third wife of more than two decades, Suzanne Newlander Arkin.
