Tributes from across the entertainment industry are pouring in for the late actor Alan Arkin who died aged 89 on Friday (30 June).
The veteran actor is best known for his Oscar-winning role as the cantankerous grandpa in the 2006 comedy Little Miss Sunshine.
The news was announced by his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony, who shared a joint statement on behalf of the family: “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.”
Over the course of his illustrious career, Arkin became known for his deadpan delivery and acerbic characters.
He also earned Oscar nominations for the 1966 film The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, the 1968 film The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and Ben Affleck’s 2012 film Argo.
On Twitter, Arkin’s co-stars from over the years reacted to the news of his death.
Poker Face star Natasha Lyonne, who worked with Arkin on the 1998 comedy-drama Slums of Beverly Hills, wrote: “I love this man so much. The favorite of all my movie dads.”
Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander who worked with Arkin on Rob Reiner’s 1994 family comedy North, wrote: “I learned so much from watching him. And the laughs I got from his glorious work seem endless.”
John Cusack, who co-wrote 1997’s Grosse Pointe Blank, remembered a scene that had notes from Arkin.
“‘At one point, Alan Arkin requested to do a last-minute rewrite of a scene, which made a handful of studio execs mighty uncomfortable. According to Cusack, he assured them, saying ‘Don’t worry. That’s Alan Arkin. Anything he’s gonna do is gonna make this thing even better,’” Cusack quoted from a recent news report. “This is true – he wanted to rework the scene – a few people got their worried fear faces on – I looked at them kindly but as if they’d gone insane – I said you have Alan Arkin wanting to personalize and deepen this comedy we’re making – I wrote it – he can say whatever the f*** he wants – sit back watch and feel lucky – please.”
The Sopranos and The White Lotus star Michael Imperioli remembered Arkin on Instagram, writing: “Arkin was a rare breed who had an infallible sense of truth that allowed him to shift with ease from the tragic to the hilarious in the blink of an eye.”
Paul Reiser, who starred alongside Arkin on Netflix’s recent sitcom The Kominsky Method, wrote: “A world without Alan Arkin is… not so great. I’ve loved this man from the moment he came on screen in The Russians Are Coming. (Whitaker Walt!) I was 8. Getting to know him – and getting a laugh out of him – is a highlight of my life.”
Patton Oswalt asked: “Did ANYONE have the range Alan Arkin had? Hilarious, sinister, insane, tragic. No mood he couldn’t live in.”
Arkin is survived by his third wife, Suzanne Newlander, whom he married in 1996, two sons, Adam and Matthew, from his first marriage, and a son, Anthony, from his second marriage.
Find many more tributes to Arkin below:
