Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin (Alan Wolf Arkin) was born on March 26th, 1934. Alan passed away June 29th, 2023 at 89 years old. Alan Arkin was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Arkin attended Los Angeles State College and Bennington College.
In a career that spanned seven decades, Alan Arkin received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. He was also nominated for six Emmy Awards. Arkin won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the foul-mouthed grandpa in
Little Miss Sunshine, and at 72, he was the sixth oldest to win the award. He was also nominated for
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,
The Russians Are Coming, and
Argo.
He started taking acting lessons at the age of 10 and became a scholarship student at various drama academies, including one run by Benjamin Zemach, a Stanislavsky student, who taught Arkin a more psychological approach to acting.
Arkin began his career during the 1950s as a guitarist and singer with The Tarriers, a folk group. They had two hits:
Cindy, Oh Cindy and
Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).
In 1957, he made his feature film debut in
Calypso Heat Wave, a musical.
Then in 1971, he made his directorial debut with
Little Murders, a black comedy that garnered a cult following. Written by Jules Feiffer, it stars Elliott Gould and Marcia Rodd.
He also directed his sons Matthew and Adam in People Soup, a 12-minute children’s film that was Oscar-nominated. It’s based on a story of the same name that Arkin published in 1958 in Galaxy Science Fiction.
He played the titular character in
Inspector Clouseau in a 1968 movie, during a time when Peter Sellers had turned his back on the character. While the movie didn’t receive great reviews, it was said that Arkin was funny even when he wasn’t trying to be.
In
An Improvised Life: A Memoir, Arkin reflects on finding a place for himself as an actor and what theater, particularly the improvisational kind, taught him about life and his craft.
He knew from the age of five that he was going to become an actor. From such an early age, he recognized that every play, every film, and every piece of music fed an unquenchable need to become something other than what he was.
This is a wise and unpretentious recollection of both the personal and artistic process of becoming an actor, offering a revealing look into the mind of one of the greatest practitioners on the screen and stage.
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- Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher Series.
- James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross Series.
- Faye Kellerman, author of the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus Series.
Alan Arkin: F.A.Q
When was Alan Arkin Born?
Alan Arkin was born on March 26th, 1934.
When did Alan Arkin die?
Alan Arkin died on June 29th, 2023 at 89 years old.
Where was Alan Arkin Born?
Alan Arkin was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
What was the first book Alan Arkin wrote?
The first book written by Alan Arkin was People Soup, published in 1958.
What was the most recent book Alan Arkin wrote?
His most recently released work was Out of My Mind: (a short story) on December 6th, 2018.
How many books has Alan Arkin written?
Alan Arkin has written 15 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 2 books in the Bubber Series, 1 Standalone Novel, 5 books in the Non-Fiction Books, 5 books in the Children's Books, 2 books in the Short Story Collections.