Alan Arkin, best known for his roles in the likes of Wait Until Dark, Little Miss Sunshine and Argo has passed away at the age of 89

The Oscar and BAFTA-winning actor passed away at his home in California. In a joint statement, his three sons said:

“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.”

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1934, Arkin began his career in entertainment as a stage performer, before making his Broadway debut in From the Second City (1961). Two years later, he scored a Tony Award for starring in the comedy Enter Laughing.

After a guest appearance in the weekly drama series East Side/West Side, Arkin quickly found fame on the big-screen with his breakthrough role as Russian submarine leader Lt. Rosanov in the war comedy The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! (1966).

His performance earned him his first Oscar nomination in the Best Actor category, as well as a sole Golden Globe win for Best Actor (Comedy/Musical) and a BAFTA nod for Most Promising Newcomer.

Shortly after, Arkin landed his first Emmy mention for his role in the ABC Stage 67 episode ‘The Love Song of Barney Kempinski‘ (1967).

He then showcased his villainous side with his turn as sinister criminal Roat in the psychological thriller Wait Until Dark (1967) and then followed that up with his brief role as Insp. Jacques Clouseau in the comedy caper Inspector Clouseau (1968).

Arkin then earned his second Oscar nomination for his sensitive performance as deaf-mute protagonist Singer in the romantic drama The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1968). That was swiftly followed by his Golden Globe-nominated turn as Puerto-Rican father Abraham in the comedy Popi (1969).

Throughout the 1970s, Arkin starred in the likes of Catch-22 (1970), Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1972) and The Seven-Per-Cent-Solution (1976) as well as the cult comedy Freebie and the Bean (1974).

He continued to work on a number of films throughout the 1980s including Simon (1980), Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981), The Return of Captain Invincible (1983) and Joshua Then and Now (1985). During that decade, he made three guest appearances in the hit medical series St. Elsewhere (1983) and landed an Emmy nod for his lead role in the Holocaust-based mini-series Escape from Sobibor (1987).

The 1990s proved a more lucrative time for Arkin, starting with his appearance as Bill in the Tim Burton-directed fantasy Edward Scissorhands (1990). Roles in Havana (1990) and The Rocketeer (1991) soon followed, before he played George Aaronow in the acclaimed ensemble drama Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).

Throughout the rest of the decade, he went on to star in the likes of North (1994), Grosse Point Blanke (1997), Four Days in September (1997), Gattaca (1997) and Jakob the Liar (1999).

After the Millennium, Arkin continued to keep busy, as he landed another Emmy nomination for his performance as Harry Rowen in the factual-based television film The Pentagon Papers (2003).

However, his productive career finally saw him achieve success in 2007 when he landed both a BAFTA, and an Oscar for his supporting turn as drug-addicted grandfather Edwin Hoover in the acclaimed dark comedy Little Miss Sunshine (2006).

In his twilight years, Arkin found work in the likes of Will & Grace (2005), Firewall (2006), The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2007), Rendition (2007), Sunshine Cleaning (2008), and The Change-Up (2011). During that period, he also played the likes of The Chief in Get Smart (2008) and Arnie Klein in the tearjerker Marley & Me (2008).

After making a cameo as a tour guide in The Muppets (2011), Arkin earned his third and final Oscar nomination for his foul-mouthed turn as Hollywood producer Lester Siegel in the multi-award-winning fact-based thriller Argo (2012).

Towards the end of his life, Arkin appeared in films like The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), Grudge Match (2013), Million Dollar Arm (2014), Christmas with the Coopers (2015), Going in Style (2017) and Dumbo (2019) while also voicing J.D. Salinger in four episodes of the animated Netflix series Bojack Horseman (2015-16) and Wild Knuckles in the Despicable Me prequel Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).

His final on-screen role came as veteran agent Norman Newlander in seventeen episodes of the Netflix comedy The Kominsky Method (2018-21) for which he earned two Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.

Arkin is survived by his third wife and three sons, including fellow actor Adam Arkin.