CAUSE OF DEATH: Actor, Alan Arkin, has passed away.
Alan Arkin, an Oscar-winning actor for “Little Miss Sunshine” with a body of work that spans seven decades of stage and screen acting, died June 29 at his home in Carlsbad, Calif, Variety has confirmed. He was 89.
Arkin’s sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony said in a joint statement, “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.”
Arkin, who was known for projecting a characteristically dry wit but could play tragedy with equal efficacy, won his Oscar for his supporting performance in the indie comedy “Little Miss Sunshine” in 2007; he scored an encore nomination for his punchy and profane turn in Ben Affleck’s best picture winner “Argo.” Arkin picked up two earlier nominations in his film career, for “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” in 1967 and for “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” in 1969.
Arkin was most familiar to younger audiences for his role in the first two seasons of Netflix’s award-winning series “The Kominsky Method,” in which he played Norman, the Hollywood agent of Michael Douglas’ acting coach character, Sandy.
But the actor’s screen credits reveal his remarkable breadth, encompassing roles that were always informed, but never defined, by his sarcastic Brooklyn-bred persona.
Asked by CBS News in a 2007 interview what his favorite role was to date, Arkin deadpanned: “The Kaiser roll has been a favorite.” More seriously, he noted that he identified with characters “who don’t know what they’re talking about, but are happy to give you advice.”
