Alan Arkin - Rotten Tomatoes Celebrity Profile

Biography

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Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an Oscar-nominated American actor and director.

Arkin was born in New York City to a Jewish family. His father, David I. Arkin, was a painter and writer who mostly worked as a teacher. Both his father and his mother, Beatrice, were accused of being Communists, which led to his father losing his job during the 1950s. His father had merely refused to answer questions regarding his political affiliation because he thought it should be irrelevant. His father challenged the dismissal and ultimately prevailed, but unfortunately it was after his death. [1]

Arkin is one of only five actors to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his first screen appearance (for The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming) in 1966. Two years later, he was again nominated, for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. In a piece he wrote for the Second City book, Arkin said he had wanted to be an actor since he was five. It was in a performance in St. Louis that Arkin caught a casting director's eye, who later met with the actor to tell him about a comedy troupe he was assembling in Chicago and if he wanted a job, it was open. Arkin politely declined, before heading back to New York City with the impression that he wasn't going to lose out on a career by moving to Chicago. But after another year as a struggling actor at 29 years old, Arkin called the director and asked if the offer was still open. With the offer still on the table, he packed his bags and headed for the midwest, thinking it was a mistake. But Arkin later said that it turned out to be the best thing in his life since it turned around when he joined what was The Second City comedy troupe.

Arkin is equally comfortable in comedy and dramatic roles, in such diverse films as Inspector Clouseau, Catch-22, Freebie and The Bean, Hearts of the West, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (where he played Sigmund Freud), The Return Of Captain Invincible, Little Murders, Edward Scissorhands, The Rocketeer, the 1979 The In-Laws, Glengarry Glen Ross, Four Days in September, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Jerky Boys: The Movie, Raising Flagg, The Defection of Simas Kudirka, Slums of Beverly Hills and Little Miss Sunshine. He is also well-known for playing the villainous Roat in the 1967 suspense film, Wait Until Dark, opposite Audrey Hepburn.

His son is actor Adam Arkin.

Literary career

Arkin has also enjoyed a minor literary career, including a pair of science fiction stories published in Galaxy magazine; children's books including The Clearing, Tony's Hard Work Day, and Cassie Loves Beethoven, and the science fiction short story "The Amazing Grandy", about Martin Gardner-style debunkers, in the August 2001 issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Musical career

Arkin was a member of mid-1950s folk group The Tarriers; in 1956 they had their biggest hit with a version of the "Banana Boat Song" (it reached #4 on the Billboard charts), the same year that Harry Belafonte recorded his more famous version. [2]

Alan Arkin played recorder on the 1956 Ed McCurdy release "When Dalliance Was in Flower". Elektra LP EKL-110. This album jacket has the following to say about Arkin: "(Arkin)...is an accomplished young man in his early twenties. He plays the guitar and recorder and has worked as a television and stage actor, delivery boy, dude ranch entertainer, pot washer and baby sitter. He has recorded an entire album for Elektra titled "Folksongs-Once Over Lightly".

Filmography

Bee Movie (2007) (post-production) (voice)
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) (completed)
Raising Flagg (2006) - Flagg Purdy
Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Edwin Hoover
Firewall (2006) - Arlin Forester
Will & Grace: It's a Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad World (2005) TV Episode - Marty Adler
The Novice (2004) - Father Benkhe
Noel (2004) - Artie Venzuela
Eros (2004) - Dr. Pearl/Hal (segment "Equilibrium")
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003) (TV) - Sam Drebben
The Pentagon Papers (2003) (TV) - Harry Rowen
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001) - Gene
America's Sweethearts (2001) - Wellness Guide
Varian's War (2001) (TV) - Freier
Magicians (2000) - Milo
Arigo (2000)
Jakob the Liar (1999) - Max Frankfurter
Blood Money (1999) (TV) - Willy the Hammer
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) - Murray Samuel Abromowitz
Gattaca (1997) - Det. Hugo
O Que É Isso, Companheiro? (1997) - Charles Burke Elbrick
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) - Dr. Oatman
Chicago Hope: The Son Also Rises (1997) TV Episode .... Zoltan Karpathein
Mother Night (1996) - George Kraft
Heck's Way Home (1996) (TV) - Dogcatcher
Steal Big Steal Little (1995) - Lou Perilli, Ruben's Partner
The Jerky Boys (1995) - Ernie Lazarro
Picture Windows (1994) (mini) TV Series - Tully
Doomsday Gun (1994) (TV) - Col. Yossi
North (1994) - Judge Buckle
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) (uncredited) - Police Captain
Taking the Heat (1993) (TV) - Tommy Canard
Indian Summer (1993) - Unca Lou Handler
Cooperstown (1993) (TV) - Harry Willette
Samuel Beckett Is Coming Soon (1993) - The Director
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) - George Aaronow
The Rocketeer (1991) - A. 'Peevy' Peabody
Havana (1990) - Joe Volpi
Edward Scissorhands (1990) - Bill
Coupe de Ville (1990) - Fred Libner
Necessary Parties (1988) (TV) - Archie Corelli
Escape from Sobibor (1987) (TV) - Leon Feldhendler
Harry (1987) TV Series - Harry Porschak
Big Trouble (1986) - Leonard Hoffman
A Deadly Business (1986) (TV) - Harold Kaufman
Bad Medicine (1985) - Dr. Ramón Madera
Faerie Tale Theatre (1985)
Joshua Then and Now (1985) - Reuben Shapiro
The Fourth Wise Man (1985) (TV) - Orontes
A Matter of Principle (1984) (TV) - Flagg Purdy
St. Elsewhere
The Return of Captain Invincible (1983) - Captain Invincible
The Last Unicorn (1982) (voice) - Schmendrick
Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981) - Flash
Improper Channels (1981) - Jeffrey Martley
Full Moon High (1981) - Dr. Brand
Simon (1980) - Prof. Simon Mendelssohn
The Magician of Lublin (1979) - Yasha Mazur
Carol Burnett & Company (1979) TV
The In-Laws (1979) - Sheldon S. Kornpett, D.D.S.
The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1978) (TV) - Simas Kudirka
The Other Side of Hell (1978) (TV) - Frank Dole
Fire Sale (1977) - Ezra Fikus
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) - Dr. Sigmund Freud
Hearts of the West (1975) - Burt Kessler
Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975) - Gunny Rafferty
Freebie and the Bean (1974) - Bean
It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy (1974) (TV)
Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1972) - Barney Cashman
Deadhead Miles (1972) - Cooper
Little Murders (1971) - Lt. Practice
Sesame Street (1969) TV Series - Larry (1970-1972)
Catch-22 (1970) - Capt. John Yossarian, (bombardier)
The Monitors (1969) - Cameo appearance
Popi (1969) - Abraham Rodriguez
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968) - John Singer
Inspector Clouseau (1968) - Insp. Jacques Clouseau
Wait Until Dark (1967) - Harry Roat
Woman Times Seven (1967) - Fred - segment 'The Suicides'
ABC Stage 67 - The Love Song of Barney Kempinski (1966) TV Episode - Barney Kempinski
The Last Mohican (1966) .... Pretzel Peddler
The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966) - Lt. Rozanov
East Side/West Side - The Beatnik and the Politician (1964) TV Episode - Ted Miller
That's Me (1963)
Calypso Heat Wave (1957) - Tarriers Lead Singer

External links

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