Alan Arkin, the American actor who won an Oscar and a BAFTA for his role as the outrageous grandfather in the film Little Miss Sunshine, has died. He was 89 years old.
His death was confirmed by his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony in a statement, saying: “Our father was a uniquely gifted force of nature both as an artist and as a human being. A loving husband, father, Grandfather and great-grandfather, he was much loved and will be greatly missed.”
Born in New York in 1934, Arkin was a descendant of Jewish immigrants to America.
In 1963, Arkin made his mark as an actor on Broadway – winning a Tony for the lead role in Enter Laughing in 1963.
He then landed his first major film role in the war comedy The Russians Are Coming, for which he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.
He next played the villain in the Audrey Hepburn thriller Wait Until Dark, and starred in the Carson McCullers adaptation of The Heart as a Lonely Hunter – for which he received another Best Actor Oscar nomination.
During a screen and stage career spanning seven decades, Arkin appeared in Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning Argo.
