Abigail Breslin Remembers 'Little Miss Sunshine' Costar Alan Arkin: 'He Will Always be Grandpa in my Heart'

The actor died at the age of 89 on Friday, his sons confirmed to PEOPLE

Little Miss Sunshine actress Abigail Breslin is saying goodbye to a ray of light in her life.

Breslin, 27, is mourning the loss of her on-screen grandfather, Alan Arkin, who died at the age of 89 on Thursday. The actress starred alongside Arkin in the 2006 comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine and he has always held a place in her heart.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Breskin remembered Arkin following his death. “Alan Arkin was one of the most kindest, gentlest and hilarious actors I ever worked with," Breslin said. "We may not have been related in real life but he will always be Grandpa in my heart, I send my deepest sympathies this his wife Suzanne and his family.”

The Kominsky Method actor’s death was confirmed to PEOPLE exclusively by his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony, who offered a joint statement on the family’s behalf. "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," they said.

Related: Alan Arkin, Oscar-Winning 'Little Miss Sunshine' Actor, Dead at 89 (Exclusive)

Arkin had only 14 minutes of screen time in the hit film with Breslin, but both received Oscar nominations for their roles. The screenwriter and director won his first and only Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film, proving that he didn’t need long to leave an impression with his acting skills.

Most recently, Arkin costarred in The Kominsky Method for Netflix alongside Michael Douglas, earning Emmy nominations in 2019 and 2020, and Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations in 2020 and 2021. In Little Miss Sunshine, Arkin played Edwin Hoover, the grandfather of the dysfunctional family.

Arkin's memorable turn in the 2012 Ben Affleck-directed political drama Argo earned him his fourth Oscar nomination. He played veteran film producer Lester Siegel, whose sharp sense of humor and biting line delivery won over audiences. "He was an incredible human being and a friend and mentor whom we will always love, miss, and remember," Affleck shared on the Instagram page for his Artists Equity studio.

Related: Michael Douglas, John Cusack, More Pay Tribute to Alan Arkin After His Death: He 'Left an Indelible Mark'

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 26, 1934, Arkin’s family moved to Los Angeles during his childhood. That "is why I don't live there now," Arkin told PEOPLE in 1979 from his home in Chappaqua, New York.

After finishing high school, Arkin attended several different colleges and dropped out of at least three, including Bennington College in Vermont, which lists him as an alumnus of the class of 1955.

"They might have thrown me out," Arkin told PEOPLE of his experience in college in a 1979 story about him and his second wife, actress Barbara Dana. "I don't remember."

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After leaving college, Arkin embarked on a brief career in music with a folk group called the Tarriers, where he sang and played guitar. The short-lived group produced the hit top-5 single "The Banana Boat Song" in 1957.

But Arkin, who began taking acting lessons in childhood, quit the band and set about trying to establish himself as an actor. By 1960, Arkin arrived in Chicago and became an early member of the Second City improvisational comedy troupe, according to a history on the organization's website.

"Second City saved my life. It literally saved my life," Arkin said. "I have a feeling it's true for a lot of other people, too."

Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2023

Follwing his time in Chicago, Arkin made his Broadway debut in 1961 in From the Second City. He followed it up with a Tony-winning performance in 1963's Enter Laughing, propelling him into stardom.

Over the next 50-plus years, Arkin went on to appear in more than 100 movies and films, notably starring in movies like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1968), which earned him his second Oscar nomination; Catch-22 (1970); Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).

Arkin is survived by his wife Suzanne Newlander, whom he married in 1996, and three children: sons Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin, whom he shared with first wife Jeremy Yaffe, and Anthony Dana Arkin, whom he shared with second wife Dana.

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