Michael Douglas, John Cusack, Abigail Breslin, Sheryl Lee Ralph Pay Tribute to Alan Arkin: “I Thought He’d Live Forever”
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A number of Hollywood stars are paying tribute to Alan Arkin, who died at 89.
“Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man,” his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony shared in a joint statement announcing his death. “A loving husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”
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Arkin was perhaps best known for his Oscar-winning work in Little Miss Sunshine, opposite Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Paul Dano and Toni Collette. He also starred in Argo, which garnered him another Oscar nomination. The actor most recently was nominated for back-to-back Emmys for best supporting actor in a comedy series for his work in The Kominsky Method.
“Alan Arkin’s talent knew no bounds,” Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center, said in a statement. “From his early days performing improv at The Second City to his stage and film work, Arkin was an extraordinary comedic actor who brought to life eccentric, unforgettable and extremely funny characters – with brilliant comedy just one portion of his remarkable body of work. He will be greatly missed.” – Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center Executive Director
Michael Douglas wrote on Instagram, “Today we lost a wonderful actor whose intelligence, sense of comedy and consummate professionalism over the past 70 years has left an indelible mark on our industry. My experience of working with Alan were some of my most memorable. He will be deeply missed.”
Arkin’s Little Miss Sunshine co-star Abigail Breslin shared a statement and called him one of the “kindest, gentlest and hilarious actors” she’s ever worked with. “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,” she said.
Jason Alexander was the first star to react to the news, tweeting in part, “Such a wonderful, original voice for comedy. And on the few occasions I was in his presence, a kind and generous soul. I learned so much from watching him. And the laughs I got from his glorious work seem endless.”
“The one and only ALAN ARKIN has left us,” Michael Imperioli wrote on Instagram. “Arkin was a rare breed who had an infallible sense of truth that allowed him to shift with ease from the tragic to the hilarious in the blink of an eye. Such a great actor and such a great loss to cinema.”
Ralph Macchio tweeted, “Alan Arkin – legendary in every aspect and any genre. His range was and is… beyond! Truly one of a kind.”
Read more tributes to Arkin below.
#ripAlanArkin Such a wonderful, original voice for comedy. And on the few occasions I was in his presence, a kind and generous soul. I learned so much from watching him. And the laughs I got from his glorious work seem endless. May he rest well.
— jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) June 30, 2023
No greater comic actor. No greater dramatic actor. Not a coincidence. This scene is a clinic. Rest In Peace Alan Arkin. Well done, sir. https://t.co/9KGqjVjRVp
— Bradley Whitford (@BradleyWhitford) June 30, 2023
I know we all die but some how I thought he’d live forever . RIP Mr. Alan Arkin https://t.co/SDJEXsfPqg
— sheryl lee ralph (@thesherylralph) June 30, 2023
Alan Arkin was one of our greatest actors. Hilarious, heartbreaking, and the ability to be terrifying, his range was amazing. I cherish the chance I had to act with him in #America’s Sweethearts. https://t.co/s7qyVpNjGe
— Billy Crystal (@BillyCrystal) June 30, 2023
Alan Arkin – legendary in every aspect and any genre. His range was and is… beyond! Truly one of a kind. #ripAlanArkin
— Ralph Macchio (@ralphmacchio) June 30, 2023
Alan Arkin was so talented with astounding range. He could do it all and he did. And brilliantly. Watching him over the years taught me so much about acting. Talent like this is rare indeed.
Rest in Peace Alan Arkin.— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) June 30, 2023
#RIP Alan Arkin
About "Glengarry," he said: "It was the hardest film anybody has ever worked on. We rehearsed it for a month, and when we weren’t on screen, we’d run over to our trailers .. and run lines. .. Mamet is harder than Shakespeare, by far.”pic.twitter.com/OaXtnlwX0u— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) June 30, 2023
A world without Alan Arkin is …not so great. I’ve loved this man from the moment he came on screen in “The Russians Are Coming..” (“Whitaker Walt!l) I was 8. Getting to know him – and getting a laugh out of him – is a highlight of my life. RIP dear friend.
— Paul Reiser (@PaulReiser) June 30, 2023
The great Alan Arkin has passed at 89!
He made acting look EASY & always seemed like he was having a ball.#alanarkin 🎭❤️🎭 pic.twitter.com/cVeFTkT2oN— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) June 30, 2023
https://twitter.com/MiaFarrow/status/1674809385850138627
When I was a young actor people wanted to know if I wanted to be a serious actor or a funny one. I'd answer "Which kind is Alan Arkin?" and that shut them up.
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) June 30, 2023
Did ANYONE have the range Alan Arkin had? Hilarious, sinister, insane, tragic. No mood he couldn’t live in. RIP. pic.twitter.com/pUVa5j8Tqc
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) June 30, 2023
“ At one point, Alan Arkin requested to do a last-minute rewrite of a scene, which made a handful of studio execs mighty uncomfortable. According to Cusack, he assured them, saying "Don't worry. That's Alan Arkin. Anything he's gonna do is gonna make this thing even better “… pic.twitter.com/kad9gNz24R
— John Cusack (@johncusack) June 30, 2023
This one hurts as he really was one of my favourite Actors of all time.
My bottom line with an Actor is simply this – do I believe what they’re saying?
I believed every word that came out of ALAN ARKIN’s mouth – he was that good.
Legacy assured and #RIPAlanArkin pic.twitter.com/35nx2yyFe8— Michael Warburton (@MichaelWarbur17) June 30, 2023
I have never laughed harder at an actor's line delivery than I did at Arkin's "Beaks? Flies with beaks?" in The In-Laws, or cried more from a film performance than seeing Arkin in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. What an actor. https://t.co/yIy2bhwI5g
— Zack Stentz (@MuseZack) June 30, 2023
An actor so quiet his brilliance was easy to overlook, Alan Arkin was also a sensational @TCM Classic Film Festival guest.
I feared interviewing him, knowing he’d never suffer fools. But, of course, he turned out to be charming and brilliant, with couple of heroic parents. https://t.co/OJWlYDZfaS— Ben Mankiewicz (@BenMank77) June 30, 2023
So sad to hear about Alan Arkin. A brilliant actor who was a thrill to work with and a thrill to watch work.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) June 30, 2023
Alan Arkin made every film he was in better.
Never a false moment.
My Dad and I laughed so hard watching “The In-laws” together.
Here he is seemlessly in “Glengarry Glenross.” https://t.co/L4yiqbGHzZ— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) June 30, 2023
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