RIP Alan Arkin

[GregC]

A great, and underrecognized, actor who passed away at age 89. From Catch 22 to The In-Laws to Little Miss Sunshine and beyond, he really served his roles so well and selflessly--might be why he didn't get more attention. RIP.


Alan Arkin, Oscar-winning actor, dead at 89 | CNN

 

[Michedelic]

He scared the bejeezus out of me in “Wait Until Dark”, which I was probably too young to see anyway.

 

[Lo-E]

I never thought of him as under recognized. He had a very successful, long career. An immense talent.

 

[2saddleslab]

RIP, to a great actor.

 

[bassdude51]

Great actor! (Favorite movie....The In-laws. 1979)

He was also a musician and singer. The Tarriers. Had a couple of hit songs back in the day, late 50s. (I saw an interview on TV with him many years ago.)

Born in 1934, Arkin's acting career spanned 60 years, though prior to acting, he was a member of the folk band the Tarriers, with whom he scored two top-ten hits in “Cindy, Oh Cindy” and “The Banana Boat Song” in 1956–57.

On the right......

 

[48thStreetCustom]

Glengarry Glen Ross is a classic.

 

[Winslow]

He had the best line in The Rocketeer, when the hero tries on the rocket pack and helmet for the first time, and asks his old mentor:

"How do I look?"
"Like a hood ornament."

 

[Rich Fiscus]

He scared the bejeezus out of me in “Wait Until Dark”, which I was probably too young to see anyway.

In his book about the horror genre, Danse Macabre, Stephen King called that the scariest performance he had ever seen. It’s certainly among Arkin’s best, but there are so many to pick from.

Another of my favorites was in Grosse Pointe Blank, where he played John Cusack’s unwilling therapist.

 

[LastJaguar]

One of my favorites:
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (film) - Wikipedia

 

[FilterFunk]

My favorite movie of his is "Freebie and the Bean," which is a great New York movie even though it's set in San Francisco. I need to watch that again.

 

[MonetBass]

Such a great actor. I loved him in "So I Married An Axe Murderer". RIP, Alan.

 

[ThudThudThud]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
That's one hell of a catch, that Catch-22.

 

[Wood and Wire]

A great, and underrecognized, actor who passed away at age 89. From Catch 22 to The In-Laws to Little Miss Sunshine and beyond, he really served his roles so well and selflessly--might be why he didn't get more attention. RIP.


Alan Arkin, Oscar-winning actor, dead at 89 | CNN

Oh man!

We were only talking about him the other day, in another thread (probably somebody else's obit ).

Many of my faves, mentioning that thread, have already been mentioned here (and I'm a little afraid to revisit "Freebie And The Bean", on the grounds that it is probably pretty culturally insensitive by modern standards), but I always felt his and Anthony Lapaglia's relationship in "So I Married An Axe Murderer" was the highlight of that movie.

I was concerned for his health, in the recent "Get Shorty" adaptation, but happy to see him still working - and at least he lasted a few more years.

R.I.P.

 

[Gorn]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
That's one hell of a catch, that Catch-22.

That hair was not long for this world.

He was fantastic. Hilarious without trying.

 

[CletusMarley]

Such a great actor. I loved him in "So I Married An Axe Murderer". RIP, Alan.

One of my favorites. My buddy and I saw it in the theater in Phoenix while we were killing time waiting for Van Halen.. He was also great on Little Miss Sunshine.

 

[shadowtippy]

My favorite movie of his is "Freebie and the Bean," which is a great New York movie even though it's set in San Francisco. I need to watch that again.

That movie was my first thought when I saw he died although he was great in a lot of others.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Sad to see you go. Argo RIP, Capt. John Yossarian.
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[kobass]

RIP Alan.

 

[RayWithFlats]

Fantastic actor, the Patton Oswalt quote in the OP sums him up so well, such great range and he kept the standards high throughout a long career. RIP.

 

[MoireBass]

His character in 'Little Miss Sunshine' was who I aspire to be when/if I get to be that old.