Alan Arkin, Oscar-Winning Star of ‘Little Miss Sunshine,’ Dies at 89

Alan Arkin, the Academy Award and Tony-winning actor, has died, his family confirmed. He was 89.

The Little Miss Sunshine star passed away at his home in Carlsbad, California, on Thursday, according to Variety.

In a statement to People, his sons Adam, Matthew, and Anthony said: “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.”

Over the course of an illustrious career spanning almost seven decades on screen and stage, Arkin won widespread critical acclaim for his performances.

After winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the comedy Little Miss Sunshine in 2007, he was nominated for the same honor again in 2013 for the Ben Affleck movie Argo about a CIA operation during the Iran hostage crisis. Earlier in his career, he was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor—first in 1967 for The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming and two years later for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.

Arkin also scooped successive Emmy nominations for his appearance in Netflix’s comedy-drama The Kominsky Method in 2019 and 2020. They came after four other Emmy nominations over the course of his career between the 1960s and early 2000s.

Arkin was born in New York on March 26, 1934, before his family moved to Los Angeles during his childhood. His early forays into entertainment included a fleeting venture into music, singing and playing guitar in a folk group named the Tarriers. In 1956, the band’s version of “The Banana Boat Song” became a top-five hit.

After dropping out of the band, Arkin pursued acting and soon established himself as one of the first members of the Second City improvisational comedy troupe in Chicago. In 1961, he made his Broadway debut with From the Second City and won a Tony Award two years later for his role in Enter Laughing.