Alan Arkin Parents: Meet David I. Arkin, Beatrice Arkin

Alan Arkin was an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He was the son of David I. Arkin and his wife Beatrice.

His father David was a painter and writer and his mother Beatrice was a teacher. He was raised in a Jewish family with “no religious emphasis.” His grandparents were Jewish immigrants to the United States from Ukraine, Russia, and Germany.

Alan’s parents relocated to Los Angeles when he was 11 years old, but an eight-month Hollywood strike robbed his father his job as a set designer. Arkin’s parents were accused of being Communists during the 1950s Red Scare, and his father was sacked after he refused to answer questions about his political philosophy. His father David Arkin challenged his dismissal, but he was only vindicated after his death.

Arkin began his career on Broadway with the comedy drama Luv (1964) and Enter Laughing (1963), for which he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a drama.

He rose to prominence in The Russians Are Coming (1966), Wait Until Dark (1967),  Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Get Smart (2008), and Argo (2012).

Throughout his eight-decade career, he has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award.

Alan Arkin died on June 29 2023, at his home in Carlsbad, California. He was 89. A cause of death ha snot been revealed