Is Matthew Arkin Related to Alan Arkin?

Matthew Arkin is the son of Alan Arkin. After his parents separated when he was an infant, Arkin was raised by his mother in California until age 7. He then lived with his father and stepmother, actress Barbara Dana, in Greenwich Village.

In 1968, Arkin and his brother were directed by their father in the Academy Award-nominated short film, People Soup. Although he was raised in a non-denominational household, Arkin is Jewish and identifies with Jewish culture.

For five years, Arkin practised law with small firms in Tarrytown and White Plains, New York. He quit to pursue a career in acting.

When asked why he would give up a career in law, Arkin pointed out a laughing audience and said, “You hear that sound? Do you know how many people I made laugh when I was a lawyer? None…well, maybe a few judges.