Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director
and screenwriter. With a film career spanning seven decades, Arkin is
known for his performances in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians
Are Coming (1966); Wait Until Dark (1967); The Heart Is a Lonely
Hunter (1968); Popi (1969); Catch-22 (1970); The In-Laws (1979);
Edward Scissorhands (1990); The Rocketeer (1991); Glengarry Glen Ross
(1992); Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001); Little Miss
Sunshine (2006); Get Smart (2008); Sunshine Cleaning (2008); and Argo
(2012).He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
twice, for his performances in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians
Are Coming and The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. He won an Academy Award
for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Little Miss Sunshine
and received critical praise and a Best Supporting Actor nomination
for his performance in Argo.Arkin was born in Brooklyn, New York City,
on March 26, 1934, the son of David I. Arkin, a painter and writer,
and his wife, Beatrice (née Wortis), a teacher. He was raised in a
Jewish family with "no emphasis on religion". His grandparents were
Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, and Germany. His parents moved
to Los Angeles when Alan was 11, but an 8-month Hollywood strike cost
his father his job as a set designer. During the 1950s Red Scare,
Arkin's parents were accused of being Communists, and his father was
fired when he refused to answer questions about his political
ideology. David Arkin challenged the dismissal, but he was vindicated
only after his death.
and screenwriter. With a film career spanning seven decades, Arkin is
known for his performances in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians
Are Coming (1966); Wait Until Dark (1967); The Heart Is a Lonely
Hunter (1968); Popi (1969); Catch-22 (1970); The In-Laws (1979);
Edward Scissorhands (1990); The Rocketeer (1991); Glengarry Glen Ross
(1992); Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001); Little Miss
Sunshine (2006); Get Smart (2008); Sunshine Cleaning (2008); and Argo
(2012).He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
twice, for his performances in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians
Are Coming and The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. He won an Academy Award
for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Little Miss Sunshine
and received critical praise and a Best Supporting Actor nomination
for his performance in Argo.Arkin was born in Brooklyn, New York City,
on March 26, 1934, the son of David I. Arkin, a painter and writer,
and his wife, Beatrice (née Wortis), a teacher. He was raised in a
Jewish family with "no emphasis on religion". His grandparents were
Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, and Germany. His parents moved
to Los Angeles when Alan was 11, but an 8-month Hollywood strike cost
his father his job as a set designer. During the 1950s Red Scare,
Arkin's parents were accused of being Communists, and his father was
fired when he refused to answer questions about his political
ideology. David Arkin challenged the dismissal, but he was vindicated
only after his death.
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