Hollywood pays tribute to Oscar winner Alan Arkin, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 89.
Known for his dry, down-to-earth humor and wide range of roles, Arkin was a beloved member of the entertainment world throughout his more than seven decades of acting on screen and stage.
Arkin won his Oscar for his role in the 2006 indie road comedy Little Miss Sunshine. Arkin played Edwin Hoover, the crazy grandfather and biggest supporter of his granddaughter Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin), a young girl who enters a beauty pageant who sends her entire family on a road trip from New Mexico to California in their Volkswagen van.
He also earned Oscar nominations for the 1966 movie “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming,” the 1968 movie “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,” and Ben Affleck’s 2012 movie “Argo.” He recently received two Primetime Emmys for his role as Norman Newlander in “The Kominsky Method,” where he co-starred with Michael Douglas.
“Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander took to Twitter to remember Arkin. The pair teamed up in Rob Reiner’s 1994 family comedy ‘North’. Alexander wrote, ‘I learned so much from watching him. And the laughter I got from his glorious work seems endless.
Natasha Lyonne, who co-starred with Arkin in “Slums of Beverly Hills,” wrote on Twitter, “Love this man so much. The favorite of all my movie dads.”
Michael McKean took to Twitter to share his long-standing ambition of Arkin. He wrote, “When I was a young actor, people wanted to know if I wanted to be a serious actor or a funny one. I would reply, “What kind is Alan Arkin?” and she kept that quiet… Charming, hilarious and armed with an impeccable bullshit detector, he was pure pleasure to be around. Rest in peace, Alan. No one better, ever.”
Patton Oswalt wrote on Twitter: “Did EVERYONE have the range that Alan Arkin had? Hilarious, sinister, insane, tragic. No mood he couldn’t live in.”
Comedian and actor Michael Rapaport recalled Arkin writing on Twitter, “He made acting look EASY and always seemed like he was having a ball.”
“Sopranos” star Michael Imperioli shared a message in memory of Arkin on Instagram, writing, “Arkin was a rare breed who had an unerring sense of truth that allowed him to go from the tragic to the hilarious in the blink of an eye with ease.”
Paul Reiser, who co-starred in “The Kominsky Method” with Arkin, took to Twitter to remember his old idol and friend. He wrote, “A world without Alan Arkin is… not so great. I’ve loved this man from the moment he hit the screen in ‘The Russians Are Coming’. (Whitaker Walt!) I was 8. Getting to know him – and making him laugh – is a highlight of my life.
Puppeteer and actor Frank Oz who appeared with Arkin on “The Muppet Show” shared a heartfelt message about his friend on Twitter, writing, “This one hurts… An extraordinary, indefinable talent and one-of-a-kind human-human.”