Little Miss Sunshine star Alan Arkin has died at the age of 89, his family has confirmed.
In a statement made to People, Arkin's 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.”
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Arkin shot to fame in movies in the late 1960s, though he had been a successful stage actor before then, winning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in 1963.
For his performance in Little Miss Sunshine in 2006, he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and then BAFTA for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Arkin started out with great success on the boards, working as both an actor and a director, before he shot to stardom with 1966 film The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming.
He followed that up with successes like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Popi, Catch-22, and The In-Laws.
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In later decades, he starred in films like Glengarry Glen Ross, Gross Pointe-Blank and Thirteen Conversations about One Thing.
Then, in 2006 he achieved one of his highest accolades with a stand-out performance in Little Miss Sunshine, directed by husband and wife Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
Arkin played Edwin Hoover, the grandfather and teacher of the eponymous young beauty pageant contestant.
His performance captured the imaginations of critics and audiences alike, earning him a number of nominations during that awards season, including Best Supporting Actor nods at the BAFTAs, and at the Academy Awards.
He won at the both.
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In his career, he was nominated for four Oscars, receiving his last nod in 2013 for Argo, as well as three BAFTAs, six Emmys, six Golden Globes - winning one - and countless other awards including Screen Actors Guild awards, Tony Awards, and critics selections.
He also had a lengthy career as an author, penning books from 1972 until 2018, and was a successful singer.
In the 1950s, Arkin had performed with chart-topping band The Tarriers, as well as performing with children’s folk group The Baby Sitters.
Arkin was married on three occasions, divorcing twice, and had three sons.
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He married psychotherapist Suzanne Newlander in 1996, and lived with her in Carlsbad, California, until his death.
His last documented performance was as a voice actor in Minions: The Rise of Gru in 2022.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity
Tom Wood