Alan Arkin made his debut in the 1957 American drama musical film ‘Calypso Heat Wave’ directed by Fred F. Sears. In 1966, he starred as ‘Lt. Rozanov’ in the American comedy film ‘The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming’ directed by Norman Jewison. The film received a positive response from critics. Arkin also became a recipient of the ‘Golden Globe Award’ along with an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the film. He next appeared in films like ‘Woman Times Seven’ (1967), ‘Wait Until Dark’ (1967), and ‘Inspector Clouseau’ (1968). He received the ‘Academy Award’ and ‘Golden Globe Award’ nominations for his portrayal of John Singer in the 1968 American film ‘The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter’ directed by Robert Ellis Miller. In 1969, he played the role of ‘Abraham Rodriguez’ in the Arthur Hiller-directed American comedy-drama film ‘Popi.’ The film received positive reviews from critics. He continued to star in films like ‘Catch-22’ (1970), ‘Little Murders’ (1971), ‘Deadhead Miles’ (1972), ‘Freebie and the Bean’ (1974), ‘Hearts of the West’ (1975), ‘The Seven-Per-Cent Solution’ (1976), ‘Fire Sale’ (1977), ‘The In-Laws’ (1979), ‘Simon’ (1980), ‘Improper Channels’ (1981), ‘Chu Chu and the Philly Flash’ (1981), ‘The Last Unicorn’ (1982), ‘The Return of Captain Invincible’ (1983), ‘Joshua Then and Now’ (1985), ‘Big Trouble’ (1986), and ‘Escape from Sobibor’ (1987).Â
In 1990, he starred as ‘Bill Boggs’ in the American fantasy romance film ‘Edward Scissorhands’ directed by Tim Burton. The film garnered praise from critics and grossed over $86 million on a budget of $20 million. That same year, he also appeared in the American drama film ‘Havana’ where he played the role of ‘Joe Volpi.’ The film was largely panned by critics and received a 28% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. He next starred in films like ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ (1992), ‘Indian Summer’ (1993), ‘North’ (1994), ‘Picture Windows’ (1995), ‘Steal Big Steal Little’ (1995), ‘Mother Night’ (1996), ‘Four Days in September’ (1997), ‘Gattaca’ (1997), ‘Slums of Beverly Hills’ (1998), ‘Jakob the Liar’ (1999), ‘Thirteen Conversations About One Thing’ (2001), ‘Eros’ (2004), and ‘Noel’ (2004). He next played the role of ‘Edwin Hoover’ in the 2006 American black comedy road film ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The film saw wide acclaim upon release and was a major box office success, grossing over $101 million on a budget of $8 million. Arkin also received several awards, including the Academy Award and BAFTA Award, for his performance in the film.Â
He went on to star in films like ‘Rendition’ (2007), ‘Sunshine Cleaning’ (2008), ‘Get Smart’ (2008), ‘The Private Lives of Pippa Lee’ (2009), ‘The Change-Up’ (2011), ‘Argo’ (2012), ‘Stand Up Guys’ (2012), ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’ (2013), Million Dollar Arm’ (2014), ‘Love the Coopers’ (2015), ‘Going in Style’ (2017), and ‘Dumbo’ (2019). He was last seen in the 2020 American action comedy film ‘Spenser Confidential’ directed by Peter Berg. The film was released on Netflix and received mixed reviews from critics.
