1. Overview
Alan Wolf Arkin (March 26, 1934 - June 29, 2023) was an American actor, filmmaker, and musician whose career spanned seven decades. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and passed away at his home in San Marcos, California, at the age of 89 due to heart problems.
Arkin was a versatile artist, known for his work in film, television, and theater. He began his career as a singer and guitarist in folk groups like The Tarriers and The Baby Sitters, achieving musical success with hits such as "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)". He was an early member of The Second City comedy troupe before making his Broadway debut in 1961. His stage performance in Enter Laughing (1963) earned him a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
His extensive acting career included critically acclaimed roles in films such as The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968), Catch-22 (1970), The In-Laws (1979), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), and Argo (2012). Arkin received four Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as Edwin Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine (2006). He also directed three films, including Little Murders (1971) and Fire Sale (1977), and authored several books, including children's stories and memoirs.
2. Early life and education
Alan Wolf Arkin was born in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, on March 26, 1934. His father, David I. Arkin (1906-1980), was a teacher, painter, writer, and lyricist, notably co-writing the hit song "Black and White". His mother, Beatrice (née Wortis) (1909-1991), was also a teacher. The family resided in Crown Heights. Arkin was raised in a Jewish family, though he noted there was "no emphasis on religion". His grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, and Germany.
When Arkin was 11 years old, his family relocated to Los Angeles. However, an eight-month strike in Hollywood led to his father losing his job as a set designer. During the Second Red Scare in the 1950s, Arkin's parents were accused of being Communists. His father was fired from his job after he refused to answer questions about his political ideology. David Arkin challenged his dismissal, but he was only vindicated posthumously.
Arkin began taking acting lessons at the age of 10. He later became a scholarship student at various drama academies, including one led by Stanislavsky student Benjamin Zemach, who taught Arkin a psychological approach to acting. He attended Los Angeles State College from 1951 to 1953 and also pursued studies at Bennington College.
3. Career
Alan Arkin's career encompassed a wide range of artistic endeavors, from music and acting to directing and writing, spanning over seven decades.
3.1. Musical career
Arkin began his career in the 1950s as a musician. He formed the folk group The Tarriers with Erik Darling and Bob Carey, where he served as a singer and guitarist. The group achieved two notable hits in 1956-1957: "Cindy, Oh Cindy" and "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)". The latter was a reworking of a traditional Jamaican calypso folk song, combined with another tune titled "Hill and Gully Rider". "The Banana Boat Song" reached number four on the Billboard magazine chart in the same year that Harry Belafonte's more widely known version was released. The Tarriers also appeared in the 1957 musical film Calypso Heat Wave, performing "Banana Boat Song" and "Choucoune".
From 1958 to 1968, Arkin continued his musical pursuits as a performer and recording artist with the children's folk group The Baby Sitters. Beyond folk music, he also performed the role of Dr. Pangloss in a concert staging of Leonard Bernstein's operetta Candide, sharing the stage with Madeline Kahn as Cunegonde. In 1985, he contributed vocals to two selections by Jones and Schmidt for Ben Bagley's album Contemporary Broadway Revisited.
3.2. Acting career
Arkin's acting career was extensive and varied, encompassing significant roles across stage, film, and television from the mid-1950s until his death in 2023.
3.2.1. Early career and stage (1956-1969)
Arkin was an early member of The Second City comedy troupe in the 1960s, a formative experience that honed his comedic and improvisational skills. His feature film acting debut was a small, uncredited role as a Tarriers lead singer in the 1957 musical Calypso Heat Wave. In the early 1960s, he made television appearances in episodes of East Side/West Side (1964) and ABC Stage 67 (1966).
His Broadway debut came in 1961 as a performer in From the Second City at the Royale Theatre. In 1963, Arkin starred on Broadway as David Kolowitz in Joseph Stein's comedic play Enter Laughing. His performance was highly praised by critic Howard Taubman of The New York Times, who described it as "a choice specimen of a shrewd actor ribbing his profession." For this role, Arkin received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play and a Theatre World Award. The following year, he returned to Broadway, starring as Harry Berlin in Luv, directed by Mike Nichols, opposite Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson.
In 1966, Arkin starred in Norman Jewison's comedy film The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, alongside Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint. Robert Alden of The New York Times lauded Arkin's performance as his "first full-length film appearance and a particularly wonderful performance." This role earned Arkin an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination, a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles nomination, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The subsequent year, he appeared in Vittorio De Sica's sex comedy Woman Times Seven with Shirley MacLaine and in Terence Young's psychological thriller Wait Until Dark, starring Audrey Hepburn, where he played the menacing Harry Roat.
In 1968, Arkin took on the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in Inspector Clouseau, the third installment of The Pink Panther franchise, following Peter Sellers' departure from the role. While the film received mixed reviews from critics and Sellers' fans, Penelope Gilliatt of The New Yorker noted it as "an incredibly bad film, but Alan Arkin is sometimes very funny in it, especially when he doesn't try to be." That same year, he co-starred with Sondra Locke in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, portraying a suicidal deaf mute. For this dramatic performance, he received another Academy Award for Best Actor nomination, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama nomination, and won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor. In 1969, he starred in Arthur Hiller's comedy Popi opposite Rita Moreno, playing Abraham Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican widower raising his two young sons in Spanish Harlem, which earned him another Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama nomination. He also made a cameo appearance in The Monitors (1969).
3.2.2. Film and television roles (1970-1985)
In 1970, Arkin starred as Captain John Yossarian in the Mike Nichols film Catch-22, a satirical black comedy war film adapted from Joseph Heller's 1961 novel. He co-starred with an ensemble cast including Bob Balaban, Martin Balsam, Buck Henry, Bob Newhart, Austin Pendleton, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, and Orson Welles. For his performance, Arkin received a Laurel Award nomination. During the 1970-1971 season, Arkin and his second wife, Barbara Dana, appeared together on Sesame Street as Larry and Phyllis, a comical couple who resolved their conflicts by remembering to "cooperate".
Throughout the 1970s, Arkin appeared in a variety of films, including the Vernon Zimmerman road comedy Deadhead Miles (1972), Gene Saks' adaptation of Neil Simon's play Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1972) with Sally Kellerman and Paula Prentiss, the black comedy action film Freebie and the Bean (1974), the dramedy Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975) with Kellerman and Mackenzie Phillips, the western comedy Hearts of the West (1975), and the British mystery The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), in which he portrayed Sigmund Freud. He also starred in the television films The Other Side of Hell (1978) and The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1978), where he played Simas Kudirka.
In 1979, Arkin starred in and co-produced the buddy comedy film The In-Laws, directed by Arthur Hiller and written by Andrew Bergman, co-starring Peter Falk. He also appeared in The Magician of Lublin (1979). In 1980, Arkin starred in the Marshall Brickman comedy Simon, which earned him a Saturn Award nomination. The following year, he appeared in three more comedy films: Improper Channels, for which he won the Genie Award for Best Foreign Actor; Chu Chu and the Philly Flash opposite Carol Burnett; and Full Moon High. In 1982, he provided the voice for the magician Schmendrick in the cult animated film The Last Unicorn. He also starred as the titular character in The Return of Captain Invincible (1983).
During the 1980s, Arkin frequently appeared in various television programs, including The Muppet Show (1980) and St. Elsewhere (1983). In 1985, he starred in the television film The Fourth Wise Man alongside Martin Sheen and Eileen Brennan. He won Best Supporting Actor at the Genie Awards for his role as Reuben Shapiro in the 1985 film adaptation of Mordecai Richler's semi-autobiographical novel Joshua Then and Now. He also appeared in the films Bad Medicine (1985) and Big Trouble (1986).
3.2.3. Continued film and television work (1986-2001)
In 1987, Arkin appeared in the sitcom Harry, which was canceled after four low-rated episodes. More significantly, in the same year, he starred in the television film Escape from Sobibor, portraying Leon Felhendler. This film depicted the mass escape from the Nazi extermination camp at Sobibor. For his performance, Arkin received nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film. He also appeared in the television film Necessary Parties (1988).
In 1990, Arkin took on a supporting role as Bill Boggs in Tim Burton's fantasy romance Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. He also appeared in the live-action Disney film The Rocketeer (1991) as A. "Peevy" Peabody, starring Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connelly. In 1992, he featured in the film adaptation of the David Mamet play Glengarry Glen Ross, alongside Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, and Kevin Spacey.
The mid-1990s saw Arkin in several comedies, including Indian Summer and So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), where he had an uncredited role as the Police Captain. He also featured in the Rob Reiner film North. In 1995, he appeared in The Jerky Boys: The Movie and Steal Big Steal Little. He also had a role in the miniseries Picture Windows (1995).
In 1996, Arkin appeared in the film adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut novel Mother Night, starring Nick Nolte, Sheryl Lee, John Goodman, and Kirsten Dunst. The following year, he featured in the comedy Grosse Pointe Blank starring John Cusack and the dystopian science fiction film Gattaca with Ethan Hawke. He also appeared in Four Days in September (1997), portraying Charles Burke Elbrick. In 1998, he starred in the lead role of Murray Samuel Abromowitz in Tamara Jenkins' comedy Slums of Beverly Hills with Natasha Lyonne. In 1999, he played Max Frankfurter in Jakob the Liar. He also appeared in the television film Blood Money (1999).
In the early 2000s, Arkin continued his prolific acting career. He starred in the direct-to-video film Magicians (2000) and the television film Varian's War (2001). From 2001 to 2002, he was a regular cast member in the television series 100 Centre Street, playing Joe Rifkind.
3.2.4. Later career and notable roles (2001-2023)
In 2001, Arkin appeared in the comedy America's Sweethearts, which featured John Cusack, Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. He also starred as Gene in the Jill Sprecher drama Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, alongside Matthew McConaughey, John Turturro, and Clea DuVall. For this performance, he received the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.
In 2003, Arkin starred in the television film The Pentagon Papers with James Spader and Paul Giamatti, earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nomination. That same year, he appeared in another television film, And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself, with Antonio Banderas. In 2004, he was in Eros (specifically the segment Equilibrium) and Noel. In 2005, he appeared as Marty Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace in the episode "It's a Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad World".
In 2006, Arkin delivered one of his most acclaimed performances in the ensemble comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine, where he played Edwin Hoover, a foul-mouthed grandfather. His portrayal earned him the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male, the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. At 72 years old, he was the sixth oldest winner of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Upon receiving his Academy Award on February 25, 2007, Arkin expressed: "More than anything, I'm deeply moved by the open-hearted appreciation our small film has received, which in these fragmented times speaks so openly of the possibility of innocence, growth, and connection."
Between 2006 and 2007, Arkin also took on supporting roles in Firewall (2006), The Novice (2006), The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) as Bud Newman, Raising Flagg (2006), and Rendition (2007) as U.S. Senator Hawkins. In 2008, he appeared in the comedy films Sunshine Cleaning with Emily Blunt and Amy Adams, Get Smart with Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, and Dwayne Johnson, and Marley & Me starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. The following year, he featured in Rebecca Miller's The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009) and Raymond De Felitta's City Island (2009).
In 2011, Arkin appeared in Thin Ice, The Change-Up, and made a cameo as a tour guide in The Muppets. In 2012, he had a significant supporting role as Hollywood producer Lester Siegel in Ben Affleck's drama Argo, co-starring with Affleck, John Goodman, and Bryan Cranston. This performance earned him his fourth Academy Award nomination, his second for Best Supporting Actor, though he lost to Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained. He also received nominations for the Golden Globe Award, the BAFTA Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award. However, he did win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture as part of the ensemble cast. That same year, he appeared in the crime drama Stand Up Guys, opposite Al Pacino and Christopher Walken.
The following years saw Arkin in more comedic and dramatic roles, including The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) with Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, and Jim Carrey, In Security (2013), and Grudge Match (2013) with Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, and Kim Basinger. He continued to act in supporting roles in films such as the sports drama Million Dollar Arm (2014) with Jon Hamm and the Christmas comedy Love the Coopers (2015).
From 2015 to 2016, Arkin voiced J. D. Salinger in the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman. In 2017, he appeared in the television series Get Shorty. From 2018 to 2019, he starred opposite Michael Douglas in the Netflix comedy series The Kominsky Method, playing Norman Newlander. For this role, he received two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nominations, two Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film nominations, and several Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
During this period, Arkin was also cast in the comedy Going in Style (2017) with Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, and Tim Burton's Dumbo (2019) as J. Griffin Remington.
Arkin's final two film-acting roles were in 2020 and 2022. He starred alongside Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke as Henry Cimoli in the 2020 Netflix film Spenser Confidential. His final performance was voicing the character Wild Knuckles in the Universal animated film Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), which achieved critical and commercial success. In September 2022, Arkin had also joined the cast of the independent heist thriller The Smack, which was in pre-production at the time of his death and is slated for a posthumous release in 2024.
3.3. Directing career
Arkin extended his artistic talents to directing, helming several notable films and stage productions. His directorial debut was the 1969 Oscar-nominated 12-minute children's film titled People Soup. This short film starred his sons, Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin, and was based on a story of the same name that Arkin had published in Galaxy Science Fiction in 1958. People Soup is a fantasy about two boys who experiment with various kitchen ingredients until they concoct a magical soup that transforms them into different animals and objects.
He directed the black comedy film Little Murders, released in 1971, which later achieved cult classic status. Written by cartoonist Jules Feiffer, the film stars Elliott Gould and Marcia Rodd and centers on a girl, Patsy (Rodd), who brings her boyfriend Alfred (Gould) home to meet her dysfunctional family amidst a backdrop of random shootings, garbage strikes, and electrical outages in their neighborhood. While the film initially opened to a lukewarm review by Roger Greenspun in The New York Times, it received a more positive reception from Vincent Canby in the same publication, and an enthusiastic review from Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times. Ebert stated that the film "works and is indeed a definitive reflection of America's darker moods."
In theater, Arkin directed the Broadway production of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys in 1973. For his work on this play, he received a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play nomination. He also directed Molly (1973) on Broadway and Hail Scrawdyke! (1966) on Broadway. Arkin's other directorial film credits include the comedy Fire Sale (1977), in which he also acted. In the late 1990s, he directed and co-wrote Power Plays (1998), which was performed in Seattle and at the Manhattan Theater Club in New York. His later directing work included Samuel Beckett Is Coming Soon (1993) and Arigo (2000), as well as the Broadway production of Taller Than a Dwarf (2000).
4. Personal life
Alan Arkin was married three times throughout his life, with his first two marriages ending in divorce.
His first marriage was to Jeremy Yaffe. Together, they had two sons: Adam Arkin, born on August 19, 1956, and Matthew Arkin, born on March 21, 1960.
His second marriage was to actress and screenwriter Barbara Dana, from 1964 to 1994. Barbara Dana appeared with him in segments of Sesame Street in the 1970s. During their marriage, they resided in Chappaqua, New York. They had one son, Anthony ("Tony"), born in 1967.
In 1996, two years after his divorce from Barbara Dana, Arkin married psychotherapist Dr. Suzanne Newlander. He later paid homage to his wife by adopting her surname for his character, Norman Newlander, in the Netflix series The Kominsky Method.
Beginning in the late 1990s, Arkin and Suzanne maintained a seasonal home on Cape Breton Island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Arkin expressed a deep connection to the area, stating that he "felt an energy in Cape Breton that [he] never felt anywhere in the world." This connection was so strong that in 2019, he recorded his vocal performance for the character Wild Knuckles in Minions: The Rise of Gru at a recording studio located in Point Aconi, near his home.
5. Death
Alan Arkin died at his home in San Marcos, California, on June 29, 2023, at the age of 89. His death was attributed to heart problems, a condition he had a history of.
6. Awards and nominations
Throughout his distinguished career, Alan Arkin received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award. He was also nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards.
His significant awards and nominations include:
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play**: Won in 1963 for his performance in Enter Laughing.
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy**: Won in 1966 for The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming.
- Academy Award for Best Actor nomination**: Received in 1967 for The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming.
- BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles nomination**: Received in 1967 for The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming.
- New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor**: Won in 1968 for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.
- Academy Award for Best Actor nomination**: Received in 1969 for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama nomination**: Received in 1969 for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and in 1970 for Popi.
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play nomination**: Received in 1973 for directing The Sunshine Boys.
- Genie Award for Best Foreign Actor**: Won in 1981 for Improper Channels.
- Saturn Award nomination**: Received in 1981 for Simon.
- Genie Award for Best Supporting Actor**: Won in 1985 for Joshua Then and Now.
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nomination**: Received in 1988 for Escape from Sobibor.
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film nomination**: Received in 1988 for Escape from Sobibor.
- Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor**: Won in 2001 for Thirteen Conversations About One Thing.
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male nomination**: Received in 2002 for Thirteen Conversations About One Thing.
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nomination**: Received in 2003 for The Pentagon Papers.
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male**: Won in 2007 for Little Miss Sunshine.
- BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role**: Won in 2007 for Little Miss Sunshine.
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor**: Won in 2007 for Little Miss Sunshine.
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture**: Won in 2007 for Little Miss Sunshine and in 2013 for Argo.
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination**: Received in 2013 for Argo.
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture nomination**: Received in 2013 for Argo.
- BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination**: Received in 2013 for Argo.
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role nomination**: Received in 2013 for Argo.
- Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence**: Received in 2014 at the San Diego Film Festival to honor his life's work.
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nomination**: Received in 2019 and 2020 for The Kominsky Method.
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film nomination**: Received in 2019 and 2020 for The Kominsky Method.
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series nomination**: Received in 2019 and 2020 for The Kominsky Method.
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series nomination**: Received in 2019 and 2020 for The Kominsky Method.
7. Writings
Alan Arkin was also a prolific author, having written several books, including children's stories and memoirs. His published works include:
- Tony's Hard Work Day (illustrated by James Stevenson, 1972)
- The Lemming Condition (illustrated by Joan Sandin, 1976)
- Halfway Through the Door: An Actor's Journey Toward Self (1979), a memoir.
- The Clearing (1986), a continuation of The Lemming Condition.
- An Improvised Life (2011), a memoir.
- Out of My Mind (2018), his second memoir.
He also published the short story "People Soup" in Galaxy Science Fiction in 1958, which he later adapted into his Oscar-nominated short film.
8. Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Calypso Heat Wave | Tarriers lead singer | Uncredited |
| 1963 | That's Me | Short film; also writer | |
| 1966 | The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming | Lt. Rozanov | |
| The Last Mohican | Mr. Ableman | Short film; also writer | |
| 1967 | Woman Times Seven | Fred | Segment: The Suicides |
| Wait Until Dark | Roat / Harry Roat Jr. / Harry Roat Sr. | ||
| 1968 | Inspector Clouseau | Inspector Jacques Clouseau | |
| The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter | John Singer | ||
| 1969 | Popi | Abraham Rodriguez | |
| The Monitors | Garbage man in commercial | Cameo | |
| People Soup | Adam | Short film; also writer and director | |
| 1970 | Catch-22 | Capt. John Yossarian | |
| 1971 | Little Murders | Lt. Miles Practice | Also director |
| 1972 | Deadhead Miles | Cooper | |
| Last of the Red Hot Lovers | Barney Cashman | ||
| 1974 | Freebie and the Bean | Det. Sgt. Dan "Bean" Delgado | |
| 1975 | Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins | Gunny Rafferty | Aka Rafferty and the Highway Hustlers |
| Hearts of the West | Burt Kessler | ||
| 1976 | The Seven-Per-Cent Solution | Sigmund Freud | |
| 1977 | Fire Sale | Ezra Fikus | Also director |
| 1979 | The In-Laws | Sheldon S. Kornpett, D.D.S. | Also executive producer |
| The Magician of Lublin | Yasha Mazur | ||
| 1980 | Simon | Prof. Simon Mendelssohn | |
| 1981 | Improper Channels | Jeffrey Martley | |
| Chu Chu and the Philly Flash | Flash | ||
| Full Moon High | Dr. Brand | ||
| 1982 | The Last Unicorn | Schmendrick | Voice |
| 1983 | The Return of Captain Invincible | Captain Invincible | |
| 1985 | Joshua Then and Now | Reuben Shapiro | |
| Bad Medicine | Dr. Ramón Madera | ||
| 1986 | Big Trouble | Leonard Hoffman | |
| 1990 | Coupe de Ville | Fred Libner | |
| Edward Scissorhands | Bill Boggs | ||
| Havana | Joe Volpi | ||
| 1991 | The Rocketeer | A. "Peevy" Peabody | |
| 1992 | Glengarry Glen Ross | George Aaronow | |
| 1993 | Indian Summer | Unca Lou Handler | Aka Indian Summer: The Reunion |
| So I Married an Axe Murderer | Police Captain | Uncredited | |
| Samuel Beckett Is Coming Soon | The Director | Short film; also director | |
| 1994 | North | Judge Buckle | |
| 1995 | Picture Windows | Tully | Segment: Soir Bleu |
| The Jerky Boys: The Movie | Ernie Lazarro | ||
| Steal Big Steal Little | Lou Perilli | ||
| 1996 | Heck's Way Home | Dogcatcher | |
| Mother Night | George Kraft | ||
| 1997 | Grosse Pointe Blank | Dr. Oatman | |
| Four Days in September | Charles Burke Elbrick | ||
| Gattaca | Det. Hugo | ||
| 1998 | Slums of Beverly Hills | Murray Samuel Abromowitz | |
| 1999 | Jakob the Liar | Max Frankfurter | |
| 2000 | Magicians | Milo | Direct-to-video |
| 2001 | America's Sweethearts | Wellness Guide | |
| Thirteen Conversations About One Thing | Gene | ||
| 2004 | Eros | Dr. Pearl / Hal | Segment: Equilibrium |
| Noel | Artie Venizelos | ||
| 2006 | Little Miss Sunshine | Edwin Hoover | Credited as Grandpa |
| Firewall | Arlin Forester | ||
| The Novice | Father Benkhe | ||
| The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause | Bud Newman | ||
| Raising Flagg | Flagg Purdy | ||
| 2007 | Rendition | Senator Hawkins | |
| 2008 | Sunshine Cleaning | Joe Lorkowski | |
| Get Smart | The Chief | ||
| Marley & Me | Arnie Klein | ||
| 2009 | The Private Lives of Pippa Lee | Herb Lee | |
| City Island | Michael Malakov | ||
| 2011 | Thin Ice | Gorvy Hauer | |
| The Change-Up | Mitchell Planko Sr. | ||
| The Muppets | Tour Guide | Cameo | |
| 2012 | Argo | Lester Siegel | |
| Stand Up Guys | Richard Hirsch | ||
| 2013 | The Incredible Burt Wonderstone | Rance Holloway | |
| In Security | Officer Riggs | ||
| Grudge Match | Louis "Lightning" Conlon | ||
| 2014 | Million Dollar Arm | Ray Poitevint | |
| 2015 | Love the Coopers | Bucky | |
| 2017 | Going in Style | Albert Garner | |
| 2019 | Dumbo | J. Griffin Remington | |
| 2020 | Spenser Confidential | Henry Cimoli | |
| 2022 | Minions: The Rise of Gru | Wild Knuckles | Voice |
| 2024 | The Smack | Smack | Posthumous release |
9. Television appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | East Side/West Side | Ted Miller | Episode: "The Beatnik and the Politician" |
| 1966 | ABC Stage 67 | Barney Kempinski | Episode: "The Love Song of Barney Kempinski" |
| 1970-1971 | Sesame Street | Larry | 4 episodes, with then-wife Barbara Dana as Larry's wife Phyllis |
| 1978 | The Other Side of Hell | Frank Dole | Television film |
| The Defection of Simas Kudirka | Simas Kudirka | Television film | |
| 1979 | Carol Burnett & Company | Himself | Episode #1.2 |
| 1980 | The Muppet Show | Himself | Episode: "Alan Arkin" |
| 1983 | St. Elsewhere | Jerry Singleton | 3 episodes |
| 1984 | American Playhouse | Flagg Purdy | Episode: "A Matter of Principle" |
| 1985 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Bo | Episode: "The Emperor's New Clothes" |
| The Fourth Wise Man | Orontes | Television film | |
| 1986 | A Deadly Business | Harold Kaufman | Television film |
| 1987 | Harry | Harry Porschak | 7 episodes |
| Escape from Sobibor | Leon Feldhendler | Television film | |
| 1988 | Necessary Parties | Archie Corelli | Television film |
| 1993 | Cooperstown | Harry Willette | Television film |
| Taking the Heat | Tommy Canard | Television film | |
| 1994 | Doomsday Gun | Col. Yossi | Television film |
| 1995 | Picture Windows | Tully | Miniseries |
| 1997 | Chicago Hope | Zoltan Karpathein | Episode: "The Son Also Rises" |
| 1999 | Blood Money | Willy "The Hammer" Canzaro | Television film |
| 2001 | Varian's War | Bill Freier | Television film |
| 2001-2002 | 100 Centre Street | Joe Rifkind | 10 episodes |
| 2003 | The Pentagon Papers | Harry Rowen | Television film |
| And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself | Sam Drebben | Television film | |
| 2005 | Will & Grace | Marty Adler | Episode: "It's a Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad World" |
| 2015-2016 | BoJack Horseman | J. D. Salinger | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Get Shorty | Eugene | Episode: "The Yips" |
| 2018-2019 | The Kominsky Method | Norman Newlander | 16 episodes |
10. Theater appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | From the Second City | Performer | Royale Theatre, Broadway |
| 1963 | Enter Laughing | Performer - David Kolowitz | Henry Miller's Theatre, Broadway |
| 1964 | Luv | Performer - Harry Berlin | Booth Theatre, Broadway |
| 1966 | Hail Scrawdyke! | Director | Booth Theatre, Broadway |
| 1972 | The Sunshine Boys | Director | Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway |
| 1973 | Molly | Director | Alvin Theatre, Broadway |
| 1998 | Power Plays | Director/Co-Writer/Performer | Seattle (from March 12) |
| 2000 | Taller Than a Dwarf | Director | Longacre Theatre, Broadway |