Remembering Alan Arkin: his most memorable roles and how to watch them

In some truly sad news, it was shared on June 30 that Alan Arkin has passed away. He was 89 years old. Arkin was a star of the screen and stage, winning both an Oscar and a Tony Award over the course of his 60-year career.

His sons released a statement to People that read: "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."

Following the news, the outpouring of love from Arkin’s colleagues and fans has come in through social media. Here are just of the some things being shared about the actor:

Of course, the best way to remember Arkin is going to be the movies and TV shows that he was in and we can watch to appreciate his pitch perfect dry wit. His most recent credit was doing voice work for Minions: The Rise of Gru, but these are our picks for some of the most memorable roles throughout his career. 

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966)

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming served as quite the big screen debut for Alan Arkin. Just a few years after winning a Tony Award, Arkin earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor as Lt. Rozanov, who must try and avoid causing an international incident when his Soviet Submarine crashes off the coast of New England during the height of the Cold War. With this movie, Arkin set the stage for what would be a long and successful career.

Watch The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming on Pluto TV and Tubi TV in the US, via digital on-demand in the UK.

Wait Until Dark (1967)

This classic crime thriller saw Arkin star opposite Audrey Hepburn. The premise of the movie is that a blind woman (Hepburn) is terrorized by a group of criminals looking for a stash of heroin in her apartment, until she learns she can turn the tables on them. Arkin plays the criminal mastermind in the movie and he is wickedly fiendish. It's a fun turn for the actor as most movie fans would come to love him more than we would loathe him like we did in this movie.

Watch Wait Until Dark via digital on-demand in the US and UK.

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1969)

Arkin also proved he could hit viewers right in the heart strings with his performance in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, where he plays man who is both deaf and mute who moves to a new town and quickly makes an impression on his new neighbors. Arkin would earn his second Oscar nomination for his performance, showing that he could give awards-worthy performances in both comedy and dramas.

Watch The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter via digital on-demand in the US and UK.

Catch-22 (1970)

Mike Nichols' adaptation of Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 is not an easy watch, as the story of World War Two soldier trying to be declared insane so he can stop flying missions in Italy purposefully messes with you to put yourself in a similar position to the main character, Yossarin. Thankfully, helping with all that is Arkin's performance as Yossarin. Even as we find ourselves scratching at what is real and what isn't for Yossarin, Arkin keeps it all grounded, ensuring that at the very least we don't lose the emotional thread of the story on what war can do to the psyche of soldiers.

Watch Catch-22 via digital on-demand in the US, Paramount Plus in the UK.

The In-Laws (1979)

Another great Arkin's comedy was The In-Laws, where he makes stars alongside Peter Falk. Arkin plays the mild-mannered father of the bride who meets the groom's father (Falk) for the first time just days before the wedding and discovers he is actually a CIA agent. Arkin's character then gets dragged along on a dangerous mission, something as a dentist he is woefully unprepared for. Arkin and Falk are fantastic together and we recommend that you watch the movie as soon as possible. If you need convincing, just try not to laugh at this scene from the movie. Serpentine!

Watch The In-Laws via digital on-demand in the US and UK.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

For many millennials, Edward Scissorhands may be the first time they saw Alan Arkin on screen, as he plays Bill, who along with Dianne Wiest's Peg welcomes Edward (Johnny Depp) into their family. Arkin isn't the main draw of the movie, but it is a whole lot of fun to see his dry delivery in this heightened world, especially when he is acting directly opposite of Depp.

Watch Edward Scissorhands on Max in the US, Disney Plus in the UK.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Arkin was one piece in the incredible ensemble that was 1992's Glengarry Glen Ross, alongside Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Jonathan Pryce and more. He plays George Aaronow, a struggling salesman who seems stuck in his ways, unwilling to try something new. Glengarry Glen Ross is one of the most famous plays written by David Mamet, who Arkin had a great amount of respect for, as evidenced by this quote:

Watch Glengarry Glen Ross for free on YouTube or on Peacock in the US and Sundance Now or Rakuten TV in the UK.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Little Miss Sunshine was an indie movie that made a massive splash, thanks in no small part to Alan Arkin. He plays the foul-mouthed, tough love grandfather of a family who has a soft spot for his granddaughter. This is the role that Arkin won his Oscar for, as Best Supporting Actor. It's a role that perfectly encapsulates some of Arkin's strongest talents, as he magnificently plays up the character's cantankerous qualities but never to a point where we don't like him.

Watch Little Miss Sunshine on Max in the US, Disney Plus in the UK.

Get Smart (2008)

This one is a bit more of a personal pick, as I find Arkin's performance as Chief in the 2008 movie adaptation of the classic Mel Brooks TV series Get Smart to be absolutely hysterical. I would not put Get Smart up there among the best movies that Arkin has ever done, but he has pitch perfect delivery as more of the straight man to Steve Carell's wacky Maxwell Smart and I will never not find this scene funny.

Watch Get Smart for free on YouTube in the US, rent on digital on-demand in the UK.

Argo (2012)

The fourth and final Oscar nomination of Arkin's career came in Argo, where he plays a Hollywood producer who aids in the CIA's plan to create a fake movie to get hostages out of Iran in 1979. A lot of Arkin's role is for comedic relief, as he bemoans where his career is but still wants to show he has influence in the town, but there are a number of more heartfelt moments from his Lester Siegel that makes it no wonder why he was up for another Oscar.

Watch Argo on Tubi or Max in the US, rent on digital on-demand in the UK.

The Kominsky Method (2018-2021)

One of Arkin's most prominent final roles was in the Netflix original series The Kominsky Method. He starred alongside Michael Douglas, who played an aging actor who now works as an acting coach; Arkin played Douglas' agent and friend, Norman Newlander. Arkin showed in this series that he was still on the top of his game, as he received two Emmy nominations for his performance throughout the series' run.

Watch The Kominsky Method on Netflix.