The actor died on Friday at the age of 89, his sons confirmed to PEOPLE
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Little Miss Sun actress Abigail Breslin says goodbye to a ray of light in her life.
Breslin, 27, is mourning the loss of his on-screen grandfather, Alan Arkin, who died Thursday at the age of 89. The actress starred alongside Arkin in the 2006 comedy-drama Little Miss Sun and it has always held a place in her heart.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Breskin remembered Arkin after his death. “Alan Arkin was one of the nicest, sweetest, most hilarious actors I’ve ever worked with,” Breslin said. “We may not have bonded in real life, but he will always be a grandfather in my heart. wife Suzanne and her family.
The Kominsky method The actor’s death was confirmed to PEOPLE exclusively by his sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony, who issued a joint statement on behalf of the family. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and as a man. A loving husband, father, great and great-grandfather, he was adored and we will be deeply missed,” they said.
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Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic; Michael Tullberg/Getty
Related: Alan Arkin, Oscar-Winning ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ Actor, Dead at 89 (Exclusive)
Arkin only had 14 minutes of screen time in the hit film with Breslin, but both received Oscar nominations for their roles. The writer and director won his first and only Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the film, proving that it didn’t take long to leave an impression with his acting skills.
More recently, Arkin starred in The Kominsky method for Netflix alongside Michael Douglas, earning Emmy Award nominations in 2019 and 2020, and Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations in 2020 and 2021. Little Miss SunArkin played Edwin Hoover, the dysfunctional family’s grandfather.
Arkin’s memorable turn in the 2012 Ben Affleck-directed political drama Argo earned him his fourth Oscar nomination. He played veteran film producer Lester Siegel, whose sharp sense of humor and biting line won over audiences. “He was an amazing human being and a friend and mentor that we will love, miss and always remember,” Affleck shared on his studio Artists Equity’s Instagram page.
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Related: Michael Douglas, John Cusack, More Honor Alan Arkin After His Death: He ‘Leaved an Indelible Mark’
Born in Brooklyn, New York on March 26, 1934, Arkin’s family moved to Los Angeles during his childhood. That’s “why I don’t live there anymore,” Arkin told PEOPLE in 1979 from his home in Chappaqua, New York.
After graduating from high school, Arkin attended several different colleges and dropped out of at least three, including Bennington College in Vermont, which lists him as an alumnus of the Class of 1955.
“They could have kicked me out,” Arkin told PEOPLE of his college experience in a 1979 story about him and his second wife, actress Barbara Dana. “I do not remember.”
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After leaving college, Arkin embarked on a brief musical career with a folk group called the Tarriers, where he sang and played guitar. The short-lived band produced the hit single “The Banana Boat Song” in 1957.
But Arkin, who started taking acting lessons as a child, left the band and set about trying to establish himself as an actor. In 1960, Arkin arrived in Chicago and became one of the first members of the Second City improv comedy troupe, according to a history on the organization’s website.
“Second City saved my life. It literally saved my life,” Arkin said. “I have a feeling that’s true for a lot of other people too.”
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Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media
After his stay in Chicago, Arkin made his Broadway debut in 1961 in From the second city. He followed with a Tony-winning performance in 1963 Enter laughing, propelling him to stardom.
Over the next 50 years, Arkin appeared in over 100 movies and films, including films like The heart is a lonely hunter (1968), which earned him his second Oscar nomination; Catch-22 (1970); Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).
Arkin is survived by his wife Suzanne Newlander, whom he married in 1996, and three children: sons Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin, whom he shared with his first wife Jeremy Yaffe, and Anthony Dana Arkin, whom he shared with his second wife Dana.
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Read the original article on People.