Alan Arkin: creativity and life

Alan Arkin, whose biography is connected with the cinema, is not only an American actor, winner of several awards of the American Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, but also a director, producer, writer, singer and composer.

Parents

He was born on March 26, 1934 in Brooklyn, in the family of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Germany. In 1946, they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, California. His father, David Arkin, worked as a teacher and was fired for refusing to answer a question about his political affiliation. This was in the 50s of the twentieth century, when the atmosphere of fear of the communist threat reigned in the United States. David was listed in black lists of suspected sympathizers for communism. Alan's mother - Beatrice Arkin worked as a teacher and shared her husband's views.

Youth

Alan Arkin in his youth was fond of music and acting, he was engaged in theatrical circles from 10 years. He graduated from Franklin High School, studied at the Los Angeles City College in 1951-1953, and at Bennington College in Vermont from 1953 to 1954. While studying, he sang in a folk group, attended a theater studio. Arkin left college when he created the folk band The Tarriers, in which he was a soloist and guitar player. He co-wrote the hit "The Banana Boat Song" (1956), which took 4th place in the Billboard charts. At that time, Arkin was trying to earn a game, embodying episodic roles on television and in the theater. But money for a living brought him work as a courier, a dishwasher and a babysitter. From 1958 to 1968 he worked with the children's folk group The Babysitters.

Theatrical creativity

In 1958, Arkin began his stage career, working in New York. The following year he joined the troupe of the Compass Theater from St. Louis. There he was noticed by the director Bob Sills from the Chicago theater "Second City". Moving to Chicago, Alan honed the skills of stage skills and became one of the leading actors of the troupe. In 1961, Arkin debuted on Broadway in the musical "From the Second City", for which he wrote the lyrics. In 1963, he starred in the comedy "Coming Out with Laughter", for which he received the Tony Award.

Directing

In 1966, Alan Arkin, whose photo is known to many amateurs of American theater and cinema, tried to apply himself as a director in the play "A?", In which young actor Dustin Hoffman debuted . And in 1969 he won the theater prize "Drama Desc" for directing in the play "Little Murders". The second prize "Drama Desc" was not long in coming. He received it in 1970 for the play "The Case of Murder in the White House." Alan was the director of the play "Sunny Boys", which represented more than 500 times!

The most famous works

Alan Arkin, whose filmography is really impressive today, was nominated for an Oscar for his sensational acting debut in the comedy "The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! "(1966). In the film, he played Lieutenant Rozanov, a Soviet submariner, mistakenly mistaken for a spy, when his submarine landed somewhere in New England.

Arkin demonstrated his dramatic talent as a psychopathic killer in the film "Wait for Darkness" (1967).

For the role of deaf-mute in the "Heart of a lone hunter" he receives the second nomination for an Oscar as the best actor.

In the 70 years, Alan Arkin worked for several years as a director on television. In 1976, again returned to the big screen in the role of Dr. Sigmund Freud in the "Critical Solution." And in the early 80's starred in three films with his son Adam, and the writer is his wife Barbara Dana.

In the 90's, Arkin appeared in several notable roles. He is a former baseball player who did not have a career in the 1993 film Cooperstown. Or a cheerful psychiatrist paired with John Cusack in "Murder at Gross-Point" (1997). He won a critics award for his divorced father who struggles to get his children to attend the Beverly Hills school from the Beverly Hills Slum (1998). Arkin gave a brilliant play with Robin Williams in the film about the Nazi occupation of Poland - "The Liar of Jacob" (1999).

Then he returns to the scene of New York, where in 1998 he acted as director, co-writer and actor in the play Power Plays. And in 2006, the role of a talkative grandfather, a cocaine lover, in "Little Miss Happiness", brought Alan the first Oscar.

Other activities

About Alan Arkine you can say that he is a modern man of the Renaissance. In addition to his achievements as an actor, director, musician and producer, you can add that Alan wrote several books. This is a science fiction stories, and eight works for children. In 2011, Alan Arkin's memoir "Improvised Life" was published. These works were appreciated by both fans of the actor and director, and critics.

Personal life

Arkin was married three times and has three sons - Anthony, Adam and Matthew, who are also actors. He is an advocate of an ecological way of life, preservation of the environment. It leads a closed way of life. Known as an actor who does not care about prestigious awards, but appreciates the good roles and recognition of colleagues in the shop. In his own words, he dreams "not to leave home for at least three months and live as quietly as possible."

This person has made a huge and invaluable contribution to the development of cinematography, not only in the United States, but also on a global scale. His play, both on the theater stage and in the cinema, amazed with its chic and impeccable quality. Critics of the theater and cinema have repeatedly praised Alan, paying tribute to his talent and even putting him as an example to other artists. And in fact, on the work of Alan was brought up more than one generation of actors who tried to some extent play like the great Arkin.