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Actor Alan Arkin, known for his versatility from farcical comedy to chilling drama, has died aged 89.
- The actor received four Academy Award nominations over his career
- He appeared in more than 100 TV and feature films
- His Oscar win for Little Miss Sunshine came at 72 years old
His sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony confirmed their father's death through the actor's publicist.
"Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man," they said in a statement.
Mr Arkin received four Academy Award nominations during his career and won an Oscar for best supporting actor in 2007 for Little Miss Sunshine.
Actors Paul Reiser, Michael Rapaport and Patton Oswalt were among those praising Mr Arkin following his death.
"Such a wonderful, original voice for comedy. And on the few occasions I was in his presence, a kind and generous soul. I learned so much from watching him. And the laughs I got from his glorious work seem endless," tweeted Jason Alexander.
Mr Arkin was an immediate success in movies with the Cold War spoof The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.
He peaked late in life with his win as best supporting actor for the surprise 2006 hit Little Miss Sunshine.
More than 40 years separated his first Oscar nomination for The Russians are Coming from his last one, playing a conniving Hollywood producer in the Oscar-winning movie Argo.
In recent years he starred opposite Michael Douglas in the Netflix comedy series The Kominsky Method, a role that earned him two Emmy nominations.
"When I was a young actor people wanted to know if I wanted to be a serious actor or a funny one," Michael McKean tweeted Friday. 'I'd answer 'Which kind is Alan Arkin?' and that shut them up."
Mr Arkin joked that the beauty of being a character actor was not having to take his clothes off for a role.
He was rarely out of work, appearing in more than 100 TV and feature films.
His trademarks were likeability, relatability and complete immersion in his roles, whether playing a Russian submarine officer in The Russians are Coming, or standing out as the foul-mouthed, drug-addicted grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine.
"I used to think that my stuff had a lot of variety. But I realised that for the first 20 years or so, most of the characters I played were outsiders, strangers to their environment, foreigners in one way or another," he said in 2007.
"As I started to get more and more comfortable with myself, that started to shift. I got one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten from someone a few days ago. They said that they thought my characters were very often the heart, the moral centre of a film. I didn't particularly understand it, but I liked it; it made me happy."
Mr Arkin is survived by his sons and third wife, Suzanne Newlander, whom he married in 1996.
AP