Michael Douglas has paid a beautiful tribute to his friend Alan Arkin, following the news the Oscar winner had died at the age of 89. ]
"Today we lost a wonderful actor whose intelligence, sense of comedy and consummate professionalism over the past 70 years has left an indelible mark on our industry," Michael shared alongside a picture of the two of them together in The Kominsky Method.
"My experience of working with Alan were some of my most memorable. He will be deeply missed. Sincere condolences to his wife, Suzanne, and his family," Michael concluded.
Michael and Alan appeared together on the Emmy-nominated comedy The Kominsky Method for two seasons. Alan starred as Norman Newlander, the agent to Michael's Sandy Kominsky, a one-time actor who turned his skills into becoming an acting coach.
Michael won Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 2019 Golden Globes for his work, while Alan was nominated for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy. They were both nominated at the 2019 and 2020 Emmy awards for their work on the show as well.
"This is so sad. You were a marvelous couple in The Kominsky Method Mr Arkin will be remembered," commented one fan on Michael's post as another praised their "pure genius" together on the show. "I’m heartbroken and thought of you immediately. I loved you both in The Kominsky Method. Alan Arkin was one of the greats. Heartfelt condolences," shared a third follower as another added: "May his memory be a blessing. The world has lost an incredible actor."
Alan and Michael met for the first time in 2018 ahead of filming for their comedy. "I insisted on having lunch with him. He refused about 55 times. He finally agreed,” Alan joked to AP News at the time, to which Michael responded: "I was a little in awe of him as an actor."
"Comedy is not necessarily something I’ve done a lot of,” he later told the Star Tribune. “The chance to work with someone like Alan, who is wonderfully gifted in his timing and his understanding of it, I feel like I’m learning something new. It’s been a real treat.”
Alan, the beloved actor known for his Oscar-winning turn in 2006's Little Miss Sunshine and a very long list of film and theater performances, died at age 89. His family confrmed the news in a statement which 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."
He appeared in Little Miss Sunshine for just 14 minutes but stole the show — and nabbed the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award — as the exasperated family patriarch Edwin Hoover in the family road trip comedy.
Born in 1934, Alan relocated to Chicago in 1960 at the age of 26 and honed his comedy chops with the legendary improvisational troupe Second City. By 1961, he'd moved on to Broadway to star in a Second City-themed show, and he won his Tony Award just two years later in Enter Laughing.
His big-screen breakthrough came in 1967 via Norman Jewison's comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming. Other notable onscreen turns, among many, include the Audrey Hepburn thriller Wait Until Dark, Grosse Pointe Blank and several Pink Panther films, where he'd replaced Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau.