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Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26 , 1934 ) is an Oscar -nominated American Actor . Born in New York City to a Jewish family, Arkin is one of only five actors to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his first screen appearance (for '' The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming '') in 1966 . Two years later, he was again nominated, for '' The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter ''. In a piece he wrote for the Second City book, Arkin wanted to be an actor since he was five. It was in a performance in St. Louis that Arkin caught a casting director's eye, who later met with the actor to tell him about a comedy troupe he was assembling in Chicago and if he wanted a job, it was open. Arkin politely agreed, before heading back to New York City with the impression that he wasn't going to lose out on a career by moving to Chicago . But after another year as a struggling actor at 29 years old, Arkin called the director and asked if the offer was still open. With the offer still on the table, he packed his bags and headed for the midwest, thinking it was a mistake. But Arkin later said that it turned out to be the best thing in his life since it turned around when he joined what was The Second City comedy troupe. Arkin is equally comfortable in comedy and dramatic roles, in such diverse films as '''' and ''Raising Flagg''. His son is actor Adam Arkin . LITERARY CAREER Arkin has also enjoyed a small literary career, including a pair of science fiction stories published in ''Galaxy'' magazine; children's books including ''The Clearing'' and ''Cassie Loves Beethoven'', and the science fiction short story "The Amazing Grandy", about Martin Gardner -style debunkers, in the August 2001 issue of ''Fantasy and Science Fiction''. MUSICAL CAREER Arkin was a member of mid-50's folk group The Tarriers ; in 1956 they had their biggest hit with a version of the " Banana Boat Song " (it reached #4 on the Billboard charts), the same year that Harry Belafonte recorded his more famous version. {Link without Title} Arkin co-wrote ''The Only Living Boy in New York'' with Paul Simon. EXTERNAL LINKS
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