Actor, author, singer and composer, educated at LACC and Los Angeles State College. He sang with a folk group (The Tarriers) and joined the Compass Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri and Second City in Chicago. In 1961 he came to New York with the Second City troupe, later appearing in the Broadway plays "Enter Laughing" and "Luv." He joined ASCAP in 1963 and his popular-song compositions include "Cuddle Bug," "That's Me," and "Best Time of the Year."


Father of Adam Arkin, Matthew Arkin and Anthony Arkin. Wrote "The Lemming Condition," "Cassie Loves Beethoven" and "One Present for Flekman's." Two of his movies, Popi (1969) and Freebie and the Bean (1974), were later adapted into television series starring Hector Elizondo in the roles Arkin brought to the screen. Elizondo also co-starred in the television series "Chicago Hope" (1994) with Arkin's son, Adam Arkin. Father-in-law of Phyllis Lyons and Amelia Campbell. In the foreword for the Second City book, Arkin revealed that he was reluctant to head to Chicago. He says that his first paying job as an actor was in St. Louis, where he ran into a fellow who was starting up the Second City theater troupe in Chicago, and said that if Arkin were ever to come to Chicago, he would hire him. Arkin halfheartedly agreed, thinking that it was just a joke, and headed back to New York for another year as a struggling actor. Arkin called the man and asked if a position was still open. The man confirmed it and Arkin headed to Chicago, thinking that his life was over. But when he joined Second City, he said that he realized he was with a group of people who fostered the kind of acting that he was involved in, and protected him from the fear of the world. Was cast in the title role of Inspector Clouseau (1968) after Peter Sellers declined to reprise the role a third time. It was the last Clouseau film until Sellers returned to the role in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975). Grandfather of son Adam Arkin's daughter Molly. He is also a teacher, leading workshops in improvisation. Students find him warm, insightful, and very, very funny. Disowned his involvement in the film Freebie and the Bean (1974), saying he had only accepted the role because, "I needed the bread.".