Biography: Adam Arkin

 

 

 

 

Adam Arkin played our favorite cook, although some would say "sociopathic," Adam. He earned an emmy nomination in 1993 for Outstanding Guest Actor/Drama for his role in 4.21 The Big Feast. As Adam, he also won the Viewers of Quality Television for Best Specialty Player award in 1992.

Actor, director Arkin was born August 19, 1957 in New York City. He is the son of actor Alan Arkin. He began his studies at the famed Herbert Berghof Studio at the young age of ten. His film debut came at age fourteen in Made for Each Other (1971).

A television and movie actor who appeared in and directed episodes of the hit television series Northern Exposure (1990-95). He directed the episode 4.19 Family Feud.

He starred in and directed the TV series Chicago Hope (1994-2000 ), in which he plays neurologist Dr. Aaron Shutt. He has more than 40 movies credits. Films include A Slight Case of Murder (1990) and Hanging Up (2000), as well as Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, The Doctor, Baseball, Personal Foul, Halloween: H20, and Under the Rainbow.

On the Broadway stage, Arkin received a 1991 Tony Award nomination for his stage debut performance as Gary Peter Lefkowitz in I Hate Hamlet. His other stage credits include the successful revival of Guys and Dolls on Broadway as well as Sight Unseen and Four Dogs and A Bone off-Broadway. He also starred opposite Meryl Streep in the Wendy Wasserstein workshop of An American Daughter at the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

In addition to starring roles on TV series such as Busting Loose (1977) and Big Wave Dave's (1993), Arkin has earned Emmy Award nominations for his supporting roles on Northern Exposure and Chicago Hope. Arkin's television credits include the telefilms Not in This Town and In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice and the television series A Year in the Life, Picket Fences, China Beach, L.A. Law, St. Elsewhere, Law & Order and Baby Bob.

Arkin has many guest roles credited. He played an "obsessed fan" on the 200th episode of Fraiser in November 2001 (which is funny to me as an obsessed ... well, "passionate" fan of Northern Exposure!). In 2002, he played a very large man (Dale the Whale) on the TV series, Monk, where he has also directed.

Arkin has done many voice-over and narrative roles, including TV Land Moguls, Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip, and Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.

In January 2005, Arkin returned to Broadway, starring in the show Brooklyn Boy. He received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Lead Actor for his role. (Fellow NoEx alum John Cullum, "Holling" was also nominated in this category for his role in "Sin: A Cardinal Disposed," as well as Bill Irwin, "Enrico 'Bob' Bellati", for his role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"). He appeared in the movie Marilynn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School featured at Sundance in 2005.

Arkin's voice appeared in Ken Burns' Unforgiveable Blackness, along with fellow NoEx cast member John Cullum . The film premiered Jan. 17 and 18. 2005. On TV, he has a reoccurring role on 8 Simple Rules as Principle Ed Gibb. He also has roles in three movies in 2005: Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, Hitch, and Kids in America. In 2006, he had several reoccuring roles on TV's Boston Legal, and Commander-in-Chief. In May 2007, Arkin will read in the South Coast Repertory Pacific Playwright's Festival. Arkin continues to do work behind the camera, most recently directing episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Boston Legal.

Arkin is part of Ken Burns' documentary "The War." The series about WWII is now on DVD. Arkin appeared in Life on NBC that has been cancelled after two seasons. You can find both Season One and Season Two on DVD. He also has done quite a bit of directing.

Current and Upcoming Projects:
Arkin guest stars in Sons of Anarchy in Fall 2009 on FX. He has several films coming up: Just Peck, the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man, and Summer Eleven, where he pairs up with Eve again (Valerie Mahaffey).

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Arkin once again lent his voice to Ken Burns' latest project, National Parks: America's Best Idea, on PBS stations Sept. 27 - Oct. 2, 2009, and is on DVD.

 

© Copyright, 2009 • Northern Exposure is Copyright © Universal City Studios. All Rights Reserved. • Created 12/22/01 • Updated 8/20/09