Alan Arkin was an Oscar-winning actor, director, comedian, musician, and singer, born in New York City to Jewish parents in the first half of the 20th century. With a film career spanning more than 60 years, Arkin appeared in over 100 films and received numerous awards and nominations. He had a passion for music and acting from a young age. He began taking acting lessons at the age of ten and continued pursuing his passion even after his family moved to Los Angeles. He later studied drama at various institutions and also learned about the psychological approach to acting from Benjamin Zemach. However, he began his career as the lead singer of a folk music group he had formed with three friends. Later, he was drawn to stage acting and moved to New York to try his luck on Broadway. Although he later became more famous as a film star, he never abandoned stage acting and made his mark in all three mediums: stage, television, and film.