As reported by Variety and various other outlets, actor Alan Arkin has died at the age of 89. Arkin had a long, impressive career, and he was a versatile actor, hopping between dramatic and comedic roles, imbuing them all with his offbeat energy.
As Muppet fans, we fondly remember his appearance as the guest star in a season-four episode of The Muppet Show, which is a weird one even by Muppet Show standards. In that episode, Arkin drinks Muppet Labs’ “Jekyll-Hyde Potion,” becomes a monstrous version of himself, and attacks a bunch of cute Muppet bunnies as they sing “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.” Later, he sings “Pig Shuffle” — a song he wrote himself! — and makes Miss Piggy mad.
Arkin also had a cameo in the 2011 movie The Muppets, as Gary, Mary, and Walter’s unenthusiastic tour guide at the Muppet studio. With that, he became one of the latest additions to the “Muppet Show guest star AND Muppet movie cameo star” club.
But that’s not all! Arkin also made several appearances on Sesame Street, though he never interacted with the Muppets there. He and his then-wife, actor and writer Barbara Dana, played Larry and Phyllis in a series of sketches in the second season of the show. These sketches generally find Larry and Phyllis struggling to accomplish a simple task, only to realize in a moment of epiphany that they can achieve their goal if they cooperate.
I doubt Arkin would have named these as a major highlight of his career, but he’s hilarious in them, and many Sesame Street fans have been delighted to rediscover them in recent years.
Alan Arkin was a distinctive talent, and he will be missed.
Click here to remember Alan Arkin on the Tough Pigs forum!
by Ryan Roe – Ryan@ToughPigs.com
