Alan Arkin: 'I Think I Get a Lot of Applause Because I'm Not Keeling Over'
When you went to the fortieth anniversary of Second City.
Oh yeah! When we went there -- those of us who were still ambulatory from the first company -- we got up on stage and got a standing ovation. We stood there with our mouths open, looking at each other, and we all had exactly the same thought: "We went there to survive!" We didn't think we'd make a dime -- we had nowhere else to go, and we didn't know we were forming anything. To think that it's turned into a dynasty is really extraordinary. Something like two-thirds of the comic talent of the western world has come out of that place.
Was there something pivotal you took from your experience there?
Just being there was a lesson because we were allowed to fail. The audience came every night knowing that thirty or forty percent of what they would see wasn't gonna work, and it was fine. Nobody minded, and every time you failed was a tremendous learning experience. You cant do that anymore, anywhere. You're not allowed to fail.
Because there's too much scrutiny?
Yeah. Because everyone's looking at the bottom line. Nobody gives a damn if you develop and grow or not, except your sensei, maybe.
I don't know if you heard, but they're developing Gattaca as a TV series now. That's one of my favorite films you had a small role in.
They're developing it as a series? Hmm.
It's kind of a crime procedural.
Really! Interesting. It seems to have grown since it came out. I thought the premise was wonderful.
You don't have any future projects on your plate right now. Are you doing Get Smart 2 anytime soon?
I don't know, but man, I hope so.
You had a lot of fun on the first one?
A lot of fun.
Does that go back to what you were saying earlier, that you want to play characters that you enjoy?
Well, I think it rubs off on every actor. if you're playing a negative character, sooner or later, it rubs off on you. Some people don't mind living in that state, but I don't want to be there anymore. [Laughs] I don't want to live in a state of depression.
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[...] from prison and reunites with his former partners in crime, Doc (Christopher Walken) and Hirsch (Alan Arkin). Judging from the trailer, the men reminisce, take their hypertension meds and make up for lost [...]
[...] from prison and reunites with his former partners in crime, Doc (Christopher Walken) and Hirsch (Alan Arkin). Judging from the trailer, the men reminisce, take their hypertension meds and make up for lost [...]
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[...] CIA agent (Affleck), a Hollywood make-up artist (John Goodman) and a movie producer (the wonderful Alan Arkin) — gin up a fake movie to rescue a group of diplomats trapped in Iran during the hostage crisis [...]
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