Jeremy Yaffe is the first wife of late Academy Award-winning actor Alan Arkin. She married him while they were students at Bennington College in Vermont. After their divorce, she retrained as a nurse and lived a mostly private life. Jeremy is also the mother of actors Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin.

Jeremy Yaffe’s Quick Facts

Early Life and Education

Very little is publicly known about Jeremy Yaffe’s early life. Her date of birth, birthplace, parents, siblings, and nationality have not been publicly confirmed.

She attended Bennington College, a liberal arts college in Vermont. While studying there, she met fellow student Alan Arkin. The two began a relationship and married while they were still in college.

Marriage to Alan Arkin

Jeremy Yaffe married actor Alan Arkin on December 14, 1955. Arkin later became one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Little Miss Sunshine in 2007. However, when they married, both were students at Bennington College and had not yet started successful careers.

Jeremy was 18 years old, and Alan was 21.

According to Alan Arkin’s 2011 memoir An Improvised Life, the college did not approve of their marriage. Soon after the wedding, they left Bennington College and moved to New York City to begin their life together.

Alan later wrote that Jeremy became pregnant within a few weeks of their move to New York.

Life During Alan Arkin’s Early Career

When the couple arrived in New York, Alan struggled to find acting work. To support his family, he joined the folk music group The Tarriers.

The band signed a recording contract and toured Europe. After Alan began earning a steady income, Jeremy and their growing family joined him during that period.

Although the music career provided stability, Alan wanted to return to acting. He left the band and accepted occasional theater roles instead. This decision created financial uncertainty for the family.

In the summer of 1959, Jeremy became pregnant with their second child.

According to Alan’s memoir, the ongoing financial struggles placed pressure on their marriage. After the birth of their second son, Jeremy left with the children. Their younger son, Matthew, was about three months old when the couple separated.

Divorce

Jeremy Yaffe and Alan Arkin divorced in 1961 after about six years of marriage.

The reason publicly described comes from Alan Arkin’s memoir, where he said that years of financial insecurity made family life difficult. Jeremy has not publicly shared her own account of the divorce.

Alan Arkin’s Later Marriages and Death

After Jeremy Yaffe and Alan Arkin divorced in 1961, Alan married actress and writer Barbara Dana on June 16, 1964. They had one son, Anthony “Tony” Arkin, who later became an actor. Alan and Barbara also appeared together in the films Inspector Clouseau, Fire Sale, and The In-Laws. Their marriage lasted about 30 years before ending in divorce in 1994.

In 1996, Alan married psychotherapist Suzanne Newlander. They remained together for the rest of his life.

Alan Arkin died on June 29, 2023, at the age of 89. His family announced his death in a public statement. He was survived by his wife, Suzanne Newlander, his three sons—Adam, Matthew, and Anthony (Tony) Arkin—as well as his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Career

Jeremy Yaffe was involved in acting for a short time. Reports mention that she appeared in a movie during the early 1970s, although the available sources do not identify the film.

After her divorce from Alan Arkin, she returned to school and trained as a nurse. Nursing became her primary profession, and she largely stayed out of the public eye afterward.

Later Marriages

Following her divorce from Alan Arkin, Jeremy remarried.

Published reports state that she was married a total of four times, including her marriage to Alan. However, the names of her later husbands have not been publicly reported.

A profile of her son Matthew Arkin in The New York Times in March 2000 reported that Jeremy was single at that time.

Children

Jeremy Yaffe has two sons with Alan Arkin.

Adam Arkin

Adam Arkin is an actor and television director.

His father cast him at age 13 in the Oscar-winning short film People Soup. Adam later built a successful acting career.

He received Emmy Award nominations for his guest roles in Northern Exposure, Frasier, and Chicago Hope.

As a director, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for My Louisiana Sky. He has also directed episodes of television series including Succession, Sons of Anarchy, Masters of Sex, and Billions.

Matthew Arkin

Matthew Arkin is also an actor.

Before becoming a full-time performer, he practiced law in Tarrytown and White Plains for about five years.

His acting credits include Liar, Liar, An Unmarried Woman, and Margot at the Wedding. He has also appeared on Broadway and had television roles in Criminal Minds, Aquarius, and Get Shorty.

Matthew has one son with his first wife, actress Pamela Newkirk.

In a 2014 interview, Matthew described his childhood as involving many divorces, frequent moves, and changing family arrangements.

Relationship with Alan Arkin

Although Jeremy Yaffe is not a public figure herself, she remains part of Alan Arkin’s life story because she shared his early years before he became a successful actor.

Their marriage took place before Alan gained national recognition. They experienced financial struggles together while he worked to establish his career in entertainment.

Public Life

Jeremy Yaffe has lived a private life for many years.

She rarely appears in public and is generally mentioned only in biographies of Alan Arkin or stories about their sons.

Social Media

Jeremy Yaffe does not have any publicly known or verified social media accounts.

Net Worth

Jeremy Yaffe’s personal net worth has not been publicly confirmed.

Facts

• Jeremy Yaffe attended Bennington College in Vermont.
• She met Alan Arkin while they were students.
• She married Alan Arkin on December 14, 1955.
• She was 18 years old when she married.
• She and Alan Arkin had two sons, Adam and Matthew.
• The couple divorced in 1961.
• She later returned to school and became a nurse.
• Reports say she was married four times in total.
• She briefly appeared in a film during the early 1970s, although the title has not been publicly identified.
• She has kept her personal life largely private for many years.
• Her birth date, birthplace, parents, nationality, and net worth have not been publicly confirmed.