The Late, Great Alan Arkin Had Some Profound And Moving Thoughts About Death

News broke earlier today beloved actor Alan Arkin has died at the age of 89. Arkin's work spanned decades and genres, from his villainous turn in "Wait Until Dark" to his Oscar-winning appearance in "Little Miss Sunshine" to his performance in the historical thriller "Argo." All of his work was engaging and entertaining, but the performer was often just as compelling off-screen as on. He gave some great interviews over the years, but in the wake of his death, it's impossible not to think back to one in particular, in which he faced the prospect of death head-on with a pretty incredible sense of curiosity.

The topic of mortality came up in an interview Arkin gave back in 2016, when appearing as a guest on the long-running interview podcast "Talk Easy With Sam Fragoso" (full disclosure: I used to be an associate producer on the show). When Fragoso asked Arkin if he was comfortable with the idea of dying, the actor was forthright. "Pretty much so, I think," he shared. Arkin is survived by his wife Suzanne Newlander, after whom his character in one of his final roles, "The Kominsky Method," is named.

Arkin did also note in 2016 that he wasn't quite ready to hang up his hat yet, saying, "I feel like I still have something to do. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't eat at me like it used to." In the years since, the actor spent his eighties doing plenty, popping up in family-friendly fare like "Dumbo" and "Minions: The Rise of Gru," making an appearance in a short-lived "Get Shorty" TV show, and earning praise for his turn on the aforementioned Michael Douglas-led Netflix series. Arkin had no shortage of adventures throughout his life, but in his interview with "Talk Easy," he seemed to think the greatest one might still be to come.

"Having meditated for 50 years, my connection with stuff other than this just-walking-around plane of existence has grown to be something more," Arkin said. "So I have a fairly good sense that this is not what it's all about." The performer cited our ever-evolving understanding of science when it came to thinking about the end, saying:

"I mean, if anybody says this is what it's all about, they're insane, because there's a big universe out there. They just found something like 1,200 new galaxies. 1,200 new galaxies! Having found that out, how do you say that this is it? And when you say this is it, what do you mean? What do you mean when you say this is it? What is what? What are you talking about?"

Arkin also shared insights from one of the world's foremost spiritual leaders, the Dalai Lama. He said he was interested to discover that the Buddhist leader has an annual "convocation of scientists at Dharamshala, and he's fascinated by science." According to Arkin, the Dalai Lama has noted that "if science proves Buddhism to be wrong, then, he says, 'I'm going with science.'" Arkin then shared an anecdote in which, years ago, the Dalai Lama asked his scientists if DNA can be changed. "They all said, 'No, no, no, DNA is immutable. That's the way you are. That's the way things are,'" Arkin recalled. The Lama has spoken often about the intersection of science and faith, including giving a talk in Washington D.C. in 2005 titled "Science At The Crossroads."

But it turned out the scientists' claims didn't stand the test of time: Major breakthroughs in the field of epigenetics in recent years have shown that gene expression can be impacted by environmental factors. Arkin seemed to see this as a merging of science and faith, and a sign that anything is possible. "They've recognized that DNA is changeable," Arkin shared, adding, "That's a big deal. If we can change our DNA, what can't we change? What can't we address? What can't we put our minds to and rectify?"

Arkin was voicing a sense of interconnectedness here, but he also seemed to be sharing faith in both the future of mankind and the future of those who leave the world behind. The actor shared these stories in response to the question, "But you're okay with the end?" The actor didn't say as much outright, but the sentiment seemed clear: In a world full of boundless possibilities and countless unknowns, nothing can ever really be deemed "the end."

Alan Arkin will be greatly missed.