Jeremy Yaffe is best known as the first wife of late actor Alan Arkin. The two met while studying at Bennington College in Vermont and married in 1955, before Arkin became a major Hollywood name.
Jeremy and Alan had two sons, Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin, who both later built careers in entertainment. After the marriage ended in 1961, Jeremy returned to school, trained as a nurse, and lived a much more private life away from Hollywood.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jeremy Yaffe |
| Also known as | Jeremy Yaffe Wakefield |
| Birth year | 1937 |
| Birthplace | Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Bennington College |
| Studies | Dance, theater, and music |
| Profession | Registered nurse |
| Famous for | Being Alan Arkin’s first wife |
| Former husband | Alan Arkin |
| Marriage | 1955–1961 |
| Children | Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin |
| Social media | No verified public accounts |
| Net worth | Not reliably known |
Jeremy Yaffe’s Early Life
Jeremy Yaffe was born in 1937 in Massachusetts. Her exact date of birth has not been publicly confirmed.
Public information about her parents, siblings, and childhood is limited. She appears to have grown up with an interest in the arts before attending college in Vermont.
Jeremy came from a Jewish-American background and later studied at Bennington College, a liberal arts school known for creative subjects.
Her Education at Bennington College
Jeremy studied dance, theater, and music at Bennington College. It was there that she met Alan Arkin, who was also a student.
Their relationship developed quickly. Jeremy was only 18 when she married Arkin, who was 21.
According to Alan’s later memoir, the college was not pleased about their decision to marry.
The young couple left school and moved to New York City soon after the wedding.
Jeremy Yaffe and Alan Arkin’s Marriage
Jeremy Yaffe and Alan Arkin married in December 1955.
At the time, neither had the stable life they would later build. Alan was still trying to start his acting career, and the couple faced money problems from the beginning.
Alan wrote in his memoir that they moved to New York without a clear plan. Within a few weeks, Jeremy became pregnant with their first child.
Because acting work was difficult to find, Alan joined the folk group The Tarriers. The group found some success and toured Europe.
The money from his music work helped support the young family, but Alan still wanted to act. He eventually left the more stable music work and returned to theater.
That decision brought more financial uncertainty.
Why Jeremy Yaffe and Alan Arkin Divorced
Their marriage became difficult because of unstable work, financial pressure, travel, and the responsibilities of raising young children.
Alan later wrote that the insecurity of their life became too much for Jeremy.
In 1960, after the birth of their second son Matthew, Jeremy left with the children. Matthew was only a few months old at the time.
The marriage officially ended in 1961.
There is no strong evidence that the divorce was caused by one major public scandal. The available information points more clearly to the pressure of their unstable lifestyle and young family responsibilities.
Jeremy Yaffe’s Sons
Jeremy and Alan had two sons together: Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin.
Both later entered the entertainment industry.
Their father had a third son, Anthony Arkin, with his second wife, Barbara Dana. Anthony is not Jeremy’s son.
Adam Arkin
Jeremy’s oldest son, Adam Arkin, was born on August 19, 1956.
He became an actor and director and built a long television career. One of his best-known roles was Dr. Aaron Shutt on Chicago Hope.
Adam also appeared in shows including Northern Exposure, Frasier, Sons of Anarchy, and How to Get Away with Murder.
His work earned several major award nominations, including Emmy and Tony nominations.
Adam later became an established television director. His directing credits include The Americans, Masters of Sex, Billions, Succession, and Fargo.
He won a Daytime Emmy Award for directing the television special My Louisiana Sky.
Adam also has two children, Molly Arkin and Emmet Arkin.
Matthew Arkin
Jeremy’s second son, Matthew Arkin, was born on March 21, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York.
After his parents separated, Matthew reportedly lived with Jeremy in California until he was seven. He then moved in with his father and stepmother, Barbara Dana, in Greenwich Village.
Matthew took a different route before entering acting.
He graduated with honors in English from Wesleyan University in 1982. He then attended Fordham University School of Law and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1986.
He practiced law for several years before leaving the profession around 1989 to focus on acting.
Matthew later appeared in productions such as Liar Liar, Law & Order, 100 Centre Street, NCIS, Aquarius, Switched at Birth, and Get Shorty.
He made his Broadway debut in 1993 in Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor.
Matthew married actress Pamela Newkirk in 1993. They later divorced in 2011.
Adam and Matthew Appeared in People Soup
Adam and Matthew both appeared in the 1969 short film People Soup, written and directed by their father.
The film featured the two brothers as young experimenters. One source reports that Alan changed an original girl character into a second boy so both sons could appear together.
People Soup received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
It became an early screen connection between Alan and his sons.
Jeremy Yaffe Became a Nurse
After divorcing Alan, Jeremy returned to school and trained as a registered nurse.
She spent much of her later working life outside entertainment.
The supplied sources do not identify the hospitals or healthcare facilities where she worked, but nursing became her main known profession after her divorce.
This career change also helped her build a life separate from Alan Arkin’s growing fame.
Her Later Marriages
One source reports that Jeremy married three more times after her divorce from Alan Arkin.
By 2000, she was reportedly single.
The names and dates connected to all of her later marriages have not been clearly documented in reliable public sources.
The surname Wakefield has appeared in some references to her, suggesting that it may come from a later marriage, but the exact details have not been firmly established.
Who Was Alan Arkin?
Alan Arkin was an American actor, director, musician, and writer.
He was born on March 26, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York.
After his early years in folk music and theater, he became a successful stage and film actor. His Broadway performance in Enter Laughing earned him a Tony Award.
His film career included roles in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Argo, and Little Miss Sunshine.
He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Little Miss Sunshine.
After divorcing Jeremy, Alan married Barbara Dana in 1964. They divorced in 1994. He later married Suzanne Newlander in 1996.
Alan died on June 29, 2023, at the age of 89.
Jeremy Yaffe’s Current Life
Jeremy has stayed away from public attention for many years.
Her current location has not been reliably confirmed. There are also no widely verified public social media accounts connected to her.
She has rarely appeared in entertainment coverage despite her former marriage and the successful careers of her sons.
Jeremy Yaffe’s Net Worth
Jeremy Yaffe’s personal net worth is not reliably known.
Some online sources have estimated her wealth at around $1 million, but there is no strong financial evidence supporting that figure.
Because her income, assets, and finances are private, it is safer to say that her net worth has not been publicly confirmed.
Interesting Facts
- Jeremy Yaffe was born in Massachusetts in 1937.
- She studied at Bennington College in Vermont.
- She reportedly studied dance, theater, and music.
- She married Alan Arkin in 1955 when she was 18.
- Their marriage ended in 1961.
- She is the mother of Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin.
- Both of her sons became actors.
- Adam also became a successful television director.
- Matthew first worked as a lawyer before becoming an actor.
- Jeremy later trained and worked as a registered nurse.
- She has lived a very private life for decades.
- Her exact net worth and current location are not publicly confirmed.
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