Jeremy Yaffe is best known as the late American actor Alan Arkin’s first wife. The two married in 1955 while they were young and had two sons, Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin. Both sons later became actors.
Jeremy studied at Bennington College in Vermont before starting a family with Alan. After their divorce in 1961, she reportedly trained as a registered nurse and built a career outside Hollywood. She has spent most of her later life out of the public eye.
Jeremy Yaffe’s Profile Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jeremy Yaffe |
| Also known as | Jeremy Yaffe Wakefield |
| Birth year | 1937 |
| Birthplace | Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Age | About 89 in 2026 |
| Education | Bennington College |
| Fields of study | Dance, theatre, and music |
| Profession | Registered nurse |
| Known for | Being Alan Arkin’s first wife |
| Former husband | Alan Arkin |
| Marriage | 1955–1961 |
| Children | Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin |
| Net worth | Not reliably known |
| Current residence | Not publicly known |
| Social media | No verified public account |
Jeremy Yaffe’s Early Life
Jeremy Yaffe was reportedly born in 1937 in Massachusetts, United States. Her exact date of birth has not been publicly confirmed.
Based on the reported birth year, she is around 89 years old in 2026.
Jeremy reportedly grew up in a Jewish-American family and developed an interest in the arts. Reliable information about her parents and siblings is not publicly available.
She Studied at Bennington College
Jeremy attended Bennington College in Vermont.
She reportedly studied dance, theatre, and music. Her time at Bennington was also important to her personal life because she met Alan Arkin there.
Alan also attended Bennington College before building his career as an actor.
How Jeremy Yaffe Met Alan Arkin
Jeremy and Alan met while they were students at Bennington College.
Their relationship developed while both were still young and before Alan became a well-known actor.
They married in 1955. Jeremy was reportedly 18 years old at the time, while Alan was about 21.
After getting married, they moved to New York City as Alan worked on establishing his entertainment career.
Jeremy Yaffe and Alan Arkin’s Marriage
Jeremy was Alan Arkin’s first wife.
Their early marriage came before Alan achieved major success on Broadway and in Hollywood. Reports say the young family experienced financial difficulties while Alan pursued acting.
His career also involved travel and periods away from his family.
Jeremy and Alan had two children during their marriage: Adam and Matthew Arkin.
Why Did Jeremy Yaffe and Alan Arkin Divorce?
Jeremy and Alan divorced in 1961 after more than five years of marriage.
Reports describe financial stress, career demands, and periods of separation as difficulties during their marriage. However, neither of the available sources provides one confirmed reason for their divorce.
Jeremy and Alan went in different directions after the marriage ended.
Jeremy Yaffe Became a Registered Nurse
Jeremy reportedly trained as a registered nurse after her divorce.
She went on to work in healthcare for many years. Her nursing career allowed her to build a professional life away from the entertainment industry.
The hospitals or medical facilities where Jeremy worked have not been reliably documented in the available information.
Jeremy Yaffe and Alan Arkin Had Two Sons
Jeremy is the mother of Adam Arkin and Matthew Arkin.
Both sons followed their father into acting. They later developed careers across television, film, theatre, and directing.
Alan had another son, Anthony Arkin, during his second marriage. Anthony is sometimes incorrectly described online as Jeremy’s son, but his mother is Barbara Dana.
Who Is Adam Arkin?
Adam Arkin is Jeremy and Alan’s oldest son. He was born on August 19, 1956.
Adam became involved with entertainment when he was young. He participated in the folk group The Baby Sitters with his parents.
In 1975, he appeared in an episode of Happy Days. His first starring television role came in 1977 when he played Lenny Markowitz in Busting Loose.
Adam later appeared in shows including Chicago Hope, Frasier, Sons of Anarchy, and How to Get Away with Murder.
He is especially known for playing Dr. Aaron Shutt on Chicago Hope.
Adam Arkin’s Work as a Director
Adam also became a television director.
His directing credits include shows such as The Americans, Masters of Sex, and Fargo.
His career has brought him several major nominations. These have included recognition from the Tony Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Directors Guild of America.
In 2002, Adam won a Daytime Emmy for directing the children’s special My Louisiana Sky.
Adam Arkin’s Family
Adam has two children.
His daughter, Molly Arkin, is from his former marriage to Linda Arkin. His son, Emmet Arkin, is from his former marriage to Phyllis Anne Lyons.
Adam and Lyons divorced in 2013. He later married Michelle Dunker in 2017.
Jeremy is therefore a grandmother through Adam.
Who Is Matthew Arkin?
Matthew Arkin is Jeremy’s younger son. He was born on March 21, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York.
Matthew was still very young when his parents separated.
After the divorce, he lived with Jeremy for several years. Reports say that he remained with his mother until around age seven. He then went to live with Alan and Alan’s second wife, Barbara Dana, in Greenwich Village.
Matthew Arkin Studied Law Before Acting
Matthew attended Wesleyan University and reportedly graduated with honors in English in 1982.
He later studied at Fordham University School of Law and earned a law degree.
Matthew was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1986. He worked as a lawyer at several small firms in New York.
He eventually left law around 1989 and focused on acting.
Matthew Arkin’s Acting Career
Matthew built a career in theatre and television.
He made his Broadway debut in 1993 in Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor.
His television work has included appearances in All My Children, Law & Order, 100 Centre Street, Rescue Me, NCIS, Aquarius, Switched at Birth, Harry’s Law, and Get Shorty.
Matthew has also worked as an educator.
Matthew Arkin’s Family
Matthew married Pamela Newkirk in May 1993.
They had two children together. The couple divorced in 2011.
Jeremy is therefore also a grandmother through Matthew.
Adam and Matthew Appeared Together in People Soup
Jeremy’s sons appeared together in People Soup, a 1969 short film written and directed by Alan Arkin.
The film featured Adam and Matthew as two young experimenters.
People Soup received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
Anthony Arkin Is Not Jeremy Yaffe’s Son
Some online sources incorrectly list Anthony Arkin as Jeremy’s third son.
Jeremy had two children with Alan: Adam and Matthew.
Anthony Arkin was born on November 29, 1967. His parents are Alan Arkin and Alan’s second wife, Barbara Dana.
Anthony also entered entertainment and has worked as an actor, writer, and director.
Who Was Alan Arkin?
Alan Wolf Arkin was an American actor, filmmaker, director, and musician. He was born on March 26, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York.
He worked across theatre, television, and film for decades.
Alan’s Broadway performance in Enter Laughing earned him a Tony Award. He later appeared in many films and became an Academy Award winner.
He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine.
Later in his career, Alan appeared in The Kominsky Method from 2018 to 2021 and received Emmy nominations for his performance.
Alan Arkin’s Later Marriages
After divorcing Jeremy, Alan married actress and writer Barbara Dana in 1964.
Alan and Barbara had one son, Anthony Arkin. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1994.
Alan married Suzanne Newlander in 1996. They remained married until his death.
Alan Arkin’s Death
Alan Arkin died on June 29, 2023, at age 89.
Following his death, his three sons, Adam, Matthew, and Anthony, released a joint family statement remembering their father.
There is no widely reported public statement from Jeremy about Alan’s death in the information available.
Jeremy Yaffe Wakefield
Jeremy has also been identified publicly as Jeremy Yaffe Wakefield or Jeremy Wakefield.
Photographs online have used the Wakefield surname, and one reported family photograph shows Jeremy with a person named Jedediah Wakefield and her sons Adam and Matthew.
However, reliable details about how she came to use the Wakefield surname are limited. The available information does not clearly establish a later marriage, so it would be inaccurate to identify a second husband without stronger evidence.
Where Is Jeremy Yaffe Now?
Jeremy has lived a very private life.
Her current residence has not been publicly confirmed. There is also little reliable information about her recent activities or public appearances.
She reportedly spent decades working as a nurse rather than pursuing a public career in entertainment.
Jeremy Yaffe’s Net Worth
Jeremy Yaffe’s net worth is not reliably known.
Some secondary websites estimate it at around $1 million and connect that figure with her nursing career. However, there is no authoritative financial information supporting the estimate.
Her personal net worth should therefore be treated as unknown.
Jeremy Yaffe’s Social Media
Jeremy does not have a widely verified public social media account.
Photos of her have appeared online, including on Facebook, but this does not confirm that she personally maintains a public account.
Things to Know About Jeremy Yaffe
- Jeremy Yaffe was reportedly born in Massachusetts in 1937.
- She attended Bennington College in Vermont.
- She reportedly studied dance, theatre, and music.
- She met Alan Arkin while they were students at Bennington College.
- Jeremy married Alan in 1955 when she was reportedly 18.
- She was Alan Arkin’s first wife.
- They had two sons, Adam and Matthew Arkin.
- Adam Arkin was born on August 19, 1956.
- Matthew Arkin was born on March 21, 1960.
- Jeremy and Alan divorced in 1961.
- Jeremy reportedly became a registered nurse after their divorce.
- Both of her sons became professional actors.
- Adam also developed a successful career as a television director.
- Matthew studied and practiced law before focusing on acting.
- Adam and Matthew appeared together in the Oscar-nominated short film People Soup.
- Anthony Arkin is Alan Arkin’s son with Barbara Dana, not Jeremy’s son.
- Jeremy has also been identified as Jeremy Yaffe Wakefield.
- Her current residence is not publicly known.
- Her exact net worth has not been confirmed.
- She does not have a verified public social media presence.
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