Arkin praises 'poetry fan' Wilson

Rex Features

Owen Wilson has impressed fellow actor Alan Arkin with his passion for poetry.

Arkin, who appears alongside Wilson in upcoming movie Marley & Me, said the pair exchanged poems throughout the film's shoot.

He told People: "He's a big poetry fan, and I am too, so we email poems to each other. We sent little poems to each other since the movie."

Arkin, 74, also praised his co-star's ability to remember long passages, saying: "He's very literate, enormously literate. He can quote a lot of great writers verbatim."

Marley & Me, which also stars Jennifer Aniston, is scheduled for release next March.