View source for Alan Alda

{{Short description|American actor (born 1936)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alan Alda
| image = Alan Alda (22499650074) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Alda in 2015
| birthname = {{nowrap|Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1936|01|28}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Arlene Alda]]|March 15, 1957}}
| alma_mater = [[Fordham University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| awards = [[List of awards and nominations received by Alan Alda|Full list]]
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Actor
* comedian
* director
* screenwriter
}}
| years_active = 1955–present
| father = [[Robert Alda]]
| relatives = [[Antony Alda]] (half-brother)
| children = 3, including [[Beatrice Alda]]
}}

'''Alan Alda''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɑː|l|d|ə}}; born '''Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo'''; January 28, 1936) is an American actor. A six-time [[Emmy Award]] and [[Golden Globe Award]] winner and a three-time [[Tony Award]] nominee, he is best known for playing [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Hawkeye Pierce|Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]] in the [[CBS]] wartime sitcom ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' (1972–1983). He also wrote and directed numerous episodes of the series.

After starring in the films ''[[Same Time, Next Year (film)|Same Time, Next Year]]'' (1978), ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'' (1978), and ''[[The Seduction of Joe Tynan]]'' (1979), he made his directorial film debut ''[[The Four Seasons (1981 film)|The Four Seasons]]'' (1981). Alda was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his portrayal of [[Owen Brewster]] in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[The Aviator (2004 film)|The Aviator]]'' (2004). Other notable film roles include ''[[Crimes and Misdemeanors]]'' (1989), ''[[Manhattan Murder Mystery]]'' (1993), ''[[Everyone Says I Love You]]'' (1996), ''[[Flirting with Disaster (film)|Flirting with Disaster]]'' (1996), ''[[Tower Heist]]'' (2011), ''[[Bridge of Spies (film)|Bridge of Spies]]'' (2015), and ''[[Marriage Story]]'' (2019).

Alda won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series]] for his role as [[Arnold Vinick|Senator Arnold Vinick]] in the [[NBC]] series ''[[The West Wing]]''. Other Emmy-nominated roles include in ''[[And the Band Played On (film)|And the Band Played On]]'' in 1993, ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'' in 2000, ''[[30 Rock]]'' in 2009, and ''[[The Blacklist]]'' in 2015. He also had recurring roles in ''[[The Big C (TV series)|The Big C]]'' (2011–2013), ''[[Horace and Pete]]'' (2016), ''[[Ray Donovan]]'' (2018–2020), and ''[[The Good Fight]]'' (2018–2019).

Alda is also known for his roles on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] acting in ''[[Purlie Victorious]]'' (1961) and receiving three [[Tony Award]] nominations for his performances in ''[[The Apple Tree]]'' (1967), ''[[Jake's Women]]'' (1992), and ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross]]'' (2005). In 2008 he received a [[Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording]] nomination for ''Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself''. In 2019, Alda received the [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/alan-alda-sag-life-achievement-award-1202968585/ |title= Alan Alda to Receive SAG Life Achievement Award|website= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date= October 4, 2018|access-date= July 26, 2020}}</ref> He hosts the podcast ''Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda'' and previously hosted ''Science Clear+Vivid''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/alan-alda-is-still-awesome |title=Alan Alda is Still Awesome |magazine=The New Yorker |last=Schulman |first=Michael |date=June 12, 2022 |access-date=June 8, 2023}}</ref>

{{TOC limit|limit=3}}

== Early life and education ==
Alda was born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo on January 28, 1936, in [[Manhattan]], New York City.<ref>{{YouTube|id=aODsJtCTljU|time=2m25s}}</ref> He spent his childhood traveling around the United States with his parents, in support of his father's job as a performer;<ref>Alan Alda, interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi, CBC Radio, March 28, 2013. In response to Ghomeshi's comments that Alda had grown up in the Bronx, Alda said, "No I didn't but I can tell you're a Wikipedia reader."</ref> he  performed with his father in the less risqué burlesque sketches.<ref name=hattenstone/> His father, [[Robert Alda]] (born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo), was an actor and singer, and his mother, Joan Browne, was a homemaker and former beauty-pageant winner.<ref>{{cite web |last=Alda |first=Alan |title=Alan Alda TV Legends Interview, Part I (13:25–14:30) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv92FNzH3Qc#t=874 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/Tv92FNzH3Qc |archive-date=October 29, 2021 |work=Archive of American Television |date=February 20, 2008 |publisher=Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation |access-date=February 17, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> His father was of [[Italian Americans|Italian descent]] (D'[[Abruzzo]] is a [[toponymic surname]]) and his mother of [[Irish Americans|Irish descent]].<ref name="ref1">{{cite news |last=Berk |first=Philip |title=A question of roots |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date=December 11, 1998 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19081701.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105064557/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19081701.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |access-date=December 10, 2007}}</ref> His mother was diagnosed with [[schizophrenia]] and, according to Alan, tried to stab his father when Alan was six. It has been said{{by whom|date=June 2025}} that his mother taught him to improvise, an important skill of his: he had to learn how to react to the state she was in, for his own safety.<ref name=hattenstone>{{cite news| last=Hattenstone | first=Simon | title='My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six': Alan Alda on childhood, marriage and 60 years of stardom |newspaper=The Guardian | date=26 May 2025 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/may/26/my-mother-didnt-try-to-stab-my-father-until-i-was-six-alan-alda-on-childhood-marriage-and-60-years-of-stardom}}</ref>

When Alda was seven, he contracted [[polio]]. To combat the disease, his parents administered a painful treatment regimen developed by [[Elizabeth Kenny]], consisting of applying hot woollen blankets to his limbs and stretching his muscles.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Tavis |last=Smiley |title=Alan Alda |url=https://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200412/20041202_alda.html |publisher=PBS |date=December 2, 2004 |access-date=May 2, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929141115/http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200412/20041202_alda.html |archive-date=September 29, 2007 }}</ref> Alda attended [[Archbishop Stepinac High School]] in [[White Plains, New York]].<ref name=tca>Stated on ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]'', 2000</ref> He studied English at [[Fordham University]] in the Bronx, where he was a student staff member of its [[FM radio]] station, [[WFUV]]. During his junior year, he studied in Paris, acted in a play in Rome, and performed with his father on television in [[Amsterdam]].

In 1956, Alda received his Bachelor of Arts degree. A member of the [[ROTC]], he entered the [[United States Army Reserve]] and served for six months at [[Fort Benning]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Alda |first=Alan |date=2006 |title=Never Have Your Dog Stuffed |url=https://www.amazon.com/Never-Have-Your-Dog-Stuffed-ebook/dp/B000FCKDIM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697757226&sr=8-2 |publisher=Random House |page=97 |isbn=0812974409}}</ref> Despite some erroneous reports on military sites that Alda then served in Korea,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usar.army.mil/OurHistory/FamousWarriorCitizens/ |title=Famous Warrior Citizens |website=www.usar.army.mil}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stilwell |first=Blake |date=May 18, 2023 |title=Alan Alda Didn't Just Play an Army Officer in Korea on TV. He Was One. |url=https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/military-transition/famous-veteran-alan-alda.html |access-date=January 17, 2024 |website=Military.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Delach |first=Brian |title=Alan Alda Gets Personal About Life After MASH |url=http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/the-scene/Alan-Alda-Gets-Personal-About-the-Day-That-Changed-His-Life--206313811.html |newspaper=NBC Connecticut |date=May 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.militaryhub.com/military-people.cfm?id=4 |title = Military People: Alan Alda |work = militaryhub.com |quote = After graduation, Alda joined the U.S. Army Reserve and served a six-month tour of duty in Korea. |access-date = October 2, 2010 |archive-date = March 12, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120312015309/http://www.militaryhub.com/military-people.cfm?id=4 |url-status = dead}}</ref> he has repeatedly said he did not serve there, instead following up active duty of six months at Fort Benning with a time in the reserves in New York City.<ref>{{cite tweet |author|Alan Alda|user=alanalda| |number=1217229317387669504 |title="I got question #1 wrong because I gave the right answer. I was never in Korea."}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Alda |first=Alan |date=2006 |title=Never Have Your Dog Stuffed |url=https://www.amazon.com/Never-Have-Your-Dog-Stuffed-ebook/dp/B000FCKDIM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697757226&sr=8-2 |publisher=Random House |pages=97–101 |isbn=0812974409}}</ref> In a 2013 interview, he joked that he was in charge of a mess tent.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/the-scene/alan-alda-gets-personal-about-the-day-that-changed-his-life/1924738/ |title=Alan Alda Gets Personal About Life After MASH|date=May 6, 2013 }}</ref>

Alda's half-brother [[Antony Alda]] was born in 1956 and also became an actor.

== Career ==
=== 1958–1971: Broadway debut and early work ===
Alda began his career in the 1950s as a member of the [[Compass Players]], an improvisational comedy revue directed by [[Paul Sills]]. He later joined the improvisational group Second City in Chicago. He joined the acting company at the [[Cleveland Play House]] during their 1958–1959 season as part of a grant from the [[Ford Foundation]], appearing in productions such as ''To Dorothy a Son'', ''Heaven Come Wednesday'', ''Monique'', and ''Job''.<ref name="Leaps of Faith">{{cite book|last1=Oldenburg|first1=Chloe|title=Leaps of Faith: History of the Cleveland Play House, 1915–85|date=1985|location=Cleveland|page=85,87}}</ref> In 1958, he appeared as Carlyle Thompson III on ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'' in the episode titled "Bilko the Art Lover".

Alda portrayed Charlie Cotchipee in the 1961 [[Ossie Davis]] play ''[[Purlie Victorious]]'' on Broadway. In the November 1964 world premiere at the [[August Wilson Theatre]] of the stage version of ''[[The Owl and the Pussycat (film)#Background|The Owl and The Pussycat]]'', he played Felix the Owl, opposite Doris the Pussycat played by actress/singer [[Diana Sands]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mcclernan.blogspot.com/2014/06/strange-bedfellows.html|title=Strange bedfellows|last=Nancy|date=June 6, 2014}}</ref> an African-American actress; their onstage kiss prompted hate mail.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krhRvWCu5IA| title=Alan Alda: Talks M*A*S*H and Life Achievements &#124; Actor-to-Actor Interview | website=YouTube | date=December 17, 2019 }}</ref> He continued to play Felix the Owl for the 1964–65 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-owl-and-the-pussycat-2835#OpeningNightCast|title=The Owl and the Pussycat |website=IBDb.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EH862BL5pts/U5EXOCQVy-I/AAAAAAAACkQ/nF-HEkifBQQ/s1600/op1.png|title=''The Owl and the Pussycat'' 1964 fall selection playbill cover}}</ref> In 1966, he starred in the musical ''[[The Apple Tree]]'' on Broadway with [[Barbara Harris (actress)|Barbara Harris]], and was nominated for the [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical]] for the role. Alda said he became a [[List of people from Maine|Mainer]] in 1957 when he played at the Kennebunkport Playhouse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/2014/02/alda-ego/|title=Alda Ego &#124; PORTLAND MAGAZINE|date=February 14, 2014|access-date=April 14, 2014|archive-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415011507/http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/2014/02/alda-ego/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Alda was part of the cast, along with [[David Frost]], [[Henry Morgan (humorist)|Henry Morgan]] and [[Buck Henry]], of the American television version of ''[[That Was the Week That Was]]'', which ran as a series from January 10, 1964, to May 1965. He made his Hollywood acting debut as a supporting player in ''[[Gone Are the Days!]],'' a film version of the Broadway play ''Purlie Victorious'', which co-starred [[Ruby Dee]] and her husband, [[Ossie Davis]]. Other film roles followed, such as his portrayal of author, humorist and actor [[George Plimpton]] in the film ''[[Paper Lion (film)|Paper Lion]]'' (1968),<ref name=tca /> as well as ''[[The Extraordinary Seaman]]'' (1969), and the occult-murder-suspense thriller ''[[The Mephisto Waltz]]'' with actresses [[Jacqueline Bisset]] and [[Barbara Parkins]]. During this time, Alda frequently appeared as a game show panelist on the 1968 revival of ''[[What's My Line?]],'' and on ''[[I've Got a Secret]]'' during its 1972 syndication revival. Alda wrote several of the stories and poems featured in [[Marlo Thomas]]' television show ''[[Free to Be... You and Me]]''.

=== 1972–1983: ''M*A*S*H'' and acclaim ===
[[File:MASH TV Cast 1972.jpg|thumb|upright|Alda (left of center) as Hawkeye Pierce in ''M*A*S*H'', 1972]]

In early 1972, Alda was selected to play Hawkeye Pierce in the [[M*A*S*H (TV series)|TV adaptation]] of the 1970 film ''[[M*A*S*H (film)|M*A*S*H]]''.<ref name=tca /> He was nominated for 21 [[Emmy Award]]s, and won five. He took part in writing 19 episodes, including the 1983 2.5-hour series finale "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]", which was also the 32nd episode he directed. Alda was the only series regular to appear in all 256 episodes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/mash/hawkeye/episode/43290/trivia.html?tag=cast_summary;trivia#notes |archive-date=February 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204204533/http://www.tv.com/mash/hawkeye/episode/43290/trivia.html?tag=cast_summary;trivia%23notes |url-status=dead|title=Hawkeye Trivia and Quotes |publisher=Tv.com |access-date=May 17, 2011 }}</ref>

[[File:MASH TV cast 1974.JPG|thumb|left|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season two, 1974 (clockwise from left): [[Loretta Swit]], [[Larry Linville]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Gary Burghoff]], [[McLean Stevenson]], and Alda]]

Alda commuted from Los Angeles to his home in [[New Jersey]] every weekend for 11 years while starring in ''M*A*S*H''.<ref name="Alda2006">{{Cite book |last=Alda |first=Alan |year=2006 |title=Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: and Other Things I've Learned |location=New York |publisher=Random House |isbn=1-4000-6409-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/neverhaveyourdog00alda }}</ref> His wife and daughters lived in New Jersey and he did not want to move his family to Los Angeles, initially because he did not know how long the show would last. Alda's father Robert Alda and half-brother Antony Alda appeared together in the 20th episode of [[M*A*S*H season 8|season eight]] of ''M*A*S*H'', "Lend a Hand". Robert had previously appeared in "The Consultant" in [[M*A*S*H season 3|season three]].

[[File:Alan Alda Robert Alda MASH 1975.JPG|thumb|Alan and [[Robert Alda]] in 1975]]

During the series' first five seasons, its tone was largely that of a traditional "service comedy" in the vein of shows such as ''[[McHale's Navy]]''. As the original writers gradually left the show, Alda gained increasing control, and by the final seasons had become a producer and creative consultant. Under his watch, ''M*A*S*H'' retained its comedic foundation, but gradually assumed a more serious tone, openly addressing political and social issues. As a result, the 11 years of ''M*A*S*H'' are generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1977–1983).{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} Alda disagreed with this assessment. In a 2016 interview he said, "I don't like to write political messages. I don't like plays that have political messages. I do not think I am responsible for that."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Maron|first1=Marc|title=WTF Podcast #735 – Alan Alda|url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-735-alan-alda|website=WTFPOD.com|date=August 22, 2016 |publisher=WTF Podcast|access-date=August 30, 2016}}</ref>

Alda and his co-stars [[Wayne Rogers]] and [[McLean Stevenson]] worked well together during the first three seasons, but over time tensions developed as Alda's role grew in popularity and disrupted their characters' original 'equal' standing. Rogers and Stevenson left the show at the end of the third season.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19960217/2314536/mclean-stevenson-mash-star | work=The Seattle Times | title=Mclean Stevenson, 'Mash' Star | date=February 17, 1996 | access-date=April 23, 2013 | archive-date=April 7, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407064445/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960217&slug=2314536 | url-status=live }}</ref> Anticipating the fourth season, Alda and the producers sought a replacement for the surrogate parent role embodied in the character of Colonel Blake. Veteran actor [[Harry Morgan]], who was a fan of the series, joined the cast as Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] and carried on as one of the show's lead protagonists.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/la-xpm-2011-dec-07-la-me-harry-morgan-20111115-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Stephanie | last=Stassel | title=Harry Morgan dies at 96; star of TV's 'MASH' | date=December 7, 2011}}</ref> [[Mike Farrell]] was introduced as Hawkeye's new tentmate [[BJ Hunnicutt]].

By 1981, he was the highest paid person on a TV show with a contract paying him $225,000 an episode ($5.4 million per season).<ref>{{cite book|title=Guinness Book of Records 1982|last1=McWhiter|first1=Norris|author-link=Norris McWhirter|publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd|year=1981|isbn=0-85112-232-9|page=112}}</ref>

In his 1981 autobiography, [[Jackie Cooper]], who directed several early ''M*A*S*H'' episodes, wrote that Alda concealed a lot of hostility, and that the two of them barely spoke by the end of Cooper's tenure.<ref>Jackie Cooper, ''Please Don't Shoot My Dog'', Page 290, William Morrow & Company, 1981</ref> 

During his ''M*A*S*H'' years, Alda made several game-show appearances, most notably on ''[[The $10,000 Pyramid]],'' and as a frequent panelist on ''[[What's My Line?]]'' and ''[[To Tell the Truth]]''. He also starred in films including the 1978 comedy films ''[[Same Time, Next Year (film)|Same Time, Next Year]]'' and ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'', and wrote and starred in the title role of the 1979 political drama film ''[[The Seduction of Joe Tynan]].'' His favorite episodes of ''M*A*S*H'' are "[[Dear Sigmund]]" and "In Love and War".<ref>M*A*S*H: The Martinis & Medicine Collection – Special Features: Disc 1 – "My Favorite MASH"</ref> In 1996, Alda was ranked 41st on ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine |year=1996 |title=Special Collectors' Issue: 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time |magazine=[[TV Guide]] |issue=December 14–20 }}</ref>

==== Writing and directing credits ====

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+List of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes written and/or directed by Alan Alda
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Season
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Episode
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Credit
|-
|One || Episode 19: "The Long John Flap" || Written
|-
|rowspan="2"|Two || Episode 5: "Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde" || Written with Robert Klane
|-
|Episode 23: "Mail Call" || Directed
|-
| Three || Episode 16: "Bulletin Board" || Directed
|-
|rowspan="4"|Four || Episode 4: "The Late Captain Pierce" || Directed
|-
|Episode 7: "Dear Mildred" || Directed
|-
|Episode 8: "The Kids" || Directed
|-
|Episode 16: "Dear Ma" || Directed
|-
|rowspan="4"|Five || Episode 2: "Margaret's Engagement" || Directed
|-
|Episode 7: "[[Dear Sigmund]]" || Written and directed
|-
|Episode 12: "Exorcism" || Directed
|-
|Episode 19: "Hepatitis" || Written and directed
|-
|rowspan="5" |Six || Episode 2: "Fallen Idol" || Written and directed
|-
|Episode 4: "War of Nerves" || Written and directed
|-
|Episode 7: "In Love and War" || Written and directed
|-
|Episode 12: "Comrades in Arms, Part 1" || Written; directed with Burt Metcalfe
|-
|Episode 13: "Comrades in Arms, Part 2" || Written; directed with Burt Metcalfe
|-
|rowspan="5"|Seven || Episode 5: "The Billfold Syndrome" || Directed
|-
|Episode 8: "Major Ego" || Directed
|-
|Episode 14: "Dear Sis" || Written and directed
|-
|Episode 16: "Inga" || Written and directed
|-
|Episode 25: "The Party" || Written with Burt Metcalfe
|-
|rowspan="5"|Eight || Episode 3: "Guerilla My Dreams" || Directed
|-
|Episode 11: "Life Time" || Written with Walter D. Dishell, M.D.; Directed
|-
|Episode 15: "Yessir, That's Our Baby" || Directed
|-
|Episode 20: "Lend a Hand" || Written and directed
|-
|Episode 22: "Dreams" || Teleplay; story with James Jay Rubinfier; Directed
|-
|rowspan="4"|Nine || Episode 4: "Father's Day" || Directed
|-
|Episode 12: "Depressing News" || Directed
|-
|Episode 15: "Bottoms Up" || Directed
|-
|Episode 20: "The Life You Save" || Written with John Rappaport; Directed
|-
|rowspan="3"|Ten || Episode 6: "Communication Breakdown" || Directed
|-
|Episode 10: "Follies of the Living – Concerns of the Dead" || Written and directed
|-
|Episode 17: "Where There's a Will, There's a War" || Directed
|-
|rowspan="2"|Eleven || Episode 1: "Hey, Look Me Over" || Written with Karen Hall
|-
|Episode 16: "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" || Written with Burt Metcalfe, [[John Rappaport (screenwriter)|John Rappaport]], [[Dan Wilcox]], Thad Mumford, Elias Davis, David Pollock and Karen Hall; Directed
|}

=== 1984–1999: Established actor ===
[[File:Alan Alda (Today Show, New York) (cropped).jpg|thumb|170px|left|Alda in 1979]]
Alda's prominence in ''M*A*S*H'' provided him a platform to speak out on political topics. He has been a strong and vocal supporter of [[women's rights]] and the [[Second-wave feminism|feminist movement]].<ref name=tca /><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/10/alan-alda-feminist|title=Alan Alda Knows His Feminist History|last=Hoffman|first=Jordan|date=October 15, 2015|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=January 7, 2018|language=en}}</ref> He co-chaired, with former [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Betty Ford]], the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] Countdown campaign. In 1976, ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' dubbed him "the quintessential Honorary Woman: a feminist icon" for his activism on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment.<ref name="Alda, Alan: U.S. Actor">{{cite web|url = http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/A/htmlA/aldaalan/aldaalan.htm|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020223074839/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/A/htmlA/aldaalan/aldaalan.htm|url-status = dead|archive-date = February 23, 2002|title = Alda, Alan: U.S. Actor|publisher = The Museum of Broadcast Communications}}</ref>

During ''M*A*S*H''{{'}}s run and continuing through the 1980s, Alda embarked on a successful career as a writer and director, with the ensemble [[comedy drama]], ''[[The Four Seasons (1981 film)|The Four Seasons]]'' (1981) being perhaps his most notable hit. After ''M*A*S*H'', Alda took on a series of roles that either parodied or directly contradicted his "nice guy" image.<ref name=tca /> He then partnered with producer [[Martin Bregman]] on various films, first with an agreement at [[Universal Pictures]] in 1983, then it was moved to [[Lorimar Television|Lorimar Motion Pictures]] in 1986.<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 23, 1986|title=Alda & Bregman In Pact with Lorimar|page=5|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> In 1988, Alda starred opposite [[Ann-Margret]] in the marital comedy ''[[A New Life (film)|A New Life]]''. He also appeared frequently in the films of [[Woody Allen]], beginning with ''[[Crimes and Misdemeanors]]'' (1989).

[[File:Alan Alda Emmys 1994.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Alda at the 1994 Emmys]]
''[[Betsy's Wedding]]'' (1990) is Alda's last directing credit to date. Alda had a co-starring role as Dr. [[Robert Gallo]] in the 1993 television film ''[[And the Band Played On (film)|And the Band Played On]]''. He continued appearing in the films of his friend Woody Allen, including ''[[Manhattan Murder Mystery]]'' (1993) and ''[[Everyone Says I Love You]]'' (1996). When asked about the controversy surrounding Allen in 2019, Alda stated, "I'd work with him again if he wanted me. I'm not qualified to judge him... I just don't have enough information to convince me I shouldn't work with him. And he's an enormously talented guy."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/alan-alda-woody-allen-movies-louis-ck.html|title=Alan Alda Says He'd Work With Woody Allen Again: 'I Don't Know All the Facts'|first=Megh|last=Wright|date=January 25, 2019|website=Vulture}}</ref>

Alda played Nobel Prize–winning physicist [[Richard Feynman]] in the play ''[[QED (play)|QED]]'', which had only one other character. Although [[Peter Parnell]] wrote the play, Alda both produced and inspired it. From the fall season of 1993 until the show ended in 2005, Alda was the host for ''[[Scientific American Frontiers]]'', which began on [[PBS]] in 1990.<ref name=saf>{{cite episode|url=http://www.chedd-angier.com/frontiers/season4.html|title=Episode 1: Bionics|series=[[Scientific American Frontiers]]|publisher=Chedd-Angier Production Company|season= 4|date=October 13, 1993|url-status=live|archive-date=April 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409040820/http://www.chedd-angier.com/frontiers/season4.html|network=[[PBS]]}}</ref> In 1995, he starred as the President of the United States in [[Michael Moore]]'s [[political satire]]/comedy film ''[[Canadian Bacon]]''. Around this time, rumors circulated that Alda was considering running for the [[United States Senate]] in [[New Jersey]], but he denied this. In 1996, Alda played [[Henry Ford]], founder of the [[Ford Motor Company]], in ''Camping With Henry and Tom'', based on the book by [[Mark St. Germain]] and appeared in the comedy film, ''[[Flirting with Disaster (film)|Flirting with Disaster]]''. In 1997, Alda played National Security Adviser Alvin Jordan In ''[[Murder at 1600]]''. In 1999, Alda portrayed Dr. Gabriel Lawrence, Dr. [[Kerry Weaver]]'s mentor, in the NBC program ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'' for five episodes. During the later episodes, Lawrence was revealed to be in the early stages of [[Alzheimer's disease]]. Alda was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.emmys.com/bios/alan-alda|title=Alan Alda {{!}} Television Academy|work=Television Academy|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

Alda starred in the original Broadway production of the play ''[[Art (play)|Art]]'', which opened on March 1, 1998, at the [[Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre]]. The play won the Tony Award for Best Play.

=== Since 2000: ''The West Wing'' and other roles ===
Beginning in 2004, Alda was a regular cast member on the NBC program ''[[The West Wing]]'', portraying [[California Republican Party|California Republican]] [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] and presidential candidate [[Arnold Vinick]], until the show's conclusion in May 2006. He made his premiere in the sixth season's eighth episode, "In The Room", and was added to the opening credits with the 13th episode, "King Corn". In August 2006, Alda won an [[Emmy]] for his portrayal of Vinick in the final season of ''The West Wing''. Alda appeared in a total of 28 episodes during the show's sixth and seventh seasons. Alda had been a serious candidate, along with [[Sidney Poitier]], for the role of [[Jed Bartlet|President Josiah Bartlet]] before [[Martin Sheen]] was ultimately cast in the role. In 2004, Alda portrayed conservative Maine Senator [[Owen Brewster]] in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s Academy Award-winning film ''[[The Aviator (2004 film)|The Aviator]]'', in which he co-starred with [[Leonardo DiCaprio]]. Alda received his first [[Academy Award]] nomination for this role in 2005. Alda also had a part in the 2000 romantic comedy ''[[What Women Want]]'', as the CEO of the advertising firm where the main characters worked.

In early 2005, Alda starred as Shelly Levene in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of [[David Mamet]]'s ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross]]'', for which he received a nomination for the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play]] losing to his co-star [[Liev Schreiber]]. Throughout 2009 and 2010, he appeared in three episodes of ''[[30 Rock]]'' as Milton Greene, the biological father of [[Jack Donaghy]], played by [[Alec Baldwin]]. In January 2010, Alda hosted ''The Human Spark'', a three-part series originally broadcast on PBS discussing the nature of human uniqueness and recent studies on the human brain.<ref name=hs>{{cite web |url=http://www.chedd-angier.com/pages/spark/spark_home.html |title=The Human Spark |access-date=October 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101123229/http://www.chedd-angier.com/pages/spark/spark_home.html |archive-date=January 1, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2006, Alda contributed his voice to a part in the audio book of [[Max Brooks]]' ''[[World War Z]]''. In this book, he voiced Arthur Sinclair Jr., the director of the United States government's fictional Department of Strategic Resources (DeStRes). In 2011, Alda starred with [[Ben Stiller]], [[Matthew Broderick]] and [[Eddie Murphy]] in the comedy film ''[[Tower Heist]]''.<ref name="Cast1">{{cite web |first=Andy |last=Propst |url=http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/10-2010/alan-alda-ben-stiller-set-for-tower-heist-movie_31101.html |title=Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch Joins Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, et al. in Brett Ratner's ''Tower Heist'' Movie |publisher=Theatermania |date=October 27, 2010 |access-date=October 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222075154/http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/10-2010/alan-alda-ben-stiller-set-for-tower-heist-movie_31101.html |archive-date=February 22, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Alda returned to Broadway in November 2014, playing the role of Andrew Makepeace in the revival of ''[[Love Letters (play)|Love Letters]]'' at the [[Brooks Atkinson Theater]] alongside [[Candice Bergen]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/178311/candice-bergen-alan-alda-step-into-ar-gurneys-love-letters-on-broadway/|title=Candice Bergen & Alan Alda Step into A.R. Gurney's Love Letters on Broadway|website=Broadway.com}}</ref> In 2015, Alda appeared as a lawyer, Thomas Watters, alongside [[Tom Hanks]] as James Donovan, in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s critically acclaimed cold war drama film ''[[Bridge of Spies (film)|Bridge of Spies]]'' which received an [[Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. In 2016, Alda gained critical praise for his performance in [[Louis C.K.]]'s acclaimed web-based series ''[[Horace and Pete]]'' as the irascible Uncle Pete. [[IndieWire]] critic Sam Adams described as "his best role in years".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Sam |date=February 1, 2016 |title=Is There More to Louis C.K.'s 'Horace and Pete' Than Its Surprise Release? |url=https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/is-there-more-to-louis-c-k-s-horace-and-pete-than-its-surprise-release-124889/ |access-date=January 17, 2024 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}</ref> In regard to C.K.'s recent scandal, Alda stated, "I respect Louis so much as an artist. But he did a terrible thing, and I hope he finds a way to come to terms with both of those things."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/alan-alda-woody-allen-movies-louis-ck.html|title=Alan Alda Says He'd Work With Woody Allen Again: 'I Don't Know All the Facts'|last=Wright|first=Megh|date=January 25, 2019|website=Vulture|language=en-us|access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref> Also in 2016, Alda took part in the opening night show of [[John Mulaney]] and [[Nick Kroll]]'s ''[[The Oh, Hello Show]]'' at the [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]] on Broadway. The show is said to be inspired by "two old men at the Strand buying a copy of Alda's book". Before bringing Alda onstage, Mulaney said, "This is genuinely the best guest we ever had."<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/oh-hello-honored-its-inspiration-alan-alda.html|title=Oh, Hello's Inspiration, Alan Alda, Was Served Too Much Tuna on Opening Night|website=Vulture|date=October 11, 2016 |language=en-us|access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref>

From 2018 to 2020, Alda portrayed psychiatrist Dr. Arthur Amiot in the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]'s ''[[Ray Donovan]]''. He reprised this role in ''[[Ray Donovan: The Movie]]'' (2022). In 2019, Alda appeared in [[Noah Baumbach]]'s thirteenth film, ''[[Marriage Story]]'', as a warm-hearted lawyer who represents a stage director ([[Adam Driver]]) during the divorce proceedings. In an interview with ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', Alda discussed the effects of his illness, mainly [[Parkinson's disease]], and other related issues. He stated, "I have this tremor. It's not part of the script so I didn't want it to be distracting if Noah thought it would be distracting."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-marriage-story-alan-alda-lets-his-parkinsons-show-11572974317|title=In 'Marriage Story,' Alan Alda Lets His Parkinson's Show|first=Ellen|last=Gamerman|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=November 5, 2019}}</ref> Alda has received widespread acclaim for his performance. In 2025 Alda appeared in a cameo role in ''[[The Four Seasons (TV series)|The Four Seasons]]'', a Netflix miniseries. This was a remake of ''[[The Four Seasons (1981 film)|The Four Seasons]]'' which he directed and starred in in 1981.

== Charitable works ==
Alda has done extensive charity work. He helped narrate a 2005 [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]]-produced one-hour special TV show ''Fighting for Life''.<ref>{{cite web | title=Saint Jude TV – Fighting For Life | publisher=Saint Jude Web Site | date=December 1, 2005 | url=http://www.stjude.tv/ | access-date=April 11, 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070316091359/http://www.stjude.tv/| archive-date= March 16, 2007 | url-status=live}}</ref> His wife, Arlene, and he are also close friends of [[Marlo Thomas]], who is very active in fund-raising for the hospital that her father, [[Danny Thomas]] founded. The television special featured [[Ben Bowen]] as one of six patients being treated for childhood cancer at Saint Jude.<ref>{{Cite news  | title = Show Buz  | work = CBS News  | date = December 1, 2005 | url = http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/sections/ttv/SH7967150000.html  | access-date = April 11, 2007 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Alda and Marlo Thomas had also worked together in the early 1970s on a critically acclaimed children's album entitled ''[[Free to Be... You and Me]]'', which featured Alda, Thomas, and a number of other well-known character actors. This project remains one of the earliest public signs of his support of women's rights. Alda chaired "Men for the Equal Rights Amendment" and was appointed to the International Women's Year Commission.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0126/1489408.pdf |title=4/14/75 – International Women's Year Commission |publisher=Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library |access-date=September 14, 2022}}</ref>

== Communicating science ==
For 14 years, he served as the host of ''[[Scientific American Frontiers]]'', a television show that explored cutting-edge advances in science and technology.<ref name=saf /> In 2010, he became a visiting professor at [[Stony Brook University]].<ref name=suny-sb-soj>{{cite web|title=Alan Alda Joins SOJ Faculty|url=https://journalism.cc.stonybrook.edu/?p=464|date=December 14, 2010|publisher=SUNY Stony Brook School of Journalism|access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref> In 2009, he was a founder of the university's [[Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science]]. He continues as a member of its advisory board.<ref name=board>{{cite web|title=Advisory Board: Alan Alda|url=http://www.centerforcommunicatingscience.org/classifications/advisory-board/|work=November 17, 2010|publisher=Center For Communicating Science|access-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207194927/http://www.centerforcommunicatingscience.org/classifications/advisory-board/|archive-date=December 7, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is also on the advisory board of the Future of Life Institute.<ref name="fli">{{Citation
| title = Who We Are
| publisher = Future of Life Institute
| url = http://thefutureoflife.org/
| access-date = April 20, 2014
}}</ref> He serves on the board of the [[World Science Festival]] and is a judge for [[Math-O-Vision]].

Alda has an avid interest in [[cosmology]], and participated in [[BBC]] coverage of the opening of the [[Large Hadron Collider]], at [[CERN]], Geneva, in September 2008.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=BBC Web Site | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/bigbang/physics_rocks.shtml | title= Big Bang Day: Physics Rocks |date = September 10, 2008|access-date=September 10, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080910042225/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/bigbang/physics_rocks.shtml| archive-date= September 10, 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref>

He was named an [[Honorary Fellow]] by the [[Society for Technical Communication]] in 2014 for his work with the Center for Communicating Science and the annual [[Flame Challenge]].<ref name="Honorary Fellow">{{cite web|title=Alan Alda Named STC Honorary Fellow|url=http://notebook.stc.org/alan-alda-named-stc-honorary-fellow/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140416201842/http://notebook.stc.org/alan-alda-named-stc-honorary-fellow/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 16, 2014|access-date=April 16, 2014}}</ref> Alda would like to use his expertise in acting and communication to help scientists communicate more effectively to the public.<ref>{{cite web|title = Discovering a Common Language with Alan Alda {{!}} The New York Academy of Sciences|url = http://www.nyas.org/Publications/Detail.aspx?cid=d77626ca-e830-47da-a546-7fbeab1846f1|website = www.nyas.org|access-date = November 22, 2015|archive-date = February 3, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170203221352/http://www.nyas.org/Publications/Detail.aspx?cid=d77626ca-e830-47da-a546-7fbeab1846f1|url-status = dead}}</ref> In 2014 Alda was awarded the [[American Chemical Society]]'s [[James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry]] for the Public for his work in science communication.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centerforcommunicatingscience.org/alan-alda-receives-james-t-grady-james-h-stack-award-for-interpreting-chemistry/|title=Alan Alda receives James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry {{!}} Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science®|website=Centerforcommunicatingscience.org|access-date=October 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212084846/http://www.centerforcommunicatingscience.org/alan-alda-receives-james-t-grady-james-h-stack-award-for-interpreting-chemistry/|archive-date=February 12, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was awarded the [[National Academy of Sciences]] [[Public Welfare Medal]] in 2016 "for his extraordinary application of the skills honed as an actor to communicating science on television and stage, and by teaching scientists innovative techniques that allow them to tell their stories to the public".

In 2011 Alda wrote ''Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie'',<ref>{{cite web |title=Q & A with Alan Alda on Marie Curie |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/q-and-a-with-alan-alda-on-marie-curie-126676227/ |work=Smithsonian Magazine |last=Rentz |first=Casey |date=November 2, 2011 |access-date=June 8, 2023}}</ref> a full-length play that focuses on [[Marie Curie]]'s professional and personal life during the time between the Nobel Prizes won by her for physics and chemistry, from 1903 to 1911.

On February 18, 2021, he received the [[Kavli Foundation (United States)|Kavli Foundation]]'s first-ever Distinguished Kavli Science Communicator award for his pioneering work in communicating the excitement, mystery and marvels of science.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/programs/alan-alda-and-the-art-of-communicating-science/|title=Alan Alda and the Art of Communicating Science}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
[[File:Alan Alda circa 1960s.JPG|thumb|Alda, 1960s]]
In 1956, while attending Fordham, Alda met [[Arlene Weiss]], who was attending [[Hunter College]]. They bonded at a mutual friend's dinner party; when a rum cake accidentally fell onto the kitchen floor, they were the only two guests who did not hesitate to eat it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/fashion/weddings/theres-always-room-for-rum-cake.html|title=State of the Unions: There's Always Room for Rum Cake|last=Brady|first=Lois Smith|date=February 13, 2015|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 12, 2015}}</ref> He addressed the incident saying "We did eat the rum cake off the floor and were inseparable after that. But I was captivated by her even earlier in the meal when I heard her at the end of the table laughing at my jokes. She had me at Ha."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/alan-alda-wife-cake-b1905941.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820135237/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/alan-alda-wife-cake-b1905941.html |archive-date=August 20, 2021 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Alan Alda addresses viral claim he met wife when they both ate a cake off the floor |last=White|first=Adam |website=The Independent}}</ref> A year after his graduation, on March 15, they were married. They have three daughters, including [[Beatrice Alda|Beatrice]].

The Aldas were long-time residents of [[Leonia, New Jersey]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/18/garden/at-lunch-with-alan-alda-hawkeye-turns-mean-sensitively.html|title=At Lunch With: Alan Alda; Hawkeye Turns Mean, Sensitively|last=Kolbert|first=Elizabeth|date=May 18, 1994|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 24, 2007|quote=Ever since ''M*A*S*H'', Alda has split his time between the East Coast, where he has houses in the Hamptons and the West, where he owns a home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles.}}</ref> Alda frequented Sol & Sol Deli on Palisade Avenue in the nearby town of [[Englewood, New Jersey]]; this mirrored in his character's daydream about eating whitefish from the establishment in an episode of ''M*A*S*H'' in which Hawkeye sustains a head injury.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/103840024_Noted_Englewood_deli_closes_after_60-plus_years.html|title=Noted Englewood deli closes after 60-plus years|last=Kingergan|first=Ashley|date=September 27, 2010|work=[[The Record (Bergen County)|The Record]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922072308/http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/103840024_Noted_Englewood_deli_closes_after_60-plus_years.html|archive-date=September 22, 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=September 27, 2010|quote=Perhaps the greatest tribute to the deli came from the 1970s television show M*A*S*H. Hawkeye, one of the main characters in ''M*A*S*H*'', daydreams about whitefish from Sol & Sol after sustaining a head injury.}}</ref>

In ''Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself'', Alda described how as a teen he was raised as a Roman Catholic and eventually he realized he had begun thinking like an agnostic or atheist. While he states that he still prays on occasion, he said he wants to find meaning in this life rather than worrying about the next one.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/thingsioverheard00alda |url-access= registration |quote=for awhile in my teens. |title=Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself |last=Alda |first=Alan |date= September 4, 2007 |publisher= Random House Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-58836-648-1 |language=en}}</ref> He states that when he talks to God it often comes at times of fear rather than out of a sense of belief.<ref name=":0" /> Furthermore, he does not like to be labeled as an agnostic, stating in an interview for the 2008 question section of the [[Edge.org|Edge Foundation]] website, that it was too fancy a word for him.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|year=2008|first=Alan|last=Alda|journal=The World Question Center 2008|title=So far, I've changed my mind twice about God|page=8|url=http://www.edge.org/q2008/q08_8.html#alda|publisher=[[Edge.org|Edge Foundation, Inc.]] |access-date=January 2, 2008|archive-date=January 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102154225/http://www.edge.org/q2008/q08_8.html#alda|url-status=dead}}</ref> He argues he simply is not a believer and questions why people are so frightened of others who hold beliefs different from their own.<ref name=":1" />

On July 31, 2018, Alda appeared on ''[[CBS This Morning]]'' and announced he had been diagnosed with [[Parkinson's disease]] three years earlier.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alan-alda-reveals-parkinsons-diagnosis-today-2018-07-31/|title=Alan Alda reveals he has Parkinson's disease|date=July 31, 2018|work=CBS News / CBS This Morning|access-date=July 31, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

== Memoirs ==

In 2005, Alda published his first memoir, ''Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: and Other Things I've Learned''.<ref name="Alda2006" /> Among other stories, he recalls his [[intestine]]s becoming strangulated while on location in [[La Serena, Chile]], for his PBS show ''[[Scientific American Frontiers]]'', during which he mildly surprised a young doctor with his understanding of medical procedures, which he had learned from ''M*A*S*H''. He also talks about his mother's battle with [[schizophrenia]]. The title comes from an incident in his childhood, when Alda was distraught about his dog dying and his well-meaning father had the animal [[taxidermy|stuffed]]. Alda was horrified by the results, and took from this that sometimes we have to accept things as they are, rather than desperately and fruitlessly trying to change them.

His second memoir, ''Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself''<ref>{{Cite book|title=Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself|last=Alda|first=Alan|year=2008|publisher=Random House Trade Paperbacks – New York|isbn=978-0-8129-7752-3|url=https://archive.org/details/thingsioverheard00alda_0}}</ref> (2008), weaves together advice from public speeches he has given with personal recollections about his life and beliefs.

His third memoir, ''If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating''<ref>{{cite web |first=Alan |last=Alda |title=If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating |website=Penguin Books |url=https://www.penguin.com.au/books/if-i-understood-you-would-i-have-this-look-on-my-face-9780812989151}}</ref> (2017), is a story of his quest to learn how to communicate better, and to teach others to do the same.

== Acting credits ==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| 1963 || ''[[Gone Are the Days!]]'' || Charlie Cotchipee ||
|-
| 1968 || ''[[Paper Lion (film)|Paper Lion]]'' || [[George Plimpton]] ||
|-
| 1969 || ''[[The Extraordinary Seaman]]'' || Lt. Morton Krim ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1970 || ''[[Jenny (1970 film)|Jenny]]'' || Delano ||
|-
| ''[[The Moonshine War]]'' || John W. Martin ||
|-
| 1971 || ''[[The Mephisto Waltz]]'' || Myles Clarkson ||
|-
| 1972 || ''[[To Kill a Clown]]'' || Major Evelyn Ritchie ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1978 || ''[[Same Time, Next Year (film)|Same Time, Next Year]]'' || George Peters ||
|-
| ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'' || Bill Warren ||
|-
| 1979 || ''[[The Seduction of Joe Tynan]]'' || Joe Tynan || Also writer
|-
| 1981 || ''[[The Four Seasons (1981 film)|The Four Seasons]]'' || Jack Burroughs || rowspan="3" | Also writer and director
|-
| 1986 || ''[[Sweet Liberty]]'' || Michael Burgess 
|-
| 1988 || ''[[A New Life (film)|A New Life]]'' || Steve Giardino 
|-
| 1989 || ''[[Crimes and Misdemeanors]]'' || Lester ||
|-
| 1990 || ''[[Betsy's Wedding]]'' || Eddie Hopper || Also writer and director
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Whispers in the Dark (film)|Whispers in the Dark]]'' || Leo Green ||
|-
| 1993 || ''[[Manhattan Murder Mystery]]'' || Ted ||
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'' || President of the United States ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1996 || ''[[Flirting with Disaster (film)|Flirting with Disaster]]'' || Richard Schlichting ||
|-
| ''[[Everyone Says I Love You]]'' || Bob Dandridge ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1997 || ''[[Murder at 1600]]'' || National Security Advisor Alvin Jordan ||
|-
| ''[[Mad City (film)|Mad City]]'' || Kevin Hollander ||
|-
| 1998 || ''[[The Object of My Affection]]'' || Sidney Miller ||
|-
| 1999 || ''Keepers of the Frame'' || Himself || Documentary
|-
| 2000 || ''[[What Women Want]]'' || Dan Wanamaker ||
|-
| 2004 || ''[[The Aviator (2004 film)|The Aviator]]'' || [[Owen Brewster]] ||
|-
| 2007 || ''[[Resurrecting the Champ]]'' || Ralph Metz ||
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2008 || ''[[Diminished Capacity]]'' || Uncle Rollie Zerbs ||
|-
| ''[[Flash of Genius (film)|Flash of Genius]]'' || Gregory Lawson ||
|-
| ''[[Nothing but the Truth (2008 American film)|Nothing but the Truth]]'' || Albert Burnside ||
|-
| 2011 || ''[[Tower Heist]]'' || Arthur Shaw ||
|-
| 2012 || ''[[Wanderlust (2012 film)|Wanderlust]]'' || Carvin Wiggins ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2015 || ''[[The Longest Ride (film)|The Longest Ride]]'' || Ira Levinson ||
|-
| ''[[Bridge of Spies (film)|Bridge of Spies]]'' || Thomas Watters ||
|-
| 2019 || ''[[Marriage Story]]'' || Bert Spitz ||
|-
| 2023 || ''[[Remembering Gene Wilder]]'' || Himself ||Documentary
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| 1958 || ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'' || Carlyle Thomson III || Episode: "Bilko the Art Lover"
|-
| 1962 || ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]'' || Young Poet || Episode: "Hold for Gloria Christmas"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1963 || ''[[The Doctors and the Nurses]]'' || Dr. John Griffin || Episodes: "Many a Sullivan", "Night Sounds"
|-
| ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]'' || Dr. Glazer || Episode: "Soda Pop and Paper Flags"
|-
| ''[[East Side/West Side]]'' || Freddie Wilcox || Episode: "The Sinner"
|-
| 1965 || ''[[The Trials of O'Brien]]'' || Nick Staphos || Episode: "Picture Me a Murder"
|-
| 1967 || ''[[Coronet Blue]]'' || Clay Breznia || Episode: "Six Months to Mars"
|-
| 1968 || ''[[Premiere (TV series)|Premiere]]'' || Frank St. John || Episode: "Higher and Higher, Attorneys at Law"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1972 || ''[[The Glass House (1972 film)|The Glass House]]'' || Jonathon Paige || rowspan="2" | Television film
|-
| ''[[Playmates (1972 film)|Playmates]]'' || Marshall Barnett 
|-
| 1972–83 || ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' || [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce|Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]] || Main role, 256 episodes; also writer and director
|-
| 1973 || ''[[Isn't It Shocking?]]'' || Dan Barnes || Television film
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1974 || ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'' || Himself || Episode: "#8.13"
|-
| ''[[Free to Be... You and Me]]'' || Himself || rowspan="3" | Television film
|-
| ''[[6 Rms Riv Vu]]'' || Paul Friedman 
|-
| 1977 || ''Kill Me If You Can'' || [[Caryl Chessman|Caryl W. Chessman]]
|-
| 1984 || ''[[The Four Seasons (1981 film)#Spinoffs|The Four Seasons]]'' || Jack Burroughs || Episode: "Pilot: Part 1"; also writer and executive producer
|-
| 1993 || ''[[And the Band Played On (film)|And the Band Played On]]'' || Dr. [[Robert Gallo]] || Television film
|-
| 1993–2005 || ''[[Scientific American Frontiers]]'' || Himself (host) || 81 episodes<ref name=saf />
|-
| 1994 || ''[[White Mile]]'' || Dan Cutler || rowspan="2" | Television film
|-
| 1996 || ''[[Jake's Women#Film|Jake's Women]]'' || Jake 
|-
| 1999 || ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'' || Dr. Gabriel Lawrence || 5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2001 || ''Club Land'' || Willie Walters || rowspan="2" | Television film
|-
| ''The Killing Yard'' || Ernie Goodman 
|-
| 2004–06 || ''[[The West Wing]]'' || Senator [[Arnold Vinick]] || 28 episodes
|-
| 2005 || ''[[Getaway (TV series)|Getaway]]'' || Himself || Episode: "Found"
|-
| 2009–10 || ''[[30 Rock]]'' || Milton Greene || 3 episodes
|-
| 2011–13 || ''[[The Big C (TV series)|The Big C]]'' || Dr. Atticus Sherman || 6 episodes
|-
| 2012 || ''The Human Spark'' || Himself || 3 episodes<ref name=hs />
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2013 || ''Brains on Trial with Alan Alda'' || Himself || 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus|50 Children]]'' || Narrator || [[HBO]] documentary
|-
| 2013–14 || ''[[The Blacklist]]'' || Alan Fitch || rowspan="2" | 5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2016 || ''[[Horace and Pete]]'' || Uncle Pete 
|-
| ''[[Broad City]]'' || Dr. Jay Heller || Episode: "[[List of Broad City episodes|2016]]"
|-
| 2018–19 || ''[[The Good Fight]]'' || Solomon Waltzer || 3 episodes
|-
| 2018–20 || ''[[Ray Donovan]]'' || Dr. Arthur Amiot || 8 episodes
|-
| 2022 || ''[[Ray Donovan: The Movie]]'' || Dr. Arthur Amiot || Television film
|-
| 2025 || ''[[The Four Seasons (TV series)|The Four Seasons]]'' || Don || Episode: "Garden Party"; also producer
|}

=== Theatre ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| 1959 || ''Only in America'' || Telephone Man || [[Cort Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 1961–62 || ''[[Purlie Victorious]]'' || Charlie Cotchipee || [[Longacre Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1964 || ''Fair Game for Lovers'' || Benny || [[Cort Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| ''[[Cafe Crown]]'' || Dr. Irving Gilbert || [[Martin Beck Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 1964–65 || ''The Owl and the Pussycat'' || F. Sherman || [[Royale Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 1966–67 || ''[[The Apple Tree]]'' || Various || [[Shubert Theatre (New York City)|Shubert Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thisistheatre.com/londonshows/ourtown.html#1991 |title=Our Town by Thornton Wilder in London from 16 May 2019 through to 22 May 2019 – theatre tickets and information |publisher=thisistheatre.com |date= |accessdate=March 4, 2022}}</ref> || ''[[Our Town]]'' || Stage Manager || [[Shaftesbury Theatre]], London
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Jake's Women]]'' || Jake || [[Neil Simon Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 1998–99 || ''[[Art (play)|Art]]'' || Marc || [[Royale Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 2001–02 || ''[[QED (play)|QED]]'' || [[Richard Feynman]] || [[Vivian Beaumont Theater]], Broadway
|-
| 2003 || ''[[The Play What I Wrote]]'' || Mystery Guest Star || [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 2005 || ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross]]'' || Shelly Levene || [[Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 2014 || ''[[Love Letters (play)|Love Letters]]'' || Andrew Makepeace Ladd III || [[Brooks Atkinson Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| 2016 || ''[[Oh, Hello]]'' || Himself (opening night) || [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]], Broadway
|}

=== Podcasts ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| 2018–present || ''Clear+Vivid'' || Host || 
|-
| 2020–21 || ''Science Clear+Vivid'' || Host ||
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
[[File:Alan Alda (handprints and signature in cement).jpg|right|thumb|Alda's handprints and noseprint at [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]]]]
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Alan Alda}}
Alda has received numerous accolades including six [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] and six [[Golden Globe Awards]] as well as nominations for an [[Academy Award]], two [[BAFTA Awards]], a [[Grammy Award]], and three [[Tony Awards]]. He was inducted in the [[Television Hall of Fame]] in 1994, and received the [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]] in 2018. He has also received numerous [[List of awards and nominations received by Alan Alda#Honorary degrees|Honorary degrees]].

== Bibliography ==
*{{Cite book| title=Never Have Your Dog Stuffed | location= London| publisher=Hutchinson| year= 2006| isbn=978-0-09-179652-5 |oclc= 64931144 | first= Alan |last= Alda|author-mask=1}}
*{{Cite book | title=Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself | location=New York | publisher=Random House | year=2007 | isbn=978-1-4000-6617-9 | oclc=122309367 | first=Alan | last=Alda | author-mask=1 | url=https://archive.org/details/thingsioverheard00alda_2 }}
*{{Cite book | title=Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie | publisher=Samuel French, Inc. | isbn=978-0-573-70060-6 | year= 2013 | first= Alan | last= Alda | author-mask=1}}
*{{Cite book| title=If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? | location= New York| publisher=Random House| year= 2017| isbn=978-0-8129-8914-4 | oclc=970641564 | first= Alan |last= Alda|author-mask=1}}
*{{Cite book | title=Soldiers of Science: An Interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci | publisher=Audible Original | year= 2020 | first= Alan | last= Alda | author-mask=1}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
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{{Commons category}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb name|257}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{IBDB name|29524}}
* {{IOBDB name|28907}}
* {{Playbill person|alan-alda-vault-0000032690}}
* {{The Interviews name}}
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0093yqy Alan Alda] interview on BBC Radio 4 ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'', November 1, 1991
* [http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/18607/story_theatre/details/ Alan Alda at TVArchive.ca]

{{Alan Alda}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Alan Alda
|list1 = 
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaOutstandingDirectingComedySeries}}
{{International Emmy Founders Award}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyLeadActor}}
{{EmmyAward DramaSupportingActor}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyDirector}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1970s}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actor TV Comedy}}
{{Hasty Pudding Man of the Year}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{1994 Television Hall of Fame}}
{{Valentine Davies Award}}
{{WritersGuildofAmericaEpisodicComedyScreenplay}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Journalism|Science|Television|Theatre|Film}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alda, Alan}}
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