‘M*A*S*H’ star Alan Alda overcame childhood
Early Life and Struggles
Alan Alda, best known as Hawkeye Pierce on MASH*, faced a tumultuous childhood.
Born in 1936 in the Bronx, he traveled frequently with his parents for his father’s burlesque career.
In his memoir, he recalled,
“How much easier it could have been for my father and me to face her illness together…
Instead, each of us was on [our] own.”
At age seven, he contracted polio. “I had nearly scalding blankets wrapped around my limbs every hour,”
he said, describing the painful therapy that helped him recover.
Career and Success
Alda made his Broadway debut in 1959 and later starred in films before gaining fame on MASH*, winning six Golden Globes.
He also appeared in The West Wing, 30 Rock, and received an Oscar nomination for The Aviator.
Personal Life
He married Arlene Wiess in 1957.
On their first dinner together, a rum cake fell on the floor, and they both ate it.
Enduring Spirit
Now 89 and battling Parkinson’s, Alda reflects on resilience, humor, and love.
“My wife says the secret of a long marriage is a short memory… it seems to work!”
