Alan Alda continues to live boldly while battling Parkinson's disease

The actor, director, writer, and podcaster has enjoyed a successful career in the arts and entertainment business over several decades.

In a 2018 interview on CBS Morning, Alda discussed how he started to notice that something was wrong. He noted that an early sign of the neurodegenerative disorder is acting out your dreams. He recalled a dream in which someone was attacking him and he threw a sack of potatoes at them. In reality, he had thrown a pillow at his wife.

In the face of a life-altering illness, Alda chose to approach his new reality in ways that would further enrich his life. He described how he was staying active with tennis, boxing, and marching to music.

In the successful 2019 film, 'Marriage Story,' Alda portrayed an aging divorce lawyer alongside other Hollywood heavyweights including Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, and Adam Driver. He also received a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award that same year.

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In recent years, Alda has had a number of television roles on the hit series 'Broad City,'The Good Fight,' and 'Ray Donovan.'

Alda was born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo is of Italian and Irish descent. His father Robert was a theatre and film actor, his mother was a homemaker. Much of his childhood was spent travelling across the U.S. while his father performed.

As a teenager, Alda began performing in summer theatre in Pennsylvania. While in college, he studied in Paris and made his first television appearance alongside his father. He had his first Broadway role in 'Only in America' in 1959.

Alan and Arlene met at dinner party in 1956 where they bonded over being the only two party goers willing to eat some of the rum cake that had accidentally fallen on the floor. Arlene is a musician, having studied the clarinet in college. She is also a photographer and writer.

The couple has been married for over 65 years and they share three daughters: Eve, Elizabeth, and Beatrice. They have eight grandchildren, two of which are pursuing a career in acting.

The iconic television series, 'M*A*S*H,' premiered in 1972 with Alda cast as 'Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce.' He played the role of the ever sarcastic army surgeon for more than a decade.

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His talents were celebrated with over 20 Emmy nominations during his time working on 'M*A*S*H.' He won Emmys for acting, writing, and directing for the television show.

The award winning series was based on the film 'M*A*S*H,' directed by Robert Altman. The show is set in the 1950s during the Korean War and follows the lives of members of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. While the show was initially described as a satire, over the 11 seasons it became best described as a 'dramedy,' touching on social issues including PTSD.

Alda has been hosting his own podcast, 'Clear + Vivid' since 2018. Stemming from his personal interest in the science of communication, the podcast highlights conversations with individuals whom Alda views as cultural 'luminaries,' all gifted with the ability to skillfully communicate and relate to others.

On his podcast, Alda has interviewed scientists, musicians, authors, and celebrities including Judd Apatow, Liev Schreiber, Melissa McCarthy, Bette Midler, Mel Brooks, Kevin Bacon, among many others.

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Alda's first memoir,'Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: and Other Things I've Learned,' was published in 2005 and contains a collection of stories from Alda's childhood. The title of the book comes from his experience around the death of his family dog and his father's decision to have the dog 'stuffed' in an attempt to help Alda feel better.

Alda wrote 'Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself' in 2008. His most recent memoir, 'If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating,' was published in 2017.

In an interview for "The New Yorker' in 2022, Alda was asked how he was doing in light of having Parkinson's Disease. Alda answered, 'Surprisingly well.' He continues to produce his podcast to support the 'Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science,' an institution that aims to teach scientists how to better communicate about science.

For decades, Alda has been a force in the entertainment industry. Though he has slowed down in the later years of his life, he continues to share his voice, knowledge, and curiosity by genuinely connecting with others in an ever-changing world.

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