Alan Alda Of M*A*S*H Fame Opened Up About Family Trauma And Stays Positive Despite Health Challenges

Jan 28, 2022 by apost team

Alan Alda is an American actor that is best known for his role on the hit television series "M*A*S*H." He is a six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner and received three Tony Award nominations. Some of his most popular films include "The Aviator," "Bridge of Spies" and "Marriage Story." Alda has also made memorable recurring appearances on "The West Wing" and "30 Rock." 

The star was born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo on January 28, 1936. He grew up in New York City but spent the majority of his time traveling with his father, who was a burlesque singer and actor. Alda has said that his childhood was unhappy and at times traumatic due to his mother's paranoid schizophrenia. He was also diagnosed with polio when he was seven and had to undergo painful treatments. 

Despite his challenges growing up, Alda found solace in acting and said that the hyper-vigilance he had to develop while living with his mother eventually helped him with his performances. His career began in the 1950s as a member of the improvisational group Compass Players. In 1958 he appeared on the show "The Phil Silvers Show," and from there, he began to perform on Broadway for much of the 1960s. 

In 1972, Alda auditioned for "M*A*S*H" and landed the role of Hawkeye Pierce. For his performance, Alda was nominated for an Emmy Award 21 times. He took home five of those awards. The actor also had the opportunity to write 19 episodes of the beloved TV series. Read on to learn more about Alda's childhood and what he had to say about his Parkinson's diagnosis.

Being diagnosed with polio at seven remains burned in Alda's mind due to the excruciating treatments he had to undergo. "My parents had to wrap these scorchingly hot blankets around me and hear me scream and beat the bed with my fists," he shared, according to ABC News. 

Alda added that because of this experience, he associates massages with pain. "I know everybody thinks that they're great but I think it's some kind of torture," he said.

Other memories that stand out from Alda's childhood include growing up with a mom that was a paranoid schizophrenic. "She thought people were trying to kill her. She thought I was trying to kill her. She thought I was trying to kill her very often. I resented her for not being a mother. I didn't just resent her, I hated her for it," he admitted.

Alda developed a form of hyper-vigilance to try and anticipate his mother's episodes. He shared, "In order to survive, I had to watch very carefully what was happening. What was that look in her eye? Was she telling me about something that was really taking place, or was this a psychotic fantasy?"

This skill would later be useful when Alda began acting. "It made me super aware of what was going on around me, and I think eventually that was helpful to me as an actor and as a writer because even when I'm on the stage, I'm focused on the other person," he said.

Alda would later get closure for his challenging relationship with his mom. After she passed away, he found a photo of himself as a boy among her belongings. 

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"On the edge, it says, 'My beloved son, Allie.' And I mean, that was a very important moment for me, because I saw through all of the psychosis, all the illness, the mental disorganization. And I saw through to this woman who loved her boy," Alda said.

When he finally got his big break with "M*A*S*H," Alda almost turned the role down. "Well, I thought this is great. This is one of the best things I ever read. But it's too bad I won't be able to do it because it would be shot in California and we lived in New Jersey and our children were just entering high school," he explained. Alda did end up playing Hawkeye and commuted for eight years between California and New Jersey.

The star has been married to his wife Arlene Weiss Alda since 1957. They have three children together. When asked the secret to a long marriage, Alda replied: "The only answer that I can give you is that we love each other. Respect is the gigantic thing, where you have fun together, just being -- just being pals. And when you got all of those things together, then you're in clover."

Alda revealed some shocking health news to his fans on "CBS This Morning" in 2018. He shared with the early morning viewers that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about three and a half years prior.

Alda wanted to come clean with his fans. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's, yet he continues to live a full and normal life. He continues to act, give talks and assist at the Alda Center for Communicating Science in Stony Brook. He also recently began a podcast.

Alda confessed on CBS that his first Parkinson's symptom occurred when he had a dream that he was being attacked and threw a sack of potatoes at his attacker. When he woke up, he was hitting his wife with a pillow. Acting out your dreams remains a Parkinson's symptom.

Mr. Alda said he noticed on recent television programs advertising his podcast that his thumb was twitching. That was when he decided to discuss his condition openly before someone else found out about it and would come up with a story about his diagnosis from a sad point of view.

"The reason I want to talk about it in public is that I was diagnosed three and a half years ago and I've had a full life since then," he told CBS. He wanted his fans to realize that he's the same guy he has always been, with the new matter of his Parkinson's diagnosis to consider.

The actor also revealed that he was the one who asked for the diagnostic scan to be performed. He experienced a few symptoms, read up on Parkinson's disease, and decided to get tested. So far, Alda's symptoms aren't too severe. He began taking boxing lessons and still likes to keep himself busy. 

Alda plans on sharing more information about Parkinson's with his fans on his podcast. He's also watching Parkinson's research, looking for the latest news on the subject. Alda says he looks at his situation as a puzzle to be solved, adding "I enjoy solving puzzles. It's really fun."

Do you remember Alan Alda from his films or TV shows? Did you know about his Parkinson's diagnosis? Let us know and be sure to pass this along to all of the "M*A*S*H" fans in your life!