Here is the biography of Alan Alda:
Alan Alda was born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo on January 28, 1936, in the Bronx, New York City. His father, Robert Alda, was an Italian-American actor, and his mother, Joan Browne, was a former beauty queen. Alda's parents had Italian ancestry on his father's side and Irish ancestry on his mother's side. He spent his childhood touring the United States with his father, who was a vaudeville and burlesque performer.
Alda contracted polio at the age of 7, and his parents chose to administer a painful treatment regimen, which involved applying hot woolen blankets to his limbs and stretching his muscles. This treatment, developed by Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny, helped Alda to recover his mobility.
Alda received his secondary education at Archbishop Stepinac High School, an all-boys Roman Catholic high school in White Plains, New York. He then attended Fordham University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956.
During his college years, Alda worked at the radio station WFUV, which was owned by Fordham University. He also joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and later served in the United States Army Reserve.
Alda's early career in acting began in the 1950s, when he joined the Compass Players, an improvisational theatre revue in Chicago. He later became a member of the Second City comedy troupe and performed with the Cleveland Play House.
Alda's breakthrough role came when he was cast as chief surgeon Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the medical-themed sitcom M*A*S*H (1972-1983). The series, which was based on the novel by H. Richard Hornberger, was a huge success and ran for 11 seasons. Alda's performance earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
In addition to his work on M*A*S*H, Alda has appeared in numerous films, including "The Aviator" (2004),"Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989),and "The Four Seasons" (1981). He has also directed several films, including "Sweet Liberty" (1986) and "Betsy's Wedding" (1990).
Alda has been married to Arlene Weiss since 1957, and they have three daughters together. He has also published three memoirs, including "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed" (2005),"Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself" (2009),and "If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?" (2017).
In 2018, Alda announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015. Despite this, he has continued to work as an actor and has appeared in several films and television shows, including the crime drama series "Ray Donovan" (2013-2020).
