Alan Alda is tackling his illness with a grin, and boy is it a tough one! In the year 2015, the star of “M*A*S*H” got hit with the news that he has Parkinson’s disease. On top of that, he’s also dealing with face blindness, or prosopagnosia, which makes it tricky for him to recognize faces. Tough break, right?
According to an exclusive chat with People magazine, the 89-year-old legend shared that managing his Parkinson’s has become a full-blown gig. He’s constantly on the hunt for solutions to keep everything in check. But wait, there’s more – he’s always on the lookout for the humorous side of things. “Almost every day I’m finding a new way to do something,” the father of three spilled to the outlet. “It’s a little like a game. I’ve found whatever the little problem is, if I keep at it, I can eventually solve it, and then I feel like a million bucks. It’s a way to have a good time under poor circumstances.”
To keep himself occupied, Alda has been keeping busy with acting. Recently, he popped up in a cameo role in Tina Fey’s Netflix series adaptation of his 1981 film, “The Four Seasons.” And guess what? It’s already been renewed for a second season. Looks like Alda is still going strong in the entertainment industry.
One thing that keeps Alda going strong is the advice he gets from his wife. The character he plays in Fey’s series is known for dishing out tips from his wife, which actually mirrors his real-life situation. Married for a whopping 68 years, Alda and his wife, Arlene, have got it figured out. “The secret to marriage is a short memory,” Alda revealed. “We both try to practice being there when we’re there: listening, answering, taking an interest. You can get used to somebody, no matter who it is. I’ve always thought if the Pope and Mother Teresa were a couple, after a few years, they’d have to work it out.”
The love story between Alda and Arlene goes way back to their college days in 1956. They met at a friend’s party in New York City where they bonded over a piece of cake that fell on the floor. “There’s something about flirting over food, and that she laughed at my jokes meant a lot. We still laugh at each other’s jokes a lot, and she’s getting funnier every day,” Alda reminisced. As he navigates his Parkinson’s, Arlene is right there by his side, always ready to lend a helping hand.
Talking about endings, let’s dive into what it was like for Alda to film the final episode of “M*A*S*H,” titled “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” which he also directed. The Washington Post reported that over 106 million viewers tuned in to watch the series finale, making it a historic TV moment. The pressure was on for Alda to deliver a goodbye that would leave a lasting impact on fans. “I wanted to end it in a way that showed that everybody was going home with some kind of wound from the war,” Alda shared. “That the war didn’t leave anybody the way they were when they started. Sometimes it was physical wounds, and sometimes it was emotional. We wanted to be authentic about that and genuine.”
But wait, the challenges didn’t stop there. The outdoor location in the mountains of Malibu that was used for filming caught fire, burning down the entire set. Talk about a plot twist! Alda had to think quick on his feet and rewrite the script to incorporate the unexpected fire incident. And you know what? He handled it like a pro, turning the situation into an exciting improvisational moment.
So, even with Parkinson’s disease and face blindness thrown into the mix, Alan Alda continues to tackle life with a smile and a whole lot of resilience. And with his wife, Arlene, by his side, there’s no doubt that this Hollywood legend will keep pushing forward, one step at a time.
