ALAN ALDA BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Alan Alda was born on January 28th, 1936 in New York City, New York with the birth name Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo.  His father, Robert Alda was an actor and a singer.  After completing High School at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, he attended Fordham College where he received his Bachelor degree in English in 1956.  He also became involved in acting with his father on television in Amsterdam as well as on stage performances in Rome.
 
When he graduated from college he joined the US Army Reserve and served for six months as a gunnery officer.  He married only once to Arlene Alda on March 15th, 1957 and they remained married today with three daughters, Eve, Elizabeth and Beatrice. 
 
He remains living in Leonia, New Jersey today with his family and continues to as he has for years, travel to California when needed for his acting career.  His career really began in 1966 when he starred in the musical, "The Apple Tree" on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award. 
 
Alan soon made his film debut in Hollywood on, "Gone are the Days?" (1963) followed by roles in the films, "Paper Lion" (1968), "The Extraordinary Seaman" (1969) and "The Mephisto Waltz" (1971).
 
His most famed role came in 1972 when he auditioned as was cast for the role of, "Hawkeye Pierce' on the television series, "M.A.S.H." (1972-1983).  In total he was nominated for twenty one Emmy's and won five of them.  He was also responsible for writing nineteen episodes and played a role in directing thirty two episodes.  In addition, he was responsible for directing the show's 1983 2 1/2 hour series finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen".  In total he appeared in 251 episodes.  He made the commute between New Jersey and Los Angeles for eleven years as he never wanted to make his family have to relocate for good. 
 
While working on the series, he also made a number of other television appearances on some game shows, most known were, "The $10,000 Pyramid" and on, "To Tell the Truth".  He was also a guest star on five episodes on, "E.R" as well as in the 1993 television movie, "And the Band Played On".   
 
After the series ended he remained working in the industry add appeared on, "Canadian Bacon" (1995), "Camping With Henry and Tom" (1996) and in 1994 he became a regular cast member on another television series, "The West Wing" (2004) for which he won an Emmy in 2006.
 
Along with being a successful actor, he was also involved during the time of filming M.A.S.H. at directing his own series, "The Four Seasons".  Alda is an author of several stories and poetry that were show on the television show, "Free To Be You and Me".
 
So far, throughout his career he has received thirty one Emmy Award nominations and two Tony Award nominations.  He has one a total of seven People's Choice Awards and in addition six Golden Globes.  In 2004 he received his first Academy Award nomination for his role in the film, "The Aviator".
 
Alda currently still works as an actor and his latest work is guest starring on, "Law & Order: LA" (2011).  Alda had always been involved in being a supporter of Women's rights and the feminist movement.  He is also very involved in charity work fundraising for hospitals.  Today he is a visiting professor at the Stony Brook University School of Journalism.

 
Filmography
 
2011 Tower Heist 
2011 Wanderlust
2009-2010 30 Rock
2008 Nothing But the Truth 
2008 Flash of Genius 
2008 Diminished Capacity 
2007 Resurrecting the Champ 
2004-2006 The West Wing 
2004 The Aviator 
2001 The Killing Yard
2001 Club Land 
2000 What Women Want 
1999 ER 
1998 The Object of My Affection 
1997 Mad City 
1997 Murder at 1600
1996 Everyone Says I Love You 
1996 Flirting with Disaster
1996 Jake's Women 
1995 Canadian Bacon 
1994 White Mile 
1993 And the Band Played On
1993 Manhattan Murder Mystery
1992 Whispers in the Dark 
1990 Betsy's Wedding 
1989 Crimes and Misdemeanors 
1988 A New Life
1986 Sweet Liberty 
1984 The Four Seasons
1972-1983 M*A*S*H
1981 The Four Seasons 
1979 The Seduction of Joe Tynan 
1978 California Suite
1978 Same Time, Next Year 
1977 Kill Me If You Can 
1974 6 Rms Riv Vu 
1973 Isn't It Shocking? 
1972 Playmates 
1972 To Kill a Clown 
1972 The Glass House 
1972 Class of '55 
1971 The Mephisto Waltz 
1971 Story Theatre
1970 The Moonshine War
1970 Jenny 
1969 The Extraordinary Seaman 
1968 Paper Lion 
1968 Premiere
1967 Coronet Blue
1966 Where's Everett 
1965 The Trials of O'Brien
1963 East Side/West Side
1963 Gone Are the Days!
1963 Route 66 
1963 The Doctors and the Nurses
1962 Naked City
1958 The Phil Silvers Show