Alan Alda, the six-time Emmy and Golden Globe Awards winner who played Hawkeye Pierce in the TV hit series MASH had quite a remarkable career. But did you know he also had an interesting personal life? He met his wife, Arlene Weiss, in the most peculiar way, and they have been together ever since.
At a mutual friend’s dinner party, Alan Alda met his wife, Arlene Weiss, when a rum cake fell onto the kitchen floor. They were the only two guests who did not hesitate to eat the said cake even after the fall.
The Life and Career of Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo or more popularly known as Alan Alda, was born on January 28, 1936. Though he was born in New York, he spent most of his childhood traveling all around the United States because of the nature of his father’s work. His father was an actor and singer, while his mother was a housewife and a former beauty-pageant winner.
After graduating from Fordham, he did a six-month tour as a gunnery officer during the Korean War. After his stint in Korea, he started acting. He was part of a comedy revue directed by Paul Sills in the 50s. He then joined Cleveland Play House towards the 60s. (Source: IMDB)
By 1972, Alda auditioned for the role of Hawkeye Pierce in the TV adaptation of the 1970 film MASH. For this role, he was nominated for 21 Emmys and won five of them. He also took part in writing some episodes, including the 2.5-hour series finale entitled Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.
His success in the TV franchise gave him a platform to speak about political topics. Alda was a solid and vocal supporter of women’s rights and feminism. In 1976, The Boston Globe dubbed him the quintessential Honorary Woman: a feminist icon for his active role on the Equal Rights Amendment. (Source: Museum TV)
Today Alda is still active in the acting scene. He dabbled in theater performances and even started writing and making films of his own. In an interview with CBS on August 1, 2018, Alda revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
I asked for a scan because I thought I might have it. I read an article by Jane Brody in The New York Times that indicated that if you have — if you act out your dreams, there’s a good chance that might be a very early symptom, where nothing else shows. By acting out your dreams, I mean I was having a dream where someone was attacking me and I threw a sack of potatoes at them, and what I was really doing was throwing a pillow at my wife.
Alan Alda on CBS
(Source: CBS)
How Did Alan Alda Meet His Wife?
While Alan Alda was attending Fordham, he met Arlene Weiss from Hunter College. They bonded over a party at a mutual friend’s place. It happened when a rum cake accidentally fell onto the kitchen floor, and they were the only two guests who did not hesitate to eat the said cake. A year after graduation, the two got married. They have three daughters; Eve, Elizabeth, and Beatrice. (Source: The New York Times)