Alan Alda, the veteran actor, is spending his 87th birthday with his wife of 65 years, Arlene Alda. Alan was born in New York on January 28, 1936.
He and his wife of six decades married in an unusual way. Alan and Arlene appeared on the “TODAY” show in April 2015 and claimed that it only took one terrible dessert for them to fall in love.
The screenwriter went to the musician’s house, where she had prepared dessert for her friends. The evening’s hostess had cooked a rum cake and had placed it in the refrigerator to chill. The cake slipped from the refrigerator and landed on the floor as the refrigerator shook, Alan remembered.
At that time, he and Arlene withdrew themselves from the rest of the guests and went to dive into the aforementioned dessert, and a connection happened.
Alan said that following the experience, he felt deeply in love with his future wife but couldn’t bring himself to approach her.
Alan and Arlene married in a little chapel in Houston in 1957 and honeymooned in Mexico. The “Tower Heist” actor said that they did not have enough money for their escape and had to contribute to save up.
The newlyweds rented a tiny apartment in Manhattan and worked hard to make ends meet. Arlene and Alan later had three children, Elizabeth, Eve, and Beatrice, whom they nurtured despite financial difficulties and to the best of their abilities. They “took turns” remaining at home with their kids.
Alan went on to play Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the American sitcom “M*A*S*H” in 1972. His children were in their pre-teens at the time.
As he travelled daily from the couple’s home in New Jersey to the West Coast, he had to work away from home. Alan replied in an April 2013 interview that he travelled four months out of the year for around six years when asked if he commuted to and from work every day for eleven years. The television programme ended in 1983.
The dad of three revealed that his girls were still young and living at home, and that he and Arlene did not want to relocate them. He was constantly tired from jet lag. But, in the end, he didn’t have to commute for several years. His wife had to accompany him, and the kids came when they could, Alan remembered.
#tbt with Elizabeth O'Heaney and Beatrice Alda. A simpler time when I was rocking that sailor dress!
Posted by Eve Alda Coffey on Thursday, 9 March 2017
The offspring of the six-time Emmy Award winner followed in his acting and directorial footsteps. Beatrice and her older sister Elizabeth both worked as actors before switching careers.
Elizabeth, the eldest of the three siblings, abandoned showbiz to become a teacher of the deaf and a special education teacher in general, according to their adoring father.
Meanwhile, Beatrice, her younger sister, is now a “writer/director” with an award-winning documentary called “Out Late” under her credit. They all have advanced degrees, and he is quite proud of them, Alan said of his children’s achievements.
Alan and his children’s mother, Arlene, are still married after 65 years despite a health problem. The director declared on Facebook in July 2018 that he has Parkinson’s disease.
Alan, on the other hand, acknowledged his positive reaction to the diagnosis and stated that he wished to share it with others to inspire them to “take action.” Despite the fact that it had been years since his diagnosis, the acclaimed actor stated he stayed physically active.
I decided to let people know I have Parkinson’s to encourage others to take action. I was Diagnosed 3 and a half years…
Posted by Alan Alda on Tuesday, 31 July 2018
Alan enjoys dancing with his grandson. He tweeted in August 2019 after posting a video of the couple tap dancing in the garage.
I love this video. My granddaughter and I trying a way-under-rehearsed tap routine when she was about 9. One performance only in the garage. pic.twitter.com/O40gvJcyNR
— Alan Alda (@alanalda) August 24, 2019
Meanwhile, in December of the same year, the six-time Golden Globe Award winner marvelled at a snapshot of Arlene’s “menorah with candles and potatoes” that she had cooked for the couple. He also shared a photo of his adored spouse smiling for the camera while holding a plate dinner in their kitchen.
Aside from that, the television actor enjoys wheel spins, as seen by a video he posted on Twitter in February 2017 of himself doing so on a beach.
Join in. Video of you trying something. Doesn't have to be a cartwheel, and you can be a geezer at any age. Don't get hurt. #GeezerGusto pic.twitter.com/pkouc1rkTs
— Alan Alda (@alanalda) February 13, 2017
Alan also runs across old “M*A*S*H” co-stars such as actor Mike Farrell. The two Hollywood elites met to commemorate the TV series’ “50th anniversary” in September 2022. Alan shared an Instagram photo of him and Farrell holding wine glasses and grinning at the camera, writing- Today, Mike Farrell and he are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the programme that transformed their lives – and the great friends who made it possible. MASH was a wonderful present for them.
Alan is now a full-time podcaster with 200 episodes of “Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda.” When he isn’t podcasting, he enjoys time with his wife, Arlene, at their Long Island home, playing chess, ladder ball, and binge-watching TV series. When asked how he was doing in June 2022, after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Alan said, “Surprisingly good.”
On March 15, 2022, he and Arlene celebrated their wedding anniversary, and their youngest daughter, Eve, paid homage to them on social media.
