Alan Alda, who played Captain Pierce Hawkeye in “M*A*S*H,” met his wife over cake. Although it may appear unusual, the actor argued that it was the ideal method for them to meet. They had no doubts about their compatibility after that occurrence.
They met at a mutual friend’s gathering in 1956. Alan was attending Fordham at the time, while Arlene Weiss was attending Hunter College. The actor, who was always the joker, was spitting wisecracks from the other end of the table.
Arlene was at the opposite end of the table, laughing at everything he said as he was making jabs. Alan remembered, he was enthralled. He could hear her laughing at his jokes from the other side of the table. Alan recalled a rum cake on top of a refrigerator that had fallen on the floor during the same party. Arlene and she were the only two that went in with spoons in hand and ate it off the floor. That’s how one finds out. When two individuals eat a cake from the floor, they are done for good.
Alan drove Arlene home to the Bronx after their dinner date, which was “unheard of” for a Manhattanite. Eleven months later, they married in a small, inexpensive ceremony. They had no idea how famous they would become. They simply want a pleasant lifestyle.
A fallen cake still appears to be a solid foundation for a relationship 65 years later. They still love laughing together in their elderly age. They’ve come a long way from the modest apartment they shared when they were younger, but they still fully support one other.
They are still going strong after more than six decades together. They still adore one other in their old age, thanks to an unending supply of humor and a great compassion for each other. Each is beyond the age of 80, yet they are still actively pursuing their interests.
While Arlene juggles her to-do list, Alan creates and presents his own podcast, “Clear + Vivid with Alan Alda.” Regardless, they always find time for one another. The pair stated that “the actual glue that maintains them joyfully and voluntarily bonded together is laughter.
Alan, a comedic performer by trade, is particularly persuaded of the value of laughing. The actor stated that he feels laughter makes an individual temporarily vulnerable, allowing social settings to go more easily. Alan and Arlene have embraced this attitude in their marriage.
The two “guffawing ones,” as Arlene put it, also brought new life into the earth. Eve, Elizabeth, and Beatrice Alda are their three daughters. They reared their children on a little wage at first, but Alan quickly landed the role of Hawkeye. But then it came down to time management.
Alan was nearly always working, and Arlene was in charge of the kids. However, she didn’t want to remain a bystander while her husband pursued his dreams, so she took up photography and began writing projects. They laughed their way through even the most difficult parts.
Although successfully raising Eve, Elizabeth, and Beatrice at one of their busiest seasons, the performers remained healthy. Alan, on the other hand, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015. He kept it a secret until 2018, when he made it public for the first time.
Alan has continued to perform in TV series and films even as he has become older. When asked how Parkinson’s has impacted his profession, he stated that he has been very honest about his sickness with the staff. In many cases, filmmakers were not put off by Alan’s condition, but instead saw fresh chances to develop his characters.
The actor first saw signs of Parkinson’s disease when out walking with his wife. She saw he wasn’t swinging his arms when she glanced at him. They thought it was unusual, but he soon began acting out his fantasies, sometimes brutally. He was formally diagnosed not long after.
Alan’s lifestyle had to adjust to accommodate his new physical requirements. To avoid injuring Arlene during the night, he began sleeping with a cushion or two between him and her. He also began a physical training regimen to help with the stiffness and other bodily issues.
Alan stays optimistic despite his diagnosis. He has made a good life for himself. He spends his days performing his podcast and playing chess with Arlene, and he claims that “laughing with his wife” is what makes him the happiest. The condition has convinced him that life is a continual cycle of “adapting, adjusting, and modifying.”
