A NEW TERM FOR ALDA ALAN ALDA BASKS IN ACCLAIM FOR HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY - AND HIS DAY JOB'S WORKING OUT WELL, TOO.Byline: David Kronke Television Writer Alan Alda Alan Alda (born January 28, 1936) is a five-time Emmy Award-winning, six-time Golden Globe-winning, Academy Award-nominated American actor. He is perhaps most famous for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the television series M*A*S*H. is enjoying life deeply right now, and it's not just due to the string of major acting nominations (Oscar, Emmy, Tony) he's earned this year. He's even embracing life's irritating moments. ``We were shooting 'The West Wing' recently, and it turned into one of those very long days,'' recalls Alda in the offices of KPCC-FM in Pasadena, lounging with a bottled water after an on-air interview. That day's drag forced him to miss a dinner with friends, but, he says, ``I was laughing and joking with the other actors, and everyone was tired and wanted to go home. Finally, one of them said, 'What are you so happy about?' And I said, 'I was supposed to be dead now.' '' The 69-year-old Alda survived a complete intestinal shutdown in Chile in October 2003; only emergency surgery in a dingy dingy used as a description of fleece wool; the wool is lacking in brightness. hospital accounts for his presence among us today. In searing sear 1 v. seared, sear·ing, sears v.tr. 1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of with or as if with a hot instrument. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. pain, he was told that if he waited to go to a better hospital, he quite likely would die. His travails in Chile inspired Alda's new memoir, the candid ``Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned'' (Random House; $24.95). Alda explains, ``There was a reason to go back over my life and sort through it, to see how I got through those tough times and bizarre events in my life, and make use of that in this time that's been given to me - this whole new, free life that I have that might've ended in Chile.'' The actor also recorded his memoir's audio-book version, suggesting he could add a Grammy nomination to his year of awards ceremonies. ``That's right - I can lose four in one year,'' he says, laughing. (At the recent Emmys, he got a laugh when, losing the Outstanding Supporting Actor supporting actor n → attore m non protagonista in a Drama trophy to William Shatner <noinclude></noinclude> William Alan Shatner (born on March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor who gained fame for playing Captain James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the starship USS Enterprise , he cheekily shredded his acceptance speech.) Alda has had plenty of awards and nominations over his career. He is the only person ever to win an Emmy for acting, writing, and directing (31 nominations in all) and he has earned three Tony nominations, including one this year for his role in the revival of David Mamet's ``Glengarry Glen Ross.'' His portrayal of Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster Ralph Owen Brewster (February 22, 1888–December 25, 1961) was an American politician from Maine. Brewster, a Republican, was solidly conservative, a close confidant of Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin and antagonist of Howard Hughes. , Howard Hughes' nemesis Nemesis (nĕm`ĭsĭs), in Greek religion and mythology, personification of the gods' retribution for violation of sacred law; the avenger. Sometimes she was said to be the goddess of good and ill fortune. in ``The Aviator,'' brought Alda an Oscar nomination. And his role on ``West Wing'' as conservative Sen. Arnold Vinick brought the Emmy nod. But Alda - the son of stage and screen actor Robert Alda Robert Alda (February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo, was an American actor. He is the father of actor Alan Alda. Biography Alda, an Italian American was born in New York City to Anthony and Frances T. D'Abruzzo. - calls the book his proudest achievement, high praise from a performer who headlined the landmark series ``M*A*S*H'' (including co-writing and directing the finale, seen by more than 100 million households, more than half the country) and directed and starred in four films from his own screenplays. Early reviews suggest his pride is justified. Publishers Weekly called his book an ``entertaining autobiography tempered with humility and a depth rarely found in celebrity memoirs,'' while Entertainment Weekly enthused, ``Alda writes with witty, self-deprecating honesty; our only complaint is that it's just 224 pages.'' ``Never Have Your Dog Stuffed'' opens with the attention-grabbing ``My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was 6,'' and later discusses his mother's insanity (she was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic schiz·o·phren·ic adj. Of, relating to, or affected by schizophrenia. n. One who is affected with schizophrenia. ) and how he dealt with it. But aside from offering just a few hilarious snapshots from his career - including being his 3-year-old self around half-naked chorus girls while his father performed in burlesque burlesque (bûrlĕsk`) [Ital.,=mockery], form of entertainment differing from comedy or farce in that it achieves its effects through caricature, ridicule, and distortion. It differs from satire in that it is devoid of any ethical element. - its resolute refusal to dish or kiss-and-tell hardly makes it a standard celebrity bio. It's actually something much more. ``I hope (readers) aren't put off by the fact that I'm famous,'' says Alda, who had polio at the age of 7. ``This is not a book about me getting famous. I wanted this to be something worth spending your time with. ... This is a story of this little boy who grows up and becomes an actor and then that actor has to learn how to become a person.'' Moments depicted from his career are often darkly comic incidents in which he faced unexpected danger. He writes of nearly immolating himself on stage during a performance when a match he didn't quite extinguish Extinguish Retire or pay off debt. set the robe he was wearing aflame. He relates how a heavy stage light nearly crushed him during another play, how he was once pummeled by both football players and Sugar Ray Robinson Noun 1. Sugar Ray Robinson - United States prizefighter who won the world middleweight championship five times and the world welterweight championship once (1921-1989) Ray Robinson, Walker Smith, Robinson and how he was almost taken hostage by an inmate while shooting a prison film. ``I'm not what I would call a reckless person; I practice a version of caution that is indistinguishable from cowardice Cowardice See also Boastfulness, Timidity. Acres, Bob a swaggerer lacking in courage. [Br. Lit.: The Rivals] Bobadill, Captain vainglorious braggart, vaunts achievements while rationalizing faintheartedness. [Br. Lit. ,'' he says, laughing. ``And yet, I keep finding myself in these spots where my life and my limbs have been in danger. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. why that is - perhaps because I had this crazy idea that while the camera's turning, I'm safe; it's all make believe. But it's not make-believe sometimes.'' Certainly, the story of his mother's madness was not make-believe. ``I couldn't talk about it with friends even into my 30s,'' admits Alda, who's been married to his wife, Arlene, for 48 years. ``It wasn't just in my family - it's hard for people nowadays to understand this, but no one talked about mental illness publicly.'' Alda's book also reveals that while the actor was starring on ``M*A*S*H,'' he received letters from distraught fans, to the point where he found himself writing what he calls ``form letters to suicidal people.'' ``That was a strange experience,'' he reflects. ``It worried me the first couple of times - I tried to take the time to write a letter for that person and by the time I had found the right words, the person could've killed themselves. This was what was so bizarre - in order to help somebody, I had to devise a form that sounded personal, but that I could get out to them in a hurry. I would personalize them, but you only have so much time when you're working 12-, 14-hour days.'' Hawkeye Pierce, the acerbic doctor he portrayed on the series, was apparently so empathetic em·pa·thet·ic adj. Empathic. em  pa·thet i·cal·ly adv. that viewers believed he could help them as
well as the fictitious military patients on the series.
``When somebody is aware of you only on a screen, that makes you appear to be some kind of a powerful character,'' he observes. ``I had a friend whose husband keeled over in the bathroom in the middle of the night, and her first thought was to call me.'' Alda laughs at the description of his book as ``feel-good black comedy,'' but seems to agree. ``I've always liked writing that acknowledges that life is dangerous and sometimes dark, and right at the same time (it) can make you laugh,'' he says. ``I've always aspired to that kind of writing. That's one of the things I always liked about 'M*A*S*H.' '' He likewise admires the scripts for his current series, ``The West Wing,'' where the liberal Alda plays the conservative Republican Vinick, currently campaigning to take the White House when President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) leaves office. ``They write it so beautifully, they don't shortchange short·change tr.v. short·changed, short·chang·ing, short·chang·es 1. To give (someone) less change than is due in a transaction. 2. anybody's argument on this show,'' he says of the drama's ecumenical approach to political commentary. ``Even if the writers may not personally agree, they make sure the argument is presented as well as it would be in real life.'' ``The West Wing'' will go live on Nov. 6 when Alda's Vinick debates Jimmy Smits' Democratic presidential candidate, Matt Santos Matthew Vincente 'Matt' Santos is a fictional character on the American television show The West Wing, played by Jimmy Smits. His initial appearance is as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Houston, Texas. Personal life Santos was born at St. . And between all of Alda's acting duties, he has squeezed in hosting PBS' ``Scientific American Scientific American U.S. monthly magazine interpreting scientific developments to lay readers. It was founded in 1845 as a newspaper describing new inventions. By 1853 its circulation had reached 30,000 and it was reporting on various sciences, such as astronomy and Frontiers'' for the past 11 years, reflecting his own interest in science - and life. ``I'll have fun wherever I am,'' he says. ``It isn't that I'm happy all the time, but whatever it is I'm doing, I notice that I'm alive while I'm doing it, and I like that.'' David Kronke, (818) 713-3638 david.kronke(at)dailynews.com THE WEST WING What: Sen. Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) turns the tables on Democratic presidential candidate Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) by targeting issues of immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. . Where: NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. (Channel 4). When: 8 p.m. Sundays. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Life's good After escaping death, `West Wing's' Alan Alda is enjoying everything (2) no caption (Alan Alda) John Lazar/Staff Photographer (3) Alan Alda, on his autobiography, ``Never Have Your Dog Stuffed'' (4) Alda's character on ``The West Wing,'' Sen. Arnold Vinick, will debate his opponent (played by Jimmy Smits) on a live broadcast of the show Nov. 6. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion