Conversations with Alan Alda (2019)

<p>A Q&amp;A with Alan Alda on November 19, 2019. Moderated by Brian Rose.</p> <p>Alan Alda is indelibly linked to his eleven seasons as Dr. Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H, which debuted in 1972. His work on the comedic drama set in the Korean War made him the only person to win acting, directing and writing Emmys® for the same series. M*A*S*H became a ratings juggernaut, and remains popular with old and new audiences on streaming services and DVD. In addition to his starring role, Alda directed and co-wrote its feature-length final episode in 1983, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.” That episode still ranks in the top ten list of most-watched programs in the U.S., bested only by Super Bowls; when it originally aired, over 70 percent of all televisions in the country tuned in.</p> <p>In 2004, Alda joined the sixth season of the Peabody Award winning The West Wing as Senator Arnold Vinick. He received an Emmy® for his performance in that role, which he portrayed throughout the critically acclaimed show’s finale twenty-eight episodes later. In all, he has received 7 EMMY awards.</p> <p>Alda made his first major foray into nonfiction between those two series. He was invited to take over as the host of Scientific American Frontiers in 1993 and continued with what became Alan Alda in Scientific American Frontiers until the PBS show ended in 2005. Alda broke the mold by actively helping scientists communicate their work to viewers on a personal level, chipping away at the jargon and specialized knowledge until he – and therefore the viewer – could understand.</p> <p>Throughout his television career Alda has also been in demand for guest roles, starting with a role on The Phil Silvers Show in 1958 and continuing to the present day in shows including ER, 30 Rock, The Blacklist (for which Alda received an Emmy® nomination), The Big C, Horace and Pete, The Good Fight and, most recently, Ray Donovan. Alda has won a total of seven Emmy awards—including an International Emmy in 2012—and has been nominated 34 times. In January 2019, he