Alan Alda

Despite the fact that both of his parents were devout Catholics, he would eventually become a non-believer. Even though he is often described as an atheist or an agnostic, he doesn't like those labels.

Alan Alda was born on January 28, 1936, in the Bronx, New York City, to Robert and Joan Alda. His father was an actor, singer and dancer, while his mother was a former beauty-pageant winner. He has a half-brother, Antony Alda, who is also an actor.

As a child, Alan travelled around the US with his father during his theatrical performances. He developed polio at the age of seven and had to go through months of painful treatment to fight the disease. His mother nursed him tirelessly during this time.

Unfortunately, when he was still young, his mother showed symptoms of mental illness, which was not easily understood in those days, and was something people were ashamed of. As such, she was not treated properly, and eventually the illness became so severe that she once tried to stab his father, who later divorced her.

He attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York. Later, he enrolled in Fordham College in the Bronx and completed his graduation in English in 1956. During this time, he participated in the ROTC officer training program and later went on a sixth-month tour of duty as a gunnery officer in Korea.

During his junior year at college, Alan Alda went on to study abroad in Europe and acted in a play in Rome. He then performed on television in Amsterdam, alongside his father. His Broadway debut came in 1959, when he appeared as 'Telephone Man' in the stage play, 'Only in America'.

He made guest appearances in a few television series during his stint at Broadway. When the stage play, 'Purlie Victorious', in which he played Charlie Cotchipee, was made into a film in 1963, he reprised his role and debuted on the big screen.

In 1964, he landed the major role of Felix the "Owl" in the stage version of 'The Owl and The Pussycat'. In 1966, he appeared in the Broadway musical 'The Apple Tree' for which he received a 'Tony Award' nomination for 'Best Actor'.

From 1965 to 1968, he participated in the television game show 'The Match Game'. In 1968, he portrayed George Plimpton in the film 'Paper Lion'. The next year, he appeared in 'The Extraordinary Seaman', and in 1971, he acted in 'The Mephisto Waltz'.

From 1972 to 1983, he played the protagonist Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the television series 'M*A*S*H', a situational comedy set on the backdrop of the Korean War. Alda, who was initially reluctant to do lighthearted comedy on war, went on to star in 251 episodes of the show, working as a writer in 19 and a director in 32 episodes.

Alan Alda's portrayal of the sarcastic but good-hearted Army surgeon, Hawkeye, is by far his most popular role on-screen. The series went on to become one of the highest-rated shows in U.S. television history, with the final episode, 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen', being the single most-watched episode of any American broadcast network television series.

Even though he played a short role in the movie 'The Aviator', he showed his mettle as the bullying conservative Maine Senator, Owen Brewster, in the film. He went on to receive his first 'Academy Award' nomination for the role.