"It's too bad I'm not as wonderful a person as people say I am, because the world could use a few people like that."
Alan Alda (born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author.
A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he's enjoyed a highly accomplished career with a litany of roles under his belt. However, his best-known role is likely the iconic part of Captain Hawkeye Pierce in the long-running TV series M*A*S*H. In contrast to the fun-loving and rebellious Hawkeye, Alda has mostly played staunch authority figures and/or villains in his later career.
He's also known for his simultaneously thick and nasally voice and his outspoken political views. Most definitely a Cool Old Guy.
Film roles
- Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) as Lester
- And the Band Played On (1993) as Dr. Robert Gallo
- Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) as Ted
- Canadian Bacon (1995) as the President of the United States
- Flirting with Disaster (1996) as Richard Schlichting
- Everyone Says I Love You (1996) as Bob
- Murder at 1600 (1997) as Jordan
- The Object of My Affection (1998) as Sidney Miller
- What Women Want (2000) as Dan Wanamaker
- The Aviator (2004) as Senator Ralph Owen Brewster
- Flash of Genius (2008) as Gregory Lawson
- Tower Heist (2011) as Arthur Shaw
- Bridge of Spies (2015) as Thomas Watters
Television roles
- M*A*S*H (1972-83) as Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce
- ER (1999) as Dr. Gabriel Lawrence
- The West Wing (2004-06) as Senator Arnold Vinick (R-California)
- 30 Rock (2009-11) as Milton Greene
- The Big C (2011-13) as Dr. Atticus Sherman
- The Blacklist (2013-14) as Alan Fitch
Other Roles
- World War Z audiobook (2006) as Arthur Sinclair, Jr.
Tropes Associated With Alan Alda
- Playing Against Type: His bad-guy roles were initially playing against type, but over time they've become his type.
