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 University 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, “I was enthralled… “I could hear her laughing at my 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 I were the only two that went in with spoons in hand and ate it off the floor. That’s how you find 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.
65 years later, a fallen cake still appears to be a solid foundation for a relationship. They still love laughing together in their old age. They’ve come a long way from the modest apartment they shared when they were younger, but they still fully support one another.
They are still going strong after more than six decades together. They still adore each other in their old age, thanks to an unending supply of humor and great compassion for each other. Each is beyond the age of 80, but they are still actively pursuing their interests. Arlene elaborated:
“I need to write a blurb for someone’s book. I’d want to make soup. I’d want to grill some delicious chicken. I’m reading a book that I’d like to complete. I’ve been communicating via email. “I’ve made some Facebook postings.”
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 keeps us joyfully and voluntarily bonded together” is laughter.
Alan, a comedian by trade, is particularly persuaded by the value of laughter. According to the actor, laughter makes a person temporarily vulnerable, allowing social situations to flow more easily. Alan and Arlene have embraced this attitude in their marriage.
Alan’s lifestyle had to adjust to accommodate his new physical requirements.
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 responsible for the children. Meanwhile, 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.
Despite successfully raising Eve, Elizabeth, and Beatrice during 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 gotten older. When asked how Parkinson’s has affected his career, he stated that he has been very honest about his illness with the staff. In many cases, filmmakers were not put off by Alan’s condition but instead saw fresh chances to develop his characters. He went on to say:
“I’m not in the business of pretending to be healthy.” One of the reasons I talked about it publicly was to help erase some of the stigmas… It’s a typical reaction to getting depressed, but it’s not required. I mean, things may be a lot worse, but your life isn’t over. “You die with it rather than from it.”
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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. He began sleeping with a cushion between them after throwing a pillow at Arlene after a violent dream to keep him from injuring her throughout the night. He also began a physical training regimen to help with the stiffness and other bodily issues. He mentioned the following:
“With stiff fingers, tying shoelaces might be difficult. Consider playing the violin with mittens on. “The silver lining is that I’m becoming more sure that I’ll always be able to discover a solution.”
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Alan stays optimistic despite his diagnosis. He has made a good life for himself. He spends his days producing his podcast and playing chess with Arlene, and he says that “laughing with my wife” makes him the happiest, and the condition has taught him that life is a constant process of “adapting, modifying, and revising.”