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. During the 1970s and 1980s he was viewed as the archetypal sympathetic male, though in recent years he has appeared in roles which counter that image.

Scientific American Frontiers was an American television program primarily focused on informing the public about new technologies and discoveries in science and medicine. It was a companion program to the Scientific American magazine. The show was produced for PBS in the U.S. by The Chedd-Angier Production Company, Watertown, Massachusetts (as was its predecessor, "Discover: The World of Science," a companion program to Discover magazine), and typically aired once every two to four weeks. To this day, the shows can be viewed on-line at their website.

The show first aired in 1990 with MIT professor Woodie Flowers who served as the original host from 1990 to the spring of 1993. The affable Alan Alda became the permanent host starting in the fall season of 1993 and continued until the show ended. Alda's tenure has been notable for his humble and often humorous approach: in one memorable segment, he became car sick while driving an experimental, virtual reality vehicle. In 2005, Alda published his first round of memoirs, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: and Other Things I've Learned, published by Random House (ISBN 1-4000-6409-0); in the book, he recalls his intestines becoming strangulated while on location in Chile for the show, an incident that nearly cost him his life since he was in a remote region and it was difficult to get to a doctor. Finally he found one, who turned out to be a M*A*S*H fan.

Most programs include about three shorter documentaries, but some shows follow a different pattern. The show has been popular among people interested in science and technology. Some early viewers of the program who were young at the time have ended up appearing as guests in later episodes, often stating that the program inspired them to continue their scientific pursuits.

A TV version of Scientific American magazine hosted by Alan Alda. This show presents viewers with explorations and developments from the cutting edge of medicine, mechanical and chemical engineering, computer design, environmental science and theoretical physics. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher

He did not sign on to play Hawkeye Pierce on "M*A*S*H" (1972) until 6 hours before filming began on the pilot episode.

He commuted from LA to his home in New Jersey every weekend for 11 years while starring in "M*A*S*H" (1972). His wife and daughters lived in NJ, and he did not want to uproot the family to LA, especially because he did not know how long the show would last.

Son of Robert Alda.

He, father Robert Alda and step-brother Antony Alda appeared together in an episode of "M*A*S*H" (1972), "Lend a Hand", during Season 8. Robert had previously appeared in "The Consultant" in Season 3.

Alda almost turned down the role of Hawkeye Pierce on "M*A*S*H" (1972) because he did not want war to be a "backdrop for lighthearted high jinks... I wanted to show that the war was a bad place to be."

Suffered from bad case of polio as a young child. At its worst point he was only able to move his left arm.

Has three daughters: Eve, Elizabeth Alda and Beatrice Alda.

1975 People's Choice Award: Favourite Male TV-Performer

Studied at Fordham University in New York

Earned a reported $200,000 a week for "M*A*S*H" (1972) in 1980.

"If you work very, very hard, this is the kind of actor, writer, and director you may turn out to be. And if you work extra hard, this is the kind of person you may turn out to be." - James Lipton, to students at New School University, where Alda gave an interview.

He is the son of Joan Brown, a former Miss New York pageant winner.

To show the horrors of war in a television sit-com, Alda had it written into his contract that one scene of every episode must take place in the operating room while surgery occured.

Is the only person ever to win an Emmy for acting, writing, and directing.

Studied at the Sorbonne during his junior year of college.

Served in the U. S. Army, and he went AWOL every weekend because he was dating the woman that he ultimately married, Arlene.

He was once selected as the most believable actor in the U. S.

Once did a cartwheel down the aisle while on his way to accept an award that he had just won.

Earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Fordham University (New York City, USA) in 1956.

Attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, NY.

Was one of the actors considered to play President Bartlett on "West Wing, The" (1999). Alda later landed the role of Sen. Arnold Vinick in 2004 on that series.

19 October 2003 - Underwent emergency surgery in La Serena, Chile to clear an intestinal obstruction.

Has succeeded Donald Sutherland (I) in two roles: Hawkeye Pierce in "M*A*S*H" (1972), and Flan in Six Degrees of Separation (1993). He played the latter part in an Audio Books recording. During an appearance both made at a ceremony/dinner for Queen Elizabeth II, the two happened to be standing in the reception line next to each other. As they waited for the Queen to make her way down the line, Alda whispered to Sutherland, "Thank you for my life.".

Was the only actor to appear in every episode of "M*A*S*H" (1972).

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith; pg. 7-8. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

With the exception of taking a course in "Theater Games", he's never studied acting. His degree from Fordham University is in English. He felt that he was a natural performer and that studying would ruin his gift for being natural.

His favorite curseword is "horse". It stems from an outburst he once had on a set, where he went through every obscenity he could think of, then unable to come up with anymore, he loudly stated "Horse!". According to Alda, it has since become his favorite curse.

He is an Italian-American.

Has been nominated three times for Broadway's Tony Award: in 1967, as Best Actor (Musical) for "The Apple Tree," in 1992, as Best Actor (Play) for "Jake's Women." and in 2005 as Best Performance by a featured actor (Play) for "Glengarry Glen Ross"

He has twice played characters from Maine, from opposite ends of the ethical spectrum. In "M*A*S*H" (1972) he was noble surgeon Hawkeye Pierce, whose hometown was Crabapple Cove. In Aviator, The (2004) he played corrupt U.S. Sen. Owen Brewster, nemesis of Howard Hughes (I). The author of the original "M*A*S*H" books, Maine doctor Richard Hornberger (writing as Richard Hooker (I)), based the Pierce character on himself but was said to dislike the TV version of his story as overly moralistic. As for Sen. Brewster, whose smarmy hypocrisy was well-depicted by Alda, he was booted out of the Senate by Maine voters in the next Republican primary.

Briefly considered a run for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in New Jersey after Bill Bradley (IV) announced his retirement in 1995.

Has the distinction of playing three U.S. Senators--Sen. Joe Tynan in Seduction of Joe Tynan, The (1979), real-life Sen. Owen Brewster in Aviator, The (2004) and Sen. Arnold Vinick in "West Wing, The" (1997)_. Furthermore, he received an Oscar nomination for his performance in "The Aviator.".

He and Loretta Swit were the only two to appear in both the pilot episode of "M*A*S*H" (1972) and in the final show (with the exception of the opening credits, where Gary Burghoff's character Radar appears, albeit edited after his departure from the show, and Jamie Farr, who provides the voice of the PA announcer in the pilot episode).

Was the commencement speaker at Caltech's 108th commencement in June 2002.

Born 5:07 AM.

Richard Hooker (I), who wrote the novel on which the film (M*A*S*H (1970)_)and TV show ("M*A*S*H" (1972)) were based, did not like the TV series and in particular did not like Alda's portrayal of Hawkeye Pierce.

Was the commencement speaker at the Dwight-Englewood High School Commencement in June 1978 in Englewood, NJ, when his daughter Elizabeth Alda graduated.

Despite being an active Democrat, he has recently played two Republican senators in TV and film--the fictitious Arnold Vinick in "West Wing, The" (1999) (which garnered him an Emmy win) and the real-life Owen Brewster in Aviator, The (2004) (for which he received an Academy Award nomination).

In 2005 he became the fifth actor to receive an Oscar, Emmy and Tony nomination in the same calendar year (for Aviator, The (2004), "West Wing, The" (1999) and "Glengarry Glen Ross", respectively).