Alan Alda is a Hollywood legend who is best known for starring in the beloved television series M*A*S*H, which ran from 1972 until 1983. What many fans don’t know about Alda, however, is that he had an extremely difficult childhood.
In a new interview, Alda is opening up about this like never before. Indeed, he’s shocked the world by revealing that his mother tried to kill his father when he was 6 years-old.
Alda’s Difficult Childhood
Alda was born Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo in New York City in 1936. He was the only child of the actor Robert Alda and his wife Joan, a former beauty pageant winner.
Alda spent his childhood traveling the country with his family, going wherever his father’s acting career took him.
“He was very famous but he hardly made much money because that was at a time when Warner had those seven-year contracts,” Alda recalled.
Alda’s mother would later be diagnosed with schizophrenia. She began to show signs of this condition in the most terrifying of ways when Alda was still just a child.
“My mother didn’t try to stab my father until I was six, but she must have shown signs of oddness before that,” Alda wrote in the opening sentence of his memoir Never Have Your Dog Stuffed.
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‘I Had To Constantly Observe Her’
When asked if this made him more empathetic, Alda told The Guardian, “I’ve thought about it a lot, but I haven’t traced an interest in empathy to that.”
“It may be true,” he continued. “What I was aware of was that I had to constantly observe her. When she told me something, I had to figure out whether this was reality or just her reality. She would point to cracks in the wall and say there were cameras in there taking our picture.”
Through his mother, Alda learned how to improvise. Indeed, for his own safety, he had to be ready to react to whatever reality she was in at any given time. Joan was finally hospitalized when Alda was a college student.
“I was in college in Paris, Dad was making a TV series in Amsterdam and Mom was running down the hotel corridor one night naked banging on doors,” Alda recalled.
Robert and Joan would eventually divorce in 1957. Joan died in 1984 at the age of 76. Robert died two years later in 1986 at age 72.
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Alda Overcomes His Tough Childhood
Alda somehow managed to overcome this difficult childhood to achieve incredible success in Hollywood. Throughout his storied career, Alda has won six Emmys, a Golden Globe, and he’s been nominated for an Oscar. Despite all of his success, however, Alda has always stayed humble.
“I don’t get proud. I get glad that I can do something,” Alda told People Magazine last month. “Proud seems like a waste of time.”
Alda has also found love with his beloved wife Arlene, who he’s been married to for 58 years. When asked if he has figured out the secret to a long and successful marriage, Alda replied, “I don’t think it can be put into a nugget.”
“It involves being aware of how much you love the person not only in tender moments but also when you’re screaming at each other,” he explained.
“Arlene has a simpler explanation,” Alda concluded. “When people ask her what’s the secret of a long marriage she says a short memory.”
Alda’s story serves as a reminder that people truly can overcome challenging childhoods to live happy and successful lives. God bless Alda for sharing his story with the world. In the end, Alan Alda is a true inspiration to us all!
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