Alan Alda, 85, is an Emmy-winning TV and film actor whose role as Hawkeye Piere on the 1970s hit show M*A*S*H stole the comedic hearts of many. In addition to his acting skills, he also directed 32 episodes of the show, including the series finale special. Moreover, he’s been active in the political sphere, speaking out about women’s rights in the ’70s and also encouraging folks who live with Parkinson’s to live full lives regardless (he was diagnosed in 2015).
In addition to an admirable career, Alan has a loving wife, Arlene Alda, 88, to whom he tied the knot in 1957. “My wife says the secret of a long marriage is a short memory,” Alan told Closer Weekly at the New York Film Festival premiere of Marriage Story, adding that it “seems to work!”
“I don’t think we spoil each other, we just love each other,” he added. “Without her, I wouldn’t do an awful lot because every time I’m leaving the house to do some work, she says, ‘You’re going to be great.’ And I say the same thing to her. She’s a writer and a photographer, busy all the time, and I’m very proud of her.”
Eve Alda Coffey
Eve Alda Coffey is Alan and Arlene’s first child, born December 18, 1958. Unlike her younger sisters, Eve opted for a more traditional lifestyle, staying out of the spotlight and not following in her father’s footsteps. According to her Facebook page, Eve studied psychology at Connecticut College and currently lives in Winchester, Massachusetts. Her Twitter page also suggests her former organizing with the Democratic party and continued support of her dad.
After Alan revealed he had Parkinson’s, Eve even took to her Facebook to share her support. “Glad my Dad decided to go public with Parkinson’s diagnosis, this morning,” she stated on social media, per Closer Weekly. “In his interview on CBS this morning, he was very upbeat (which is truly his approach), and mentioned he’s continued to work and has ‘had a full life’ since his diagnosis. He kinda didn’t mention that ‘full life’ is putting it mildly … I think he’s working more and harder now than he ever has!”
Alan also adorably shows his support of Eve on social media, tweeting how much he “love[d]” a tweet from his eldest after the 2018 Golden Globes #timesup activism.
Elizabeth Alda
Alan and Arlene welcomed their second child, Elizabeth Alda, on August 20, 1960. When she was younger, Elizabeth decided to follow in dad’s show business footsteps, making her first film appearance in Alan’s 1981 directorial debut The Four Seasons. She also went on to appear in the 1986 science fiction horror comedy Night of the Creeps.
Elizabeth’s acting career was pretty short-lived, however, as she then went on to pursuing a career in special education. “Elizabeth [was an] actress for a while,” Alan once told the Saturday Evening Post. “But then Elizabeth decided she didn’t really care for acting. She became a teacher of the deaf and a special education teacher in general. [My daughters] all have advanced degrees and I’m very proud of them.”
Beatrice Alda
Beatrice Alda was welcomed to the family on August 10, 1961. The now-58-year-old also caught the acting bug when she was younger, appearing alongside her sister Elizabeth in dad’s The Four Seasons. Beatrice also appeared in the movies A New Life, Men of Respect, and more. She then decided to turn her passion for entertainment behind the camera, however, forming a production company Forever Films Studios and co-directing and producing the 2008 documentary Out Late. The flick follows the lives of gay, lesbian, and transgender seniors navigating their lives after coming out late in life.
Beatrice is married to filmmaker Jennifer Brooke and they share four children together. In addition to Out Late — which Jennifer also co-directed with her partner — the pair co-directed and produced the 2016 documentary Legs: a Big Issue in a Small Town concerning a controversy around a Larry Rivers sculpture in a small American town.