Alan Alda Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, comedian and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he played Hawkeye Pierce in the war television series "M*A*S*H" (1972–1983). He has also appeared on television programs such as "Scientific American Frontiers", "The West Wing", and "30 Rock", and in films such as "Same Time, Next Year" (1978) and "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989). He also experienced success as a director with 1981's "The Four Seasons". In 2004, Alda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in
M*A*S*H (TV series) "M*A*S*H" finale aired in 1983, 83.3 million homes in the United States had televisions, compared to almost 115 million in February 2010. "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" broke the record for the highest percentage of homes with television sets to watch a television series. Stories persist that the episode was seen by so many people that the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the plumbing systems broke down in some parts of the city from so many New Yorkers waiting until the end to use the toilet. Articles copied into Alan Alda's book "The Last Days of M*A*S*H" include interviews