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sagaftra.org | Fall 2018 | SAG-AFTRA 85 ery few can manage an 11-season run on one of the most acclaimed and well- known series in television history while also thriving in the roles of director, writer and producer alongside the best in the industry. Alan Alda not only embodies the finest ideals of the acting profession, but he has also distinguished himself in his charitable and educational endeavors. That's why the SAG-AFTRA National Honors and Tributes Committee has selected Alda to be the 55th recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award, SAG-AFTRA's highest tribute to performers for their career accomplishments and humanitarian efforts. The award will be presented to Alda at the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ® on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. "He is an artist whose body of work is a testament to the craft and the magic of our business. His ability to make us laugh, to think and to feel is extraordinary. From theater to television, movies and new media, Alan's dedication and talent are exceeded only by his contributions to a just and caring society," said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. Long before M*A*S*H showcased his legendary presence as Hawkeye Pierce, Alda was learning a different stagecraft. As the son of actor Robert Alda, he traveled around the United States as a child, observing his father's work as a singer in burlesque theaters, exposing him to the performing arts at a young age. In 1952, at just 16 years old, Alda spent a season onstage in summer stock with the John Kenley Players, while his father was co- starring in the Broadway hit Guys and Dolls. Alda studied English at Fordham University, which opened doors to radio hosting, performing in plays in Paris and Rome during a year abroad, and acting alongside his father in Amsterdam. Whether it was television or the theater stage, Alda acted and developed his craft every chance he got. Alda began his adult acting career in the 1950s, performing at an improv theater and occasional small roles in television. He joined the Cleveland Play House acting company during the 1958–59 season, which led to work on Broadway. He performed opposite African-American actor and singer Diana Sands in the original stage production of The Owl and the Pussycat in 1964-65, taking it on the road with future SAG Life Achievement recipient Rita Moreno in 1966. Casting of an inter-racial romance, which was the idea of producer Philip Rose, was highly unusual for the time. Later that year, he teamed with Barbara Harris and Larry Blyden in The Apple Tree, which earned Alda a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Two additional Tony nominations followed for roles in Jake's Women and in Glengarry Glen Ross. Transitioning to the big screen, he made his feature film debut as a supporting player in Gone are the Days! in 1963. The film co- starred Ruby Dee and her husband Ossie Davis, both of whom precede Alda as SAG Life Achievement Award recipients. It was based on the Broadway hit Purlie Victorious with Dee, Davis and Alda reprising their roles from the play. The following year, Alda was cast in the American television version of the political satire program That Was the Week That Was. Other roles followed, in films such as Paper Lion (1968), The Extraordinary Seaman (1969), and The Mephisto Waltz (1971), with Jacqueline Bisset. In 1972, Alda debuted in the role for which he is best known, Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce on the Korean War comedy-drama M*A*S*H. During the show's 11 seasons — far longer than the actual fighting in Korea — Alda set the record as the only person to win acting, directing and writing Emmys for the same series. He was nominated for 21 Emmy Awards and won five. Alda directed and co-wrote the series' final episode, " Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" in 1983. The episode, which was a cultural event when it aired, still ranks in the top 10 most-watched programs in the United States. During his M*A*S*H years, Alda picked up 36 writing and directing credits. Upon learning of Alda's Life Achievement honor, M*A*S*H co- star Mike Farrell said, "Alan is impossibly, frustratingly talented, M*A*S*H debuted as a TV series in 1972, winning Alda five Emmy Awards for acting, writing and directing, three DGA Awards and one WGA Award before the series ended in 1983. CBS/PHOTOFEST ©CBS