NEED TO KNOW
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Alan Alda reflected on aging and said he realized his age when his daughters started receiving Medicare.
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Star of the series «M*A*S*H» celebrated his 90th birthday in January.
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The actor also spoke about his life with Parkinson's disease.
Alan Alda is open about aging.
At the event "Alan Alda, Joy Behar, and Roger Rosenblatt in Conversation: The New Rules of Aging," which took place at New York City's 92NY club on Thursday, May 21, the star of the series «M*A*S*H» spoke about his life at 90 years old.
«"The realization that you're old comes when you, like me, discover you have three daughters, all of whom are on Medicare," the actor explained, referring to daughters Eva (67), Elizabeth (65), and Beatrice (64). .
Alan has children with his wife, Arlene Alda, whom he married in 1957.
Alan Alda and his wife, Arlene Alda, in 2019. Photo: Charlie Galley/Getty
«"But people tell you, the whole world tells you, that you're older. I don't count my age by the number of years I've lived. I count it by how many times a day someone asks, 'How can I help you?'" Alan added.
Alana, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015, publicly announced the diagnosis in 2018. Since then, Alda has continued to act in films, receiving support from Arlene.
They married when Alan was 21. As the story goes, they met at a party when they were the only two people eating a cake that had fallen on the floor.
«"We ate rum pie off the floor and were inseparable after that. But I was captivated by her even earlier, when I heard her laughing at my jokes at the end of the table. She captivated me at first sight," he wrote on X.
Alan Alda in 2020. Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic
During an event on May 21, Alan announced that he would celebrate his 90th birthday on January 28.
«"I was just thinking about that day, the very day I turned 90," he recalled. "We went out to dinner, and at the end of the meal, the waiter came over with a cake with a candle and started singing, saying, 'Happy birthday, old gentleman.' Then I blew out the candle, and they said, 'You did that yourself. I didn't help you.' They kind of made that clear.".
His grandson, Jake Alda Coffey, shared a sweet photo of Alan from the celebratory dinner on his social media account. "Happy 90th birthday to my grandpa!! He's my biggest role model," Coffey captioned the photo. In another post, Alan is seen enjoying birthday cake with his family.
«"My grandfather was so touched by all the love he received today," Coffey added. "We spent a quiet evening celebrating his 90th birthday, full of laughter. After dinner, we went home and had rum cake baked by his friend. The perfect way to end the evening.".
Rosenblatt, 86, later asked Alda what he "liked" about being able to "look back on my life" and "think about myself not in an egotistical, artistic way, but just in a general biographical way.".
Alan replied, "I mean, I'm more interested in reality than in feeling sorry for you... I have Parkinson's. For me, it's a puzzle game. I mean, the really interesting puzzle is, how do you put your pants on without falling on the floor?"«
In May 2025, Alan told PEOPLE that he was "making progress," then jokingly added, "I didn't say in what direction.".
Alan suffers from face blindness, the inability to recognize familiar faces, known as prosopagnosia, which impacts his daily life.
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«"Almost every day I find a new way to do something," he said. "It's a bit like a game. I find some little problem, and if I keep at it, I'll eventually solve it, and then I'll feel like a million bucks. It's a way to have fun in difficult circumstances.".
Alan added that Parkinson's disease "has gone from being a part-time job to a full-time job, dealing with all these little solutions. But it makes me always find the fun in it.".
Read the original article on People.