Alan Alda

Personal context

Summary

Alan Alda is an actor, writer, and director best known for playing Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H; he also appeared in The West Wing and wrote and directed films and plays. His work includes antiwar satire, political drama, and stories about scientists and communication. During the 1970s and early 1980s, he campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, spoke at rallies, and served on the National Commission for the Observance of International Women’s Year. After years of keeping quieter about politics, he criticized Donald Trump’s handling of science and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; no public statements on DEI or LGBTQ advocacy are on record.