ALAN ALDA Interview
Alan Alda Stars as “Milton Greene”
Watch 30 ROCK on Thursday Nights at 8:30 PM EST on NBC
December 8, 2010
By Lena Lamoray & Patrick G. Keenan
30 Rock Thursday, December 9, 8:30 PM
LIZ (TINA FEY) AND AVERY (GUEST STAR ELIZABETH BANKS) CONVINCE JACK (ALEC BALDWIN) TO TELL HIS MOTHER (GUEST STAR ELAINE STRITCH) TWO BIG SECRETS. ALAN ALDA AND WILL FORTE ALSO GUEST STAR.
Liz (Tina Fey) and Avery convince Jack (Alec Baldwin) to come clean about things that he’s been keeping from his mother (guest star Elaine Stritch) when she visits him for Christmas. Later, Liz attempts to mend Jenna’s (Jane Krakowski) relationship with Paul (guest star Will Forte). Meanwhile, Tracy (Tracy Morgan) buys the rights to a film he shot so that it will never be released and compromise his new, more serious persona. Also starring: Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander, Keith Powell and Katrina Bowden.
I spoke with ALAN ALDA about his guest spot on 30 ROCK as “Milton Greene”. What an incredible honor it was for me to speak with him and he was everything you would expect him to be, intelligent, considerate and he has an incredible sense of humor, obviously. Don’t miss him on 30 ROCK this week.
Lena Lamoray: What can you tell us about the holiday 30 Rock episode and maybe fill us in on a couple of your favorite scenes?
Alan Alda: The show is in the - during the show Alec Baldwin’s character who really can't stand his mother very much wants to get even with her and invites me to the same holiday dinner. We’re both is mother and father but haven't really seen each other since he was conceived. And it’s sort of revenge on her to bring me back together. And he doesn't expect what happens after that. It’s really - she - they have a - they keep trying to one up each other with hurtful things. And then before long they’re all - both his parents are screaming at him which in 30 Rock’s twisted way is a holiday event. It’s a happy Christmas for him - for his parents to be yelling at him because that’s the closest he’s ever been to them and that’s what he’s used to. So it’s a really backwards holiday story where instead of the family getting together and having a nice turkey together, they get together and scream at one another.
Lena Lamoray: Do you have a few favorite scenes?
Alan Alda: You know, they all were fun. I'm trying to think of one for you that sticks out in my head. No they all were fun. The - I loved the moment where I gave him a book I had written about Jimmy Carter which of course drives him crazy. No it wasn't about Jimmy Carter. It was about a multi-cultural family. And I told him that I had brought it just for him. And I loved handing it to him because, you know, he gets into his character and he really resented getting this book.
Lena Lamoray: What did you think of Bill Hader’s impression of you on SNL in the Back to the Future skit?
Alan Alda: He’s very talented. I just - I think there’s something wrong with the way I hear my own voice. Because I've heard people do me and I've never known - I've never heard the similarity. So it’s not only him but other people. And everybody tells me I have such a distinctive voice. It doesn't sound so distinctive to me. So I don't - I can't really give you much of a comment. I don't recognize it. And yet other people say oh my god that’s you. So, you know, I've always been a little hard of hearing since I was in the army when I was 21. On the firing line I lost some of my hearing. And I don't think I hear my own voice the way other people do. I actually sound more like Laurence Olivier.
More Conference Call Interview Highlights:
Q: Well M*A*S*H was a phenomenal success. How do you compare that with being on 30 Rock?
Alan Alda: You know, it’s very interesting. Excuse me - when I first went on 30 Rock -- and this is now the third time I've been on the show -- I had the same feeling about the group there that I had when we were doing M*A*S*H. It’s a very collaborative company. Everybody knows where they’re going and what they’re doing. And they all are supportive of one another. They all recognize one another’s personal personalities - one another’s - that’s - sorry that’s redundant. But they all recognize one another’s unique personalities. And they work with them. They play with them. They work around them. They’re very tuned into one another. Just the same way we were. And it’s very nice to see that's. It’s a pleasure to see that. Plus they’re working in a way similar to what we did only very - in a very different kind of comedy. But they’re - it’s similar to us in that they’re taking chances and we took chances. We did - we were officially a comedy but we worked in drama and satire and all kinds of different forms. And on this program I think they’re expanding to another kind of comedy and that’s risky. But the people who love it I think recognize how interesting and funny in a new way it is and I'm one of those people who love it. I think it’s just great.
Q: I understand that you had a near death experience that had a profound effect on your life. Can you tell us about it and how this experienced has guided your life today?
Alan Alda: Well almost exactly seven years ago -- it was October 19 seven years ago -- I was in Chile and I was doing my science show there about scientific American frontiers. And it was the last interview of the tenth season. And it was the very last interview I would do until the following year. And I was on top of a mountain in Chile talking to astronomers. And I got this pain in my stomach and it turned out to be a blocked intestine. It was about a yard of my intestine that had to be taken out in the middle of the night in an emergency operation. And I did nearly die. It came within a couple of hours of checking out I think. And when I - when the operation was over and I realized that I had survived it really did make a tremendous impression on me. I was glad to be alive in a way I never had been before. And it stuck with me. It still sticks with me. And no matter how tough things get I think that’s not so bad. This isn't so bad because I was supposed to be dead by now. And, you know, I've had seven years of a wonderful life that was extra, that was a bonus. So when I, you know, it’s really true. When I get a chance to do something new, something interesting, something that I had never done before like write a couple of books, like being on 30 Rock, and share that experience with people who were pushing the frontier a little bit it’s very exciting to me. And I realize it that it’s something that I wouldn't have had. I mean, and that includes, you know, by comparison the things I just mentioned are trivial compared to seeing my grandchildren grow up and seeing my daughters mature and become, you know, who they were destined to be from the time they were little girls. But I might not have seen that. So it has changed my life and I enjoy things a lot more. I enjoy - I even enjoy complaining more.
Q: Since you've already played Milton how do you connect or relate to him now as compared to your first guest spot?
Alan Alda: Well, you know, what’s nice is every time a character shows up -- we had this on M*A*S*H too and when I would write for the characters on M*A*S*H I would look for this -- what else can you find out about the person. And as I - sometimes very little things. You know, he’s especially affectionate towards his son who is played by Alec Baldwin of course. And it irritates Alec, you know, for this guy to be so affectionate toward him. But when you see little turns and twists on that - other ways he can be irritating to him it’s fun to discover those things. So it’s a really a process of seeing a little deeper each time into the person. Those things are bound to come out if you keep showing the person as long as they’re interested in doing more than just the one joke thing. And these writers are really excellent. So they are interested in that.
Q: Given who you were before you started in the industry and all the great roles you've had since what have you learned about yourself that you may not have if you weren't an actor.
Alan Alda: That’s an interesting question. I think I have to give you the blue ribbon for asking a question that’s never been asked before - I don't remember it being asked. Let’s see what have I learned that if I hadn't been an actor I wouldn't have learned. I think it’s very possible that I wouldn't have learned - well probably a number of things but one of the things I probably wouldn't have learned was to get in touch with my emotions the way I have to because it’s my professional obligation to. And there are an awful lot of people who don't have to and don't get in touch with their emotions. And I guess those are the ones with children who grow up saying their father was cold and that kind of thing. So that’s one thing. Another thing is I don't think I wouldn't have gotten up so early every morning because for some reason they start - when you’re in front of a camera they start the acting day at 8:00 in the morning. If I just stayed on the stage I could've gotten up at noon because, you know, you start a lot later. But there’s also this thing of acting out on the sidewalk in the bitter cold. And the only other time I had to do that when I was a door man before I could get very far in acting. So it’s not that different. You have some of the same benefits you have as being a door man.
Q: I was just wondering how is working with the rest of the cast on 30 Rock?
Alan Alda: They’re terrific. They, you know, very precise about their work. They come in ready to do it and they do it. They’re able to keep up with the fast pace that television has. But in the midst of that - in the course of it they’re really fun. They like to laugh and they like to gossip. And it’s just fun to be with them. And so I really enjoy that. They’re very bright people, very talented people. It’s always inspiring to work with a talented person. I think, you know, I've known Alec Baldwin’s work for a long time and I've always known how talented he was. But Tina is relatively new on the scene. And it just amazes me how much ability she has in so many areas. She can satirize. She can impersonate. She writes like a dream. And she’s a wonderful actress. And she’s really fun to be with. And it’s fun to talk to her. So she’s really an amazing character to me.
Q: And obviously we've mentioned M*A*S*H but is that - would you like to do another comedy series? Is that something you'd like to do or do you want to stick to guest spots?
Alan Alda: I like coming in and out of 30 Rock. So the more I can do that the happier I'll be. For one thing I don't have to travel too far, just cross the river into Queens.
Q: Are you going to be coming back do you know?
Alan Alda: I don't know. We'll see if they get inspired to write any more stories for that character. But I love doing it and I'd be happy to do it as much as they want.
Q: I know you wrote and directed many episodes of M*A*S*H - some of the best ones in fact...but does the prospect of say directing say a show like 30 Rock and the pace at which it moves sort of give you a chill or would you ever want to tackle that?
Alan Alda: No I don't think so. It makes me very happy now when a director has to worry about where to put the camera and how to organize a shot and to get the day in before everybody has to go home. And it’s not me who has to worry about it. It’s just one of the extra pleasures in life not to have to worry about those things. It’s interesting, so many people want to be directors. You know, there’s an old joke that somebody is meeting Mother Teresa and telling her how wonderful she is. And she says yeah but you know what I really want to do is direct. And - I mean, it’s because everyone wants to. But I did that already. I did it on M*A*S*H. I did it in several movies that I wrote and directed. And for the experience itself I don't really need to do it any more. And I don't need that feeling of power. There is a feeling of - a wonderful feeling of power when you’re a director especially on a big movie, less so on a television show. But you can say I'd really like that building painted yellow. And the next day it’s yellow. Or you say I'd like to have it moved over there. And it’s gone. You know, so that feels pretty good. But I don't think I need that and I'm okay without it. So no I'm very happy to just play, you know, on 30 Rock and in movies and that kind of thing. Doing this 30 Rock was - we all had to work hard to fit it in because it just happened to come at a time when I was doing two other jobs - two movies at the same time - two features at the same time. They were overlapping. And 30 Rock fell in the middle of one of them. So everybody had to work out these schedules.
Q: What comedy shows or otherwise on TV currently that make you laugh?
Alan Alda: You know, I don't watch that much TV so I can't compare one show to another. I mainly - when I watch television I watch people talking to one another usually or a science show where they show me microbes, you know. Microbes actually communicate quite a bit and so there’s a lot of talking going on.
Q: So between shooting M*A*S*H and 30 Rock what are the main differences from now to then just in the aspect of filming? Is it faster - a faster process?
Alan Alda: No I think the process of those two shows is pretty much the same. But I think - my guess is - I'm not authoritative about this but I get the impression that 30 Rock is unusual among modern shows in that it’s shot on film like a movie. And that’s the way we shot M*A*S*H. So it’s a rhythm and a schedule that I'm used to. It’s not shot in front of an audience the way many shows are, you know, with four cameras shooting the show in one go and they do two versions of it and pick ups all the night long. I think that’s a process that I don't - I've never - I don’t think I've ever done. And I'm used to this process and it’s - you can do things in this way of working that you can't do the other way and vice versa I suppose. So not all that much different
Q: What advice would you give to actors maybe just starting out?
Alan Alda: Make sure it’s the only thing in your life that you can do. Make sure you have plenty of other interests so that when you’re waiting to get work your life will be satisfying. And if you never get work you'll have something else to go to that you have a passion for. Make sure you have a spouse or a partner who shares your values because that may be the only person you'll ever meet who shares your values. And I would say study improvising because that gets to the heart of acting which is connecting with the other people.
Q: On the very first introduction of your character on 30 Rock Steve Buscemi was also on that episode. Were you watching Boardwalk Empire and following Steve’s latest effort?
Alan Alda: Yeah I'm very happy for him. I don't - I've only met Steve a couple of times and I never got a chance to work with him. But I always admire his work and I'm very glad that he’s got such a big success with the Boardwalk movies. He’s really terrific. He’s one of those special actors that you immediately recognize him and yet he’s got a tremendous amount of variety in his work. So it’s very nice for him.
Q: How did you first get involved with 30 Rock.
Alan Alda: They called me up and they asked me if I wanted to be Alec Baldwin’s father. And I was delighted. You know, it’s very funny to - it’s a funny feeling to work with people who you consider your colleagues and to realize that they actually are young enough to be your children. You know, Alec and Tina and pretty much everybody on the set could be, you know, is young enough to be a child of mine. And yet I'm - there’s no sense on my part that I'm any older than them. I mean, I look at Alec and I think in some way well we’re sort of the same age. We have a wealth of experience that we share. And then I think wait a minute. I have daughters the same age. You know, so it’s kind of - it’s funny when I step back and reflect on it.
Q: It’s amazing to see you play with Elaine Stritch. Have you enjoyed it as well?
Alan Alda: Oh yeah. You know, she’s remarkable. When we were shooting this episode that’s going to be on Thursday night she was coming in and shooting for a full day which is tiring for anybody. And then she was going out at night and leaving the set and going to do a Broadway musical -- A Little Night Music -- which is - to do a musical takes a tremendous amount of energy because you have to act and sing at the same time. And everything has to be precise. Because you can't forget the lyrics because the band keeps playing, you know, and you’re under a certain amount of pressure. And she was doing two full time jobs at the same time. And it takes - I was really - I admired her energy very much.
Q: Do you have a favorite episode of M*A*S*H?
Alan Alda: No I don't. I get asked that a lot but I don't. I tried to figure it out once. And I think there were about 15 or 20 shows at the top of my list but no single favorite. I liked the most the ones where we told the story in a different way - like the dreams episode or the black and white interview episode or where the camera was the eyes of the patient - the point of view - from the point of view of the patient. And it’s - those shows that were very different stick out in my head because we took a risk and we shook up the format. And it always reminds me that the audience was generous with us and let us play around like that. But we had a feeling that they'd let us come back the following week even if they didn't go for the shift as much as we'd hoped they would. But as it turned out I think that was one of the pleasure of watching the show was to see what we were going to try to do next.
Q: Do you have any plans to do any more musicals.
Alan Alda: I don't have any plans. Musicals are hard for me because I got thrown out of the glee club in high school because I couldn't sing in tune at the time. I can sing in tune now but I have to work really hard on it to make sure that I don't exercise one of my great talents which is the ability to sing in three keys at the same time. And - but, I mean, when I work on it I can do it. but it’s a little scary. But then I like to do scary things. So, I mean, eventually I may do it. But I'm not so sure I want to show up eight times a week. That’s why I admire Elaine Stritch so much that she really digs in and gives her all to it. But you know how politicians are always saying they want to spend more time with their family? Well I actually do.
Q: You’re a big fan of science. Have you been following the new life form they've discovered recently and what you think about it.
Alan Alda: Actually I discovered it first in my shoe. It is fascinating isn't it that you could get these little guys to eat arsenic like that and then incorporate it into their DNA. I'm wondering - I'm really curious to read more about it because there were still traces of phosphorous so maybe they were just getting by on the arsenic somehow. I mean, I wonder if that’s really a building block. You didn't mean for me to really get into this. I'm just curious about...Yeah no I was interested in it. But I'm really interested in to see where it goes from here and what conclusions they'll draw. I mean, I wonder if they'll be able to actually look for more kinds of life not only on other planets but on our own planet. Maybe this will give them a chance to discover kinds of life that we didn’t even know existed here. Actually they might find intelligent life somewhere here.
Q: I know you said you don't watch TV too much. But excluding Jack Donaghy which character currently on TV today do you actually enjoy watching the most?
Alan Alda: I love Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry David. I think he’s really created a moldier character that’s so risky. I mean, it’s amazing that you can enjoy watching that schmuck...week in and week out. I mean, but he’s so offbeat and off base that it’s delicious to see the mistakes he makes. It’s a little bit like Archie Bunker was where, you know, he gave voice to attitudes and a temperament that you never saw before on television and said many regrettable things. But it’s even a slyer version of that I think. As I - I've never been on that set but as I understand it he writes an outline and they improve most of it. Is that what you understand?
Q: Is that something that you would do one day?
Alan Alda: Oh I would love it. I love to improvise. And I started out as an improviser. And I was always suggesting on the M*A*S*H set that we do a little bit of improvising. We never did. You know, a lot of people asked us did we improvise much. We didn't improvise a smidgen. Every work was as written. But we did one episode that was improvised. And it was one of our special ones which was the interview show - one of the black and white interview shows where we improvised a lot of the - most of the speeches that were then organized and punched up by Larry Gelbart. And then there were moments that were improvised on the spot where the interviewer was just asking us questions on camera that we had never heard before and we'd answer in character. So that was really a lot of fun. I think - I see movies now where improvisation is used much more than it ever has been before. And those movies tend to be really interesting in terms of the performances because they’re much more spontaneous.
Q: Well you talked a little bit about your time on the 30 Rock set. And I was wondering what it was like for you to formulate this character. Obviously the writers, you know, come up with so much material. But when you were there on set working with Alec and Elaine did you start to think of some other ideas to bring to the table?
Alan Alda: No. I do what they say. You know, what’s in the script is what I do. And they’re really - you know, that writing is very very carefully worked out. And there were a lot of people working on those scripts. We did a table reading of this show that’s going to be on Thursday night. And we were at a - usually you’re at a table and there are, you know, six or seven writers there. I don't know who all these people were. There was a roomful of about 50 people and they were all involved in creating the show. So it was like an audience. It was like you did an off-Broadway play that morning. And it was really exciting to do that because you got live reactions to the humor. And it sparked everybody into another level of energy - the actors. It was a very interesting experience. It was a table read of a kind I hadn't been to before because there were so many people involved. So I really enjoyed that. But I get - in answer to your question I get - what I find to do I find in the script. And, you know, I examine the script to try to see what veins are there to be explored. But I don't - just because I write and I direct I don't - that doesn't mean I offer suggestions in those areas when I go to work with other people. They have their own inspiration and I try to serve that.
Q: Well in terms of just working with Alec on some of these scenes you guys have incredible chemistry together. So is that something that kind of came together naturally? Or how did that start to develop?
Alan Alda: Yeah Alec and I know each other off camera a little bit and, you know, bump into each other time to time. And I think professionally and personally we both enjoy one another and one another’s company. And I think we respect one another as actors. So we - it is fun to play opposite somebody when you have that going for you. There’s an extra charge. You know, it’s like those machines - in the old fashioned movies where that giant spark goes from one pole to another. That’s what happens when you’re playing with another actor that you really enjoy both as an actor and as a person. And I think we both have that.
Q: I really love the Four Seasons that you wrote, directed and starred in with Carol Burnett. Was that a good experience for you?
Alan Alda: It was. It was one of the very happy experiences I have in my memory because I loved working with those people. It was a script that came out of experiences in my life. And my family was involved. And my wife was taking pictures and writing a book about what it was like to be on the set. And I used her photographs. She did a whole special series of photographs for the movie because one of the characters was a photographer. And two of our daughters were in the movie. So it was a very happy time. And I think it turned out probably better than any other picture that I wrote and directed. So I had a great time doing it. And I have nice memories of it.
Q: On M*A*S*H you shot half a season on an outdoor set and the other half of the season indoors replicating that outdoor set. Do you miss working out of doors?
Alan Alda: Not when it gets cold. Although the cold was responsible for some of the camaraderie that we had on that set. We had an enormous amount of camaraderie. But when we shot the pilot we did it in December when it gets - it can get really cold in the mountains in Malibu in December. And we were all wearing Hawaiian shirts. It was supposed to be summer. And we were freezing. And so we would stand with our arms around one another by huge pots of fires, you know, big oil drums that had fires in them just to keep warm between the shots. So you get to know the cast very well when you spend two weeks hugging each other. And that sort of put us in the same boat together. But, you know, we would shoot a day or so or a day or two of each episode outdoors. And when it got too cold and the days were too short we wouldn't go out at all and we'd do the whole show indoors. But we had a set indoors that looked like you were outdoors part of the time too. We had interiors and exteriors of the sets. And we had a big cyclorama that represented Korea. So if you shot, you know, across the sound stage with that in the background if it was lit well it would look like you were outside.
Q: If you could go back in time and star in any TV show which one would it be and why?
Alan Alda: If I could go back in time and star in some TV show? You mean - it has to be in the past? I really don't know. It probably would've been really fun to be on the Honeymooners or Lucy because they were such groundbreaking shows. Maybe even the Honeymooners more than anything because that sounded like a really risky thing to do. I know, that’s funny I've said that several times today the word risky. So you'll have to excuse me. But I remember reading that Jackie Gleason used to read the script at home. He wouldn't show up for rehearsal. And he'd come in and do the show live almost like an improvisation and usually say all of his lines. But sometimes he'd get lost and everybody would have to improvise with him. The only part about that I don't like is not showing up for rehearsal because there’s a lot of - it’s not like respectful to the other actors I don't think. But I suppose he felt he did his best that way. So I don't know if I would have liked to be on the Honeymooners come to think of it. I'm glad you brought that up because if I get an offer to be on the Honeymooners I'm going to turn it down.
Q: What are some advances in science you see coming out in the near future and which one are you the most excited about?
Alan Alda: Well I'm really interested in scientists trying to figure out how the universe works or the many universes that there might be - the multiverse. And I'm hoping that the new super collider in Cern - in Switzerland will be able to throw some light on string theory. And maybe they'll be able to prove some of the ideas that have been postulated in string theory and maybe we'll understand more about how the universe works. So I'm looking forward to that as they increase their voltage there.
Q: I know you’re obviously a really good multi-tasker since you've, you know, acted and wrote and directed M*A*S*H often at the same time. And I know for one season you even created and wrote another sitcom? And so I was just wondering what’s your secret to having such creative bursts of energy and being able to multi-task like that?
Alan Alda: Yeah We'll Get By. You know, the only way I could do it and I actually - while I was doing M*A*S*H I did two or three pilots plus We'll Get By. And then right after M*A*S*H I did a short series based on the Four Seasons. And I was doing a lot of this stuff at the same time. In fact while I was doing the series for Four Seasons both my parents were dying. And I was - I would be writing the show while I was being driven in cars back and forth to hospitals. And that was an example of pressure you can't - you really don't know you’re going to get. This pressure just comes at you sometimes and you can't prepare against it. But the only way I could deal with it was to do what I was doing when I was doing it and not think about the other deadlines that were still hanging over my head from all the other things I was doing. So if I was going to spend 15 minutes on one of those tasks whether it was being at my mother’s bedside or acting a scene when I knew I had to come up with a written scene two hours after that I wouldn't think about anything but what I was doing at the time. And that’s kind of a good - it’s kind of good training for the rest of your life even if you’re not having to multi-task because whatever you’re doing deserves the attention you have. That’s why it drives me nuts when I'm with somebody who -- usually it’s a very young person -- who’s supposed to be having a conversation but is texting while they’re talking. You know, if you’re talking talk. If you’re texting text. You really can't - multi-tasking I don't think is possible. You can't really do two things at once. You have to do one thing at a time and really do it. Otherwise you don't even know you’re living. You don't even know you’re alive. At least that’s the way I look at it. Yeah actually I hope I said that right because I'm playing chess on the computer while we’re talking.
Q: I was wondering do you ever see a little bit of yourself in Tina Fey the way she’s running around rewriting lines.
Alan Alda: What amazes me - I don't know how she does it because she has a young child - I think one. Might even have more than - I think just one. And that’s a full time job. And then she’s got writing and producing and acting. Acting is a full time job. It amazes me because she doesn't look as exhausted as I used to look. So I really don't - I'm filled with admiration for her. And she’s doing at least as much as I did when I was doing M*A*S*H. So I don't know how she does it.
Q: You were coming from such an iconic role as Hawkeye Pierce. And I wanted to know is there anything you do consciously when you’re doing a new role that gee Hawkeye would've done that or said that? Is there anything you consciously do to step aside form that role? Because you've never been type cast.
Alan Alda: Well, you know, I think you’re right. I don't think I have been type cast. I think maybe one of the reasons why is that while I was doing M*A*S*H I was able to play other characters in movies. And so I sort of registered as an actor and not as that character. But I don't consciously try to be different. I just try to play the character. You know, every character is a little different. And I don't even - it doesn't bother me if a character is a little like another character I played as long as I can try sincerely to be fully who that person is.
Q: You give some pretty good detail on NASA’s bacteria. I'm thinking you’re a bit of a nerd. Have you always had this interest in science and things like that?
Alan Alda: Yeah I always have and it’s always been one of the pleasures of my life just to track what these really smart people are doing. And I'm just, you know, a consumer of science but I'm an avid consumer of it. And as a matter of fact, you know, for about a dozen years I've done PBS series on science where I must've interviewed 600 or 700 scientists during that time. But I also - one of my - I guess it’s a hobby. It’s an interest. It’s a passion actually - is to help scientists be more spontaneous and be better communicators of science. And I've helped start a center for communicating science at Stony Brook University. And it’s really starting to cook. And little by little it'll spread around to other universities. There are several universities that want to partner up with us and give scientists training all through their science education - training in communication skills both in writing and in personal presentations. And it’s working. And the scientists are very eager to take this instruction. And at Stony Brook they’re getting credit in their science curriculum - credit for studying communication. So I think it’s going to be a very important thing for science as this idea spreads. We’re not the only people interested. But I think this is the first time a university is working so pointedly on making sure that the scientists get communication skills. That’s more of an answer than you meant to get. Yeah I'm really dedicated to it. And I would - we just did a - on Friday we were down in Washington DC and we did an hour and a half presentation to 600 deans of graduate schools. And many of them were - signed up to get more information about how they could train scientists in communication. And it’s really beginning to spread now. I'm very excited about it.
Q: Do you have an idea the impact you've had on pop culture? Your show M*A*S*H - what it has done. It’s become such a hit that will be remembered for hundreds of years. And what you've done, I mean, are you cognizant of it?
Alan Alda: Never think about it. I'm sort of aware of it but not - I don't think in any way the way you’re describing it. And I have to tell you when we were in the midst of doing it we really had no idea of the impact we were having. Because we were just working as hard as we could to do good shows. Or as Jack Benny once said he said I try never to do a lousy show. And that’s actually a pretty good standard. But people - in the beginning we were shocked that people would come up to us in airports and say - and they'd whisper keep up the good work like we were part of some kind of an underground movement. And the night that the show ended and we drove through the streets and saw that the streets were empty because everybody was home - about half the country...half the population of the country was watching the show at the same time. And it was a shock to us. We really didn't understand until that moment what kind of an impact the program had. Which is good because otherwise you'd get a little stiff, you know...You'd get a little self-important.
Q: Would you ever say yes or help out or be behind a remake or a reboot of M*A*S*H?
Alan Alda: No, no. We did the best we could and our time has passed and I don't think - I think what we did ought to be left as it is. Yeah. I mean, it represents what we did at the time and it’s - I would hate to see it raked over again. It's...I mean, it was - most of - would you want to see the Honeymooners again? I wouldn't. I want to see Jackie Gleason not some...Somebody said that they want to do -- I'm not comparing M*A*S*H to the Wizard of Oz because they’re two completely different things that had completely different impacts -- but somebody said that they’re thinking about doing the Wizard of Oz again. That’s nuts.You want to see Judy Garland. You don't want to see somebody new doing it. I don't...
