BRAVE

Alan Alda Reveals He Has Parkinson’s Disease

“That’s just one of the realities of my life. It hasn’t stopped my life at all.”

Beloved M.A.S.H. star Alan Alda revealed Tuesday that he has been battling Parkinson’s disease since 2015, according to ABC News. Speaking on CBS This Morning, the six-time Emmy winner said that he “was diagnosed three-and-a-half years ago and I’ve had a full life since then.” Alda spoke optimistically, noting that his worst symptom has been “my thumb twitch.” He emphasized that Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease that targets motor functions, has not significantly impacted his day to day life: “I’m taking boxing lessons three times a week, I do singles tennis a couple of times a week,” he said. “I march to [John Philip] Sousa music because marching to march music is good for Parkinson’s.” Alda noted that he wants to use his fame to spread awareness of the disease, and hopes that revealing his diagnosis will keep him from worrying in the future. “While I’m trying to say something else, I’m not going to be thinking, ‘Is my thumb on a life of its own?’” he said. “That's just one of the realities of my life. It hasn’t stopped my life at all.” Alda added that “it’s probably only a matter of time before somebody does a story about this from a sad...point of view, which is not where I am.”