Alan Alda on fighting Parkinson's with laughter

OK THIS IS THE ONE I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT, IT IS BASICALLY LIKE TRYING TO FIND A MATCHING SOCK IN A LAUNDROMAT AT THREE IN THE MORNING, BUT LISTEN TO ME BECAUSE ALAN ALDA IS NINETY YEARS OLD AND HE IS TALKING ABOUT LIVING WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND REFUSING TO LET IT DEFINE HIM, WHICH IS WILD BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY SURVIVED POLIO AS A SEVEN YEAR OLD WITH ALMOST-SCALDING WOOL PACKS WRAPPED AROUND HIM, AND GREW UP WITH A MOTHER BATTLING PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA, AND THEN HE WENT ON TO WIN FIVE EMMYS PLAYING HAWKEYE PIERCE ON MASH WHERE OVER ONE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE WATCHED THE FINALE, AND THE THING IS HE EVEN HELPED STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY FOUND A CENTER IN 2009 TO HELP SCIENTISTS COMMUNICATE CLEARLY USING ACTING IMPROV, SO NOW HE RELIES ON CONNECTION AND HUMOR TO DEAL WITH THE DIAGNOSIS.

OK SO THIS IS MY WHOLE PERSONALITY TODAY BECAUSE OVER ONE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE WATCHED THE FINAL EPISODE OF MASH AND THAT NUMBER IS MAD BECAUSE ALAN ALDA SAYS IT WAS PROBABLY EVEN HIGHER, AND NOW HE IS NINETY YEARS OLD AND TALKING ABOUT LIVING WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND REFUSING TO LET IT DEFINE HIM, WHICH IS WILD BECAUSE AT SEVEN YEARS OLD HE HAD POLIO BEFORE A VACCINE EXISTED AND HIS PARENTS TREATED HIM WITH ALMOST-SCALDING HOT WOOL PACKS, AND THEN HE NAVIGATED HIS MOTHER'S PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA WHICH MADE HIM OBSERVE REALITY AND STAY CURIOUS, AND THE THING IS ON SET THE CAST JUST SAT IN A CIRCLE MAKING FUN OF EACH OTHER AND LAUGHING BETWEEN TAKES, SO NOW HE IS USING THAT SAME LAUGHTER AND CONNECTION TO COPE WITH HIS DIAGNOSIS.

At 90, actor Alan Alda reflected on his career, childhood challenges, and his approach to living with Parkinson's disease.

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