Janet CollinsSharing their Wisdom
November 17th 2009 06:24
In Andrew Denton’s second series, Elders on the ABC last night, Alan Alda was the man of the moment. I have always been a fan of Alda and if we are to regard the world “elder” as someone who is higher in rank than most of us or an influential member of the community, then Alda deserves that title completely.
The well chosen guests aren't all that make this show so watchable either. It is also the brilliant skills of Andrew Denton as interviewer. Denton is so skilled at bringing a relaxed and comfortable approach to the interview that makes it all looks so easy. Somehow, Denton always draws out some really interesting information that some well-known celebrities or figures have kept under wraps and this interview did not disappoint.
We heard about his upbringing, his life as a child growing up with a father in the acting profession and a mother who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. With the troubles in all that came the very good and he told of his willingness to perform for his classmates at an early age, even though that had its drawbacks.
Alan Alda has been many things and achieved many things. I always found him interesting because decades ago there was not too much transition of actors between television and film. You were either a television actor or a movie star and that was it. In an era when it was uncommon to be both he switched from his original film and stage acting to land the role as Hawkeye Pierce in the much loved television series M*A*S*H which ran from 1972 to 1983. In fact, he even did a lot of it at the same time.
I loved him in that and I also loved him in some real memorable movies such as Same Time Next Year and The Four Seasons. In later years, most of his roles have been supporting ones but even then he has made an impact, winning an Emmy for best supporting actor in 2006 for the role of Republican Senator Arnold Vinick on the much loved television political drama series, The West Wing.
His roles in recent years may not have been the key ones but he always seem to make an impact. So too have his books “Never Have Your Dog Stuffed” published in 2006 and “Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself” which was published in 2007.
Alda who has played the field in the entertainment profession as actor on stage and screen, writer, producer and director and still makes a success of every part he plays was a brilliant choice of subject for Denton’s show. Maybe it is the fact he revealed about his father that spurs him on. His father played various roles in his life but made two very huge successes but before and after these, according to Alan Alda, his father was scraping to make a living.
Sourced: ABC’s Elders, www.wikipedia.org
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