Alan Alda

Alan Alda, left, greets Matthew Broderick as they and other Broadway stars gather to record a cover of the song "New York, New York" in New York on Sept. 25, 2001. Alda, a Big Apple native, is no stranger to the Broadway stage. He has earned three Tony nominations during his career.

Alan Alda attends the Court TV premiere of "Chasing Freedom" in New York on Jan. 13, 2004. Alda's father was stage and screen actor Robert Alda. The two appeared together on two episodes of M*A*S*H as doctors who had a hard time getting along.

Alan Alda speaks during a panel discussion for the PBS 2005 Television Critics Winter Press Tour in Universal City, Calif., on Jan. 15, 2005. Alda, the host of "Scientific American Frontiers" on PBS for more than a decade, is the only person ever to ever win an Emmy for acting, writing and directing.

Alan Alda arrives at the 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 5, 2005. He and the rest of the cast of "The Aviator" were nominated for Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture.

Alan Alda, his wife Arlene, and two of their three children arrive at the 77th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood on Feb. 27, 2005. Alda was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "The Aviator."

Alan Alda and Marcia Cross present the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play at the 59th Annual Tony Awards in New York on June 5, 2005. Alda was originally considered to play President "Jed" Bartlett on "The West Wing." He later joined the cast in 2004 as Sen. Arnold Vinick.

Alan Alda speaks with host Craig Ferguson during the taping of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, 2005. In addition to starring on M*A*S*H*, Alda wrote or co-wrote 20 episodes and directed 30 episodes.

Alan Alda attends the opening night performance of Shakespeare in the Park's "Macbeth" at the Delacorte Theatre in New York's Central Park on June 28, 2006. In 2006, Alda received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work on "The West Wing." It was his 20th Emmy nomination.