89-Year-Old Alan Alda Recalls the Sweet Way He Met His Wife of 68 Years

Lauren Novak May 21, 6:08 pm

Actor Alan Alda and wife Arlene Alda attend the World Science Festival's 12th Annual Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on May 22, 2019 in New York City — Cindy Ord/Getty Images for World Science Festivals

M*A*S*H star Alan Alda recently spoke about his fun cameo in the new series The Four Seasons, based on the movie of the same name that he wrote and directed in 1981. The film and television show both follow three couples and how their relationships evolve over the course of a year. Alda certainly had some real-life examples to write about for the film, as he has been married to his wife, Arlene, since 1957.

He shared about his 68-year marriage with People, “She always says, ‘The secret to marriage is a short memory.’ We both try to practice being there when we’re there: listening, answering, taking an interest. You can get used to somebody no matter who it is. I’ve always thought if the pope and Mother Teresa were a couple, after a few years, they’d have to work it out.”

Alan Alda speaks onstage during AARP The Magazine's 19th Annual Movies For Grownups Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on January 11, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Alda and his wife first met at a party in 1956, where they were the only two guests to eat rum cake that fell on the floor. It was love at first sight, and the pair has been together ever since, eventually raising three children together.

He added, “[I knew she was the one] when we ate the cake off the floor. There’s something about flirting over food, and that she laughed at my jokes meant a lot. We still laugh at each other’s jokes a lot, and she’s getting funnier every day.”

Tina Fey and Alan Alda attend a special screening of the 1981 Original The Four Seasons Film at Paris Theater on April 27, 2025 in New York City

Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Netflix

Alda also gave an update on his health. The 89-year-old was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015 but hasn’t let it slow him down much. He also deals with face blindness, or prosopagnosia, which makes it hard for him to recognize others. He said he’s doing alright but his Parkinson’s has “gone from a part-time job to almost a full-time job keeping track of all these little solutions. But it keeps me always looking for the funny side.”

You can watch both the movie and the series on Netflix.