The Life of Legendary MASH* Actor Alan Alda

MASH* premiered in 1972, and Alda’s Hawkeye quickly became the series’ comic and emotional center. His character used jokes to survive the chaos of a mobile Army hospital during the Korean War.

Viewers connected with Hawkeye because he was funny without seeming careless. He could mock authority one moment and face the damage of war the next, giving the show a human anchor as its audience began to grow.