2005 Tony Awards Q&A: Alan Alda

Tony nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Glengarry Glen Ross star Alan Alda, has previously been on the Broadway stage in QED, Art, Jake's Women, The Apple Tree and The Owl and the Pussycat. His stage work has resulted in 2 previous Tony nominations. On film, the Oscar nominated actor has been seen in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Everyone Says I Love You, Flirting With Disaster, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Same Time, Next Year; California Suite, The Seduction of Joe Tynan, The Four Seasons, Sweet Liberty, A New Life, and Betsy's Wedding. On the small screen he's been seen on The West Wing, ER, as host of Scientific American Frontiers on PBS, and of course on *M*A*S*H, for which he won 5 Emmy Awards. Throughout his career, he's been nominated for a total of 30 Emmys, is a member of the Television Hall of Fame, has won 3 Directors Guild Awards, 6 Golden Globes, 7 People's Choice Awards and has been nominated for two Writers Guild Awards.

How did you hear about your Tony nomination?

My agent Toni Howard called me excitedly from California at about 6:00 AM her time. So, I heard about Tony from Toni. (By the way, if it was named after Antoinette Perry, why don't they spell it Toni? To distinguish it from the agent?)

Being no stranger to Tony nominations over the years, does this one feel any different?

I've been nominated twice before as actor in a leading part. Now I'm nominated as actor in a supporting part. If I don't win, I'll just wait until I'm nominated for being in the theater during the show. Do they have one like that?

You've been nominated for, and won a slew of awards over the years, what (if any) value do you place on them?

Awards can give you a tremendous amount of encouragement to keep getting better, no matter how young or old you are. And in this line of work, we thrive on encouragement -- because courage is what you need the most of.

What's has your experience with Glengarry Glen Ross been like?

Gorgeous. This is one of the best plays ever written in our country and I'm working with a team of actors each one of whom is in his own right a virtuoso, yet they give themselves completely to the ensemble. If any of us wins the Tony, it will be an award for all of us.

Had you seen either the original production or the movie?

I saw the original Broadway production and the movie. And I sold mutual funds as an out of work actor in my twenties, so I know from cold calling.

Having been Tony-nominated for the show yourself back in 1967, did you have a chance to catch any of this past weekend's Encores! performance of The Apple Tree?

No, I was doing Glengarry, but my wife saw it and loved it. I was glad for Kristin Chenoweth, who's my pal from West Wing.

You've traversed the worlds of stage, and both the big and small screen, what place does theater hold in your life?

I'm most at home on the stage. I was carried onstage for the first time when I was six months old.