Actor, writer and director Alan Alda is renowned for his role as Hawkeye Pierce on the hit television series M*A*S*H. His recent film credits include Nancy Meyers's What Women Want, Nicholas Hytner's The Objection of My Affection, Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You, David O. Russell's Flirting With Disaster and Dwight Little's Murder at 1600. He recently made his return to series television, joining the cast of the award-winning television series The West Wing for 10 episodes as Republican Senator Arnold Vinick.

Alda's first noteworthy film role was as author George Plimpton in Paper Lion (1968), but soon after he suspended his film career to take his role in M*A*S*H. During that period, however, Alda did appear as Caryl Chessman in the television movie Kill Me If You Can, and on Broadway in two comedies, Neil Simon's California Suite and Same Time, Next Year.

In 1979, Alda wrote and starred opposite Meryl Streep in The Seduction of Joe Tynan. In 1986, he directed and played a leading role in the film Sweet Liberty.

Other films are A New Life, Betsey's Wedding, Father of the Bride, and two Woody Allen works, Crimes and Misdemeanors and Manhattan Murder Mystery.

In 1993, Alda appeared in the television film about the AIDS crisis And the Band Played On. Other television credits include White Mile, Club Land and The Killing Yard. He received Emmy Award nominations for his guest role as Dr. Gabriel Lawrence on ER and for his role in the telefilm Club Land. His recent stage appearances in London and on Broadway include a revival of Our Town and Neil Simon's Jake's Women.