Alan Alda claims a sleep disorder led to Parkinson's diagnosis… and reveals he didn't have the common symptoms

Get exclusive reporting, celebrity gossip, sensational photos and more every Tuesday morning in our new Spotlight US newsletter HEREREAD MORE: 'Something happened' to Chad Lowe's late daughter after LA FiresHave YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com Published: 19:06 EDT, 5 October 2026 | Updated: 19:35 EDT, 5 October 2026 Alan Alda has revealed the unexpected symptom that led to his Parkinson's diagnosis.The 90-year-old M*A*S*H alum said he was physically 'acting out [his] dreams' before he learned he had the neurodegenerative disease at age 79.Speaking on CBS Mornings with Dr Jon LaPook, the actor shared: 'I had a symptom which was, at the time, not that well known – acting out your dreams.'He recalled: 'I had a dream that somebody was attacking me. And I picked up a sack of potatoes and threw it at 'em. What I was really doing was throwing a pillow at Arlene, my wife.'The Hollywood veteran – who recently suffered the loss of a M*A*S*H costar – said he didn't suffer from the more common signs of Parkinson's.'I had no twitch, no tremor, no problems with my voice,' he explained. Alan Alda has revealed the unexpected symptom that led to his Parkinson's diagnosis The 90-year-old M*A*S*H alum said he was physically 'acting out [his] dreams' before he learned he had the neurodegenerative disease at age 79; pictured in 2020 The sleep habit Alda referred to is formally known as REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, which causes people to speak or flail while asleep, per Cleveland Clinic.He was diagnosed in 2015 but didn't go public with the condition until 2018.The longtime entertainer has turned to humor to cope with his diagnosis 'because the best way to deal with anything that's a little bit of a problem is to find out what's funny about it and laugh at it.'He playfully told Dr LaPook: 'I don't let Parkinson's define me. It's not who I am. It's just a hobby.''I’ll be at the computer keyboard writing an email, and Dr. Parkinson is moving my hand all over the screen. I have the mouse, and he’s eliminating things and he’s deleting things that I need,' he added lightheartedly.Alda admitted: 'Once in a while I get frustrated, but I find what makes me laugh about it and then I go tell Arlene.'The nonagenarian said he lives his life rooted in reality: 'I don’t want to wish it away. I can’t wish it away. I can’t hope for a better future. I gotta accept what is.'His acting career began in the 50s in local theatre, and by 1964 he’d landed his first Broadway role. Alda played the witty military surgeon Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H for 11 series from 1972-1983 The comedy-drama set in a field hospital during the Korean War; L-R Alda, Wayne Rogers, and Loretta SwitHe told the Daily Mail in 2015: 'I’d have been happy working in regional theatre for the rest of my life. I never sought fame.'Alda played the witty military surgeon Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H for 11 series from 1972 to 1983. The comedy-drama was set in a field hospital during the Korean War. The show received 109 Emmy nominations and won 14. In 2015, he confessed he struggled with fame and became unhinged for a while.He explained: 'When somebody is “hot,” people’s hunting instincts are aroused.'Members of the public would grab me and shout to their friends, “Look what I got!” so much I had night terrors.'Alda added: 'For about six months I’d see somebody in the room who wanted to strangle me. I’d actually see the person. I mean, it was a dream, or a hallucination. But it seemed real.'The beloved performer suggested that actors on the verge of fame should be supported by vets.He stated: 'I’ve always thought that when actors are about to get famous, other actors should get a support group going. Too many people think [fame is] a good thing.'He added: 'I know rich people who wish they were also famous. But if you can be rich without being famous, you should go for that. A lot of people think fame will solve their problems. In fact, it gives you a whole new set of problems.'