Joy Behar provided fans with a rare update on pal Alan Alda’s health amid his battle with Parkinson’s disease.
“I know this is name-dropping but I’m going to do it anyway,” Joy, 81, said during an episode of The View’s “Behind the Table” podcast on March 27. “One of my friends, and this is not an acquaintance; he’s a friend, Alan Alda and his wife, Arlene Alda. We go out to dinner all the time.”
The comedian revealed that she and Alan, 88, have been friends since they worked on the film Manhattan Murder Mystery in the ‘90s. Joy and her husband, Steve Janowitz, love making her former costar and Arlene, 91, laugh whenever they get together.
“He is the best laugher and so is she,” she told podcast listeners. “The two of them and my husband, Steve, can be very funny. He gets them laughing all the time and so do I. It’s a great feeling.”
Alan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015, however, he has continued to work in Hollywood while facing the progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
“First of all, I just adore Alan Alda,” Joy continued. “You know he’s suffering right now with Parkinson’s disease but even with that, he’s hysterical laughing and stuff.”
Two years ago, Alan updated fans on how he was feeling and admitted to facing some physical challenges.
“Tying shoelaces can be a challenge with stiff fingers,” the M*A*S*H actor told People in October 2022. “Think of playing the violin while wearing mittens. The silver lining is that I keep getting more confident that I can always find a workaround.”
His M*A*S*H costar Jamie Farr also shared a rare update on Alan’s life since his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
“I have not talked to him in a while. I know his wife, Arlene, is looking after him with his Parkinson’s disease,” Jamie, 89, told Closer in December 2023. “Tony Danza is a good friend of mine and lives in Alan’s building. Tony tells me Alan jumps rope and does a lot of exercise.”
In fact, several members of the M*A*S*H cast formed lasting friendships while working together on the show.
“I’ve done a lot of shows where the actors are never that friendly with one another,” Jamie said. “For our series, they built a special little area for us away from where they set up the cameras. We would sit in there and we would run the lines back and forth until we had those scenes crackling. It was a perfect dream cast.”
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