The 'M*A*S*H' star made the shocking announcement on 'CBS This Morning' Tuesday.
Actor Alan Alda has announced that he has Parkinson’s disease.
The 82-year-old "M*A*S*H" star made the shocking announcement Tuesday on "CBS This Morning."
"I have not said it in public until now, that I have been diagnosed with Parkinson's," Alda said.
The disease affects the central nervous system and can often cause tremors.
The star said he received the news three years ago, but decided to come forward because he noticed his hand shaking in several recent television appearances as he promotes his new podcast, "Clear+Vivid With Alan Alda."
"I could see my thumb twitch," Alda continued. "I thought it is probably just a matter of time before someone writes about it."
Alda said he initially became concerned when he read a New York Times article about the early symptoms of the disease.
"I asked for a scan because I thought I might have it," he said. "I read an article … that indicated that if you act out your dreams, there’s a good chance that might be a very early symptom where nothing else shows. And by acting out your dreams, I mean I was having a dream that someone was attacking me and I threw a sack of potatoes at them. What I was really doing was throwing a pillow at my wife."
The 82-year-old also mentioned he had another motivation for coming forward as well, showing others that the disease doesn’t have to hinder you.
Other notable figures, like "Back to the Future" star Michael J. Fox and legendary performer Neil Diamond, have the disease. Muhammad Ali struggled with Parkinson's for decades before his death in 2016.
"I am sort of well-known and I think I can be helpful to people to show that you can still do things,” Alda said. “It’s been three years and it had not stopped me at all. My life is actually richer now.”
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