Movies - TV
Hawkeye’s Very First M*A*S*H Scene Was Improvised By Alan Alda
By DANIELLE RYAN
In an interview with People for the 50th anniversary of the "M*A*S*H" premiere, Alda gave an inside scoop on portraying Hawkeye and his first day filming the now-legendary sitcom.
Despite some nervousness about whether or not he could pull off such a lascivious ladies' man, he managed to make the most of it — and the rest, as they say, is television history.
While Alda and his "M*A*S*H" character, Hawkeye, are exceptionally charismatic, the actor is a bit more straight-laced. He didn’t feel like he knew how to play his character.
"I wasn't convinced I could be this guy who drank too much, hit on women, and was something of a smart aleck,” Alda said. In a silent shot, he saw a nurse headed towards him.
Alda explained, “I made the instant decision that she and Hawkeye had some kind of relationship and gave her a little hug [...] 'Okay,' I thought. 'I'm him.'"