For decades, Alan Alda brought laughter and unforgettable performances to millions of television viewers. Best known for playing Hawkeye Pierce on MASH*, the beloved actor became a familiar face in American households. But behind the scenes, Alda experienced something unusual that eventually led him to seek medical advice. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the trembling hands or difficulty walking that many people associate with Parkinson’s disease.

The first warning appeared while he was sleeping. One night, Alda dreamed that someone was attacking him and that he needed to defend himself. In his dream, he grabbed a sack of potatoes and threw it toward the attacker. But when he woke up, he realized something startling had happened in the real world. Instead of throwing potatoes, he had physically thrown a pillow at his wife, Arlene.

What seemed like an ordinary nightmare was actually a clue to a neurological condition — and it helped lead Alda toward a diagnosis he hadn’t expected.

Continue below in Part 2.