Despite his talent as an actor and director, Alan Alda never entertained any delusions of grandeur.

The actor is best known for his work on screen as Hawkeye Pierce of M*A*S*H. Behind the camera, Alda has directed films like The Four Seasons (1981). These projects skyrocketed Alda into fame. But during an interview, he explained that notoriety was never the goal.

“I never wanted to be famous,” Alda said during an interview with The Toronto Star. “What I wanted was to be very, very good at what I do. But I realized if I were, then I’d be famous. That always seemed a little absurd.”

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But with success came new and unexpected challenges that Alda was forced to face head-on. “I think you either have to grow with success or fall to pieces, because the pressures of success are always unexpected,” said the actor. “I thought I knew what a lot of them would be, because my father had told me. But nobody knows. Not until you go through it. I’m not complaining about it. I’m just saying you have to adjust to it, learn to deal with it. Things are a little less casual all the way down the line...You have to realize that whatever you say might be on the evening news.”

Alda never dreamt of insane triumphs; He was satisfied with quiet comfort, and that he was working hard at doing what he loved.

“I do smile when I remember walking the streets 25 years ago, looking for work and thinking if I had a lot of money, I could go into any luncheonette on that street and order anything I wanted,” said Alda. “I think it’s very nice to have modest ambitions. I was never bitter.”