Alan Alda plays a Senator on NBC's The West Wing starting Dec. 8 and in The Aviator, a movie about industrialist and film mogul Howard Hughes, in theaters Dec. 17.
Should I call you Senator? No, I just play one on TV. And in the movies.
The Senator you play in The Aviator, Owen Brewster--how would you characterize him?
Ruthless. He has no ruth whatsoever.
How does that compare with your character on The West Wing, Senator Vinick?
He's completely different. He's a guy of principle. And he's trying to be President. This guy's first name, by the way, is Arnold,...