# Beatrice Alda
**Beatrice Alda** is an American actress, producer, and director, born in 1961 in New York City. She is the daughter of actor and writer [Alan Alda](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-alda) and [Arlene Alda](https://www.edgepedia.org/arlene-alda), and she is known for playing Lisa Callan in the 1981 film *The Four Seasons* and for directing and co-producing the documentaries *Out Late* (2008) and *Legs: a big issue in a small town* (2016).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961, New York City, New York, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/) |
| Parents | Alan Alda and Arlene Alda; sibling Eve Alda Coffey[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/) |
| Screen debut | Lisa Callan in *The Four Seasons* (1981), written and directed by her father[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/388741-Beatrice-Alda) |
| Television | Lisa Callan in *The Four Seasons* series (1984), 13 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/) |
| Later acting | Judy in *A New Life* (1988); Susan in *Men of Respect* (IMDb dates it 1990, the AFI Catalog 1991)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/388741-Beatrice-Alda) |
| Directing | *Out Late* (2008) and *Legs: a big issue in a small town* (2016), both also co-produced by her[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/) |
| Behind the camera | Assistant to the director on *Men of Respect*[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/388741-Beatrice-Alda) |
## Acting career
Alda's first screen role was Lisa Callan, the college-student daughter of Nick ([Len Cariou](https://www.edgepedia.org/len-cariou)) and Anne Callan ([Sandy Dennis](https://www.edgepedia.org/sandy-dennis)), in *[The Four Seasons](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-four-seasons-1981-film)*, the 1981 comedy-drama written and directed by her father Alan Alda. The film follows three middle-aged New York couples who vacation together once each season, and the breakup of the Callans' 21-year marriage is its central event.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/388741-Beatrice-Alda) • [3](https://time.com/archive/6858658/cinema-muddling-along-in-middle-age/) A contemporary Time review noted the film's attention to the daughter of the broken marriage, a character played by Alda.[3](https://time.com/archive/6858658/cinema-muddling-along-in-middle-age/) She repeated the role in the CBS television version of *The Four Seasons*, appearing in 13 episodes in 1984.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/)
Her remaining listed acting credits are Judy in her father's comedy *A New Life* (1988) and Susan in the mafia drama *Men of Respect*. The two principal film databases date *Men of Respect* differently: IMDb gives 1990 and the American Film Institute Catalog gives 1991.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/388741-Beatrice-Alda) The AFI Catalog also records a production credit on that film, as assistant to the director.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/388741-Beatrice-Alda)
## Directing and producing
Alda moved behind the camera as co-director, co-producer, and executive producer of the documentary *Out Late* (2008), which carries a 6.7 rating on IMDb.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/) She directed and co-produced *Legs: a big issue in a small town* (2016) as well.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/)
## Family
Alda was born into an acting family: her father, Alan Alda, is the actor, writer, and director best known for *M*A*S*H* and for directing *The Four Seasons*, and her mother, Arlene Alda, is a photographer and author. Her sister Eve Alda Coffey is listed among her relatives.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/) • [3](https://time.com/archive/6858658/cinema-muddling-along-in-middle-age/) Her sister Elizabeth Alda also appeared in *The Four Seasons*, playing the other daughter of the Callan marriage alongside her.[4](https://filmyap.substack.com/p/reeling-backward-the-four-seasons)
## Legacy of the 1981 film
*The Four Seasons* remained visible long after its release. It ran briefly as a CBS sitcom in 1984,[5](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/movies_tv/article/four-seasons-netflix-review-20305011.php) and in 2025 it was adapted again as an eight-episode Netflix miniseries co-created by [Tina Fey](https://www.edgepedia.org/tina-fey), Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, in which Alan Alda made a cameo appearance.[5](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/movies_tv/article/four-seasons-netflix-review-20305011.php) • [6](https://time.com/7281530/the-four-seasons-netflix-tina-fey/)
## References
1. [Beatrice Alda, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017373/)
2. [Beatrice Alda, AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/388741-Beatrice-Alda)
3. [Richard Schickel, "Cinema: Muddling Along in Middle Age," Time, 1981](https://time.com/archive/6858658/cinema-muddling-along-in-middle-age/)
4. ["Reeling Backward: The Four Seasons (1981)", Film Yap on Substack](https://filmyap.substack.com/p/reeling-backward-the-four-seasons)
5. ["Netflix's update of Alan Alda's 'The Four Seasons' never heats up", Houston Chronicle](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/movies_tv/article/four-seasons-netflix-review-20305011.php)
6. ["The Four Seasons Reveals a Side of Tina Fey That's Been Hiding in Plain Sight", Time, 2025](https://time.com/7281530/the-four-seasons-netflix-tina-fey/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames A*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license