Particularly after he became the defacto showrunner of M*A*S*H? And was everything he did after M*A*S*H just Alan Alda in front of the camera? Can a celebrity really not be able go beyond themselves as opposed to one who couldn't get beyond their character?

Except for the womanizing and being good at surgery, probably.

Alan Alda briefly studied medicine years before he played surgeon Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H (https://www.metv.com/stories/alan-alda-briefly-studied-medicine-in-college-years-before-he-played-surgeon-hawkeye-pierce-in-m-a-s-h)

That's Dr. Alan Alda, to you.