Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, the oldest and arguably the most well-known of the
Baldwin brothers, a family who has been prominent in film and television for the last two decades. His career has brought him
Academy Award nominations and
Emmy- and
Golden Globe Awards. He is noted for having hosted
Saturday Night Live over a dozen times. He is currently playing television executive
Jack Donaghy in the NBC situation-comedy
30 Rock.
Early life
Baldwin was born in
Massapequa, New York, the son of Carolyn Newcomb (née Martineau) and Alexander Rae Baldwin, Jr., a
high school history/social studies teacher and
football coach.
[Alec Baldwin Biography (1958-). filmreference.com] Baldwin was raised in a
Catholic family of
Irish,
English and
French descent.
[Newsday] He attended
Alfred G. Berner High School in Massapequa, Long Island, and played football there under Coach
Bob Reifsnyder, who is in the
College Football Hall of Fame. Baldwin worked as a
busboy at the famous New York City
disco Studio 54. He attended
George Washington University from 1976 to 1979, where he was known as "Alex." He then transferred to
New York University to study acting at the
Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute under Elaine Aiken and Geoffrey Horne. He returned to NYU in 1994 and graduated with a
BFA that year.
The other
Baldwin brothers,
Daniel (
Homicide: Life on the Street),
William (
Backdraft), and
Stephen (
The Usual Suspects) all followed him in becoming actors.
Career
Stage career
Baldwin made his
Broadway debut in 1986, in a revival of
Joe Orton's
Loot alongside theatre veterans
Zoe Wanamaker,
Zeljko Ivanek,
Joseph Maher and
Charles Keating. This production closed after three months.
His other Broadway credits include
Caryl Churchill's
Serious Money with
Kate Nelligan and a highly acclaimed revival of
Tennessee Williams'
A Streetcar Named Desire; his performance as
Stanley Kowalski garnered him a
Tony Award nomination for Best Actor. This production also featured
Jessica Lange,
Amy Madigan,
Timothy Carhart,
James Gandolfini, and
Aida Turturro. Baldwin would receive an Emmy nomination for the television version of the production, in which both he and Lange reprise their roles. That version featured
John Goodman and
Diane Lane.
In 1998 Baldwin played the title role in
Macbeth at the Public theater alongside
Angela Bassett and
Liev Schreiber. The production was directed by
George C. Wolfe. In 2004, Baldwin starred in a revival of
Twentieth Century with
Anne Heche.
On June 9, 2005, he appeared in a concert version of the
Rogers and Hammerstein musical
South Pacific at
Carnegie Hall. He starred as Luther Billis, alongside
Reba McEntire as Nellie and
Brian Stokes Mitchell as Emile. The production was taped and telecast by
PBS on April 26, 2006. In 2006, Baldwin made theater news in
Roundabout Theatre Company's
Off-Broadway revival of
Joe Orton's
Entertaining Mr. Sloane.
Film and television
Baldwin's first major role was as Billy Aldrich on the daytime
soap opera The Doctors from 1980 to 1982. In the fall of 1983 he starred in the short lived television series
Cutter to Houston. He then shot to stardom co-starring in the television series
Knots Landing from 1984 to 1986.
In 1986, Baldwin starred in a 4-hour made for television miniseries as an honest cadet sergeant who tries to solve the mystery of a murdered classmate.
The film was adapted by
Gore Vidal from the novel by
Lucian K. Truscott.
Baldwin made his film debut with a minor role in the 1986 film
She's Having a Baby. In 1988, he appeared in
Beetlejuice and
Working Girl. Fresh from those hits, his film career was firmly established with his role as
Jack Ryan in
The Hunt for Red October (1990).
Baldwin met his future wife
Kim Basinger when both played romantic lovers in the 1991 film
The Marrying Man. He appeared with Basinger again in
The Getaway, a 1994 remake of the 1972
Steve McQueen film of the same name.
In a brief but memorable role, Baldwin played a ferocious sales executive in 1992's
Glengarry Glen Ross, a part added to the film version of
David Mamet's
Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play. He then starred in 1992's
Prelude to a Kiss with
Meg Ryan, which was based on the
Broadway play. The film received a lukewarm reception by critics though it grossed over 22 million dollars world wide ticket sales.
[Prelude to a Kiss. TheNumbers.com.]
In 1994, Baldwin joined the fray into pulp fiction based movies with the role of the
title character in the entertaining
The Shadow. The film made $48 million but was considered a commercial failure due to the high expectations that it would be a block buster. Baldwin played in several thrillers including
The Edge (with
Anthony Hopkins),
The Juror (with
Demi Moore) and
Heaven's Prisoners (with
Teri Hatcher).
Baldwin appeared in a celebrity edition of
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in November 2000, competing against
Jon Stewart,
Charlie Sheen,
Vivica A. Fox and
Norm Macdonald. He won $250,000 for
PAWS, and used
Kim Basinger as a phone a friend.
Baldwin shifted towards character acting (see
character actor), including in his
Academy Award-nominated performance in 2003's gambling drama
The Cooler. He appeared with
Leonardo DiCaprio in the director
Martin Scorsese films
The Aviator and
The Departed.
Baldwin is also a voice actor, working in the films
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and
Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Baldwin has hosted
Saturday Night Live 14 times as of May, 2007, including a 1993 episode with
Kim Basinger. He performed as the narrator in the hit RTS video game
World in Conflict.
Baldwin wrote an episode of
Law & Order entitled "Tabloid", which aired in 1998. He played the role of Dr. Barrett Moore, a retired plastic surgeon, in the series
Nip/Tuck. In 2001, Baldwin directed and starred in an all-star version of
The Devil and Daniel Webster with
Anthony Hopkins,
Jennifer Love Hewitt and
Dan Aykroyd.
The then-unreleased film became an asset in a federal bank
fraud trial when investor Jed Barron was convicted of bank fraud while the movie was in production. The film eventually was acquired by
The Yari Group without Baldwin's involvement.
In 2002, Baldwin appeared on two episodes of
Friends as
Phoebe Buffay's overly enthusiastic love interest, Parker. In the episode entitled "The One in Massapequa", Parker, seemingly clueless and curious about its history, comments that Massapequa sounds like a "magical place". In reality, Baldwin was born and raised in Massapequa. Baldwin appeared in a number of episodes in season 7 and 8 of
Will & Grace. He played Malcolm - a 'top secret agent' and the lover of
Karen Walker (
Megan Mullally). He also appeared in the first live episode of the series.
In 2006, he starred in the film
Mini's First Time, alongside
Nikki Reed and
Luke Wilson. In 2007, the
Yari Film Group announced it would give the film, now titled
Shortcut to Happiness a theatrical release in the spring and cable film network
Starz! announced they had acquired
pay TV rights for the film. Baldwin performed opposite
Sarah Michelle Gellar in 2007 romantic comedy,
Suburban Girl.
Baldwin stars in the
Emmy Award-winning
NBC sitcom
30 Rock, which first aired in October of 2006. Baldwin had met series creator
Tina Fey and one of his co-stars,
Tracy Morgan, during several tapings of
Saturday Night Live. He received numerous honors for his work as TV exec Jack Donaghy, including a
Golden Globe and
Screen Actors Guild Award. He was again nominated for the Emmy for Best Actor in a Television Comedy or Musical in 2007, for the role but lost to
Ricky Gervais.
He received his second Emmy nomination for his role as Jack Donaghy in 2008, marking his seventh Primetime Emmy nomination and went on to win the award. Since season 3, Baldwin has been credited as
producer of the show.
On July 7, 2007, Baldwin presented at the
American leg of
Live Earth. He recorded two nationally distributed public service radio announcements on behalf of the Save the
Manatee Club.
Baldwin will co-host
TCM’s upcoming season of
The Essentials.
["Alec Baldwin to Co-Host TCM's The Essentials." TV Guide. October 23, 2008. Retrieved on October 24, 2008.]
A Promise to Ourselves
In 2008 Alec Baldwin and Mark Tabb published
A Promise to Ourselves, which chronicles his seven year battle to remain a part of his daughter's life.
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008.]
Baldwin contends that after their separation in December of 2000, his former wife,
Kim Basinger, endeavored to deny him access to his daughter by refusing to discuss parenting,
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. p25.] blocking visitation,
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp 71, 117, 150-151, 153, 166, 169.] not providing telephone access,
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp. 43, 71, 127, 153-154, 178, 180.] not following court orders,
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp117, 155, 165, 175-177.] not dropping their daughter off for reasons of it being inconvenient,
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008.] and directly lobbying the child.
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. p. 66.] He contends she spent over $1.5 million in the effort.
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp. 185, 202.]
Baldwin called this
parental alienation syndrome.
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp.75-94.] Baldwin faults what he sees as opportunist attorneys and psychologists who constitute the 'divorce industry' more than he faults Basinger. He writes, "In fact, I blame my ex-wife least of all for what has transpired. She is a person, like many of us, doing the best she can with what she has. She is a litigant and, therefore, one who walks into a courtroom and is never offered anything other than what is served there. Nothing off the menu, ever."
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp 215-216.]
Baldwin wrote that he spent over a million dollars,
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp.202-203.] had to put time aside from his career,
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. p. 99, 102.] travel extensively,
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp. 41, 45, 151-153.] and find a house nearby in California (he lived in New York),
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp. 44, 47, 117.] so he could stay in his daughter's life.
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008.] Baldwin contended that after seven years of these issues, he had hit a breaking point and left an angry voicemail message in response to yet another unanswered arranged call.
[Baldwin, Alec., A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp173-184.] He contends that the tape was sold to TMZ, which released the recording despite laws against publishing media related to a minor without the permission of both parents.
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp. 178-179.] Baldwin admitted he makes mistakes, but asked who could be judged for parenthood based on their worst moment.
[Baldwin, Alec. A Promise to Ourselves - A Journey through Fatherhood and Divorce. St. Martin's Press, 2008. pp. 101, 151.]
During the fall of 2008, Baldwin toured in support of the book, speaking about his experiences related in the book.
[Italie, Hillel. "Alec Baldwin's Book Tour: Crowded And Conflicted." Huffington Post. September 24, 2008.]["Alec Baldwin: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce." Fora.tv. September 24, 2008.][" Baldwin book rails against US family court system." International Herald Tribune. September 23, 2008.][Georgiades, William. "Emmy winner Alec Baldwin talks about the book he didn't want to write." Los Angeles Times. September 25, 2008.]
Politics and political controversy
Baldwin serves on the board of
People for the American Way. Baldwin is an animal rights activist and follows a
vegetarian diet. He is a strong supporter of
PETA and has done work for the organization including narrating the video entitled
Meet your Meat.
When interviewed by the
New York Times, Baldwin was asked what public office he would consider running for, he replied:
"If I ever ran for anything, the thing I would like to be is governor of New York." When asked if he was qualified, Baldwin answered: "That's what I hate about
Arnold Schwarzenegger. His only credentials are that he ran a fitness program under some bygone president...I'm
de Tocqueville compared to Schwarzenegger."
Baldwin and commentator
Bill O'Reilly have been in a number of conflicts. Despite their political differences, however, Baldwin stated on his blog after an interview with O'Reilly that he, "was aggressive, but was a gentleman throughout," and also called O'Reilly a, "talented
broadcaster."
[Baldwin, Alec. "Hannity Makes Political Pornography." Huffington Post. March 28, 2006.] Baldwin, however, also referred to O'Reilly's employer,
Fox News Channel, in the same
blog post as "
Roger Ailes'
Luftwaffe/Looney Bin news operation."
In 2002,
conservative blogger
Matt Drudge threatened to sue Baldwin for his appearance on the
Howard Stern show, during which Baldwin claimed that Drudge had propositioned him in the hallway at
ABC studios in Los Angeles when he was doing the
Gloria Allred show.
No other action was taken by Drudge. In March 2008, Baldwin repeated the story to the
LGBT magazine,
The Advocate, saying that there was, "a kind of creepy quality," to Drudge's sexual advances, and that he was surprised Drudge was so, "uptight about being gay."
In a Feb 2006 editorial column written for his blog on the Huffington Post,
[Baldwin, Alec. Will They Go to Court? Huffington Post. February 17, 2006.] Baldwin provides a searing criticism of Dick Cheney, pointing out that he was involved in deposing Gray Davis, that Cheney had instigated the outing of Valerie Plame, and that Cheney had shot Harry Whittington. Baldwin wrote "The rumor I heard is that someone yelled, "Look out! Shooter!" and Cheney thought he said Scooter and fired in that general direction." He concluded that
Vice President Dick Cheney is a
terrorist and Whittington should sue. "Cheney is a terrorist. He terrorizes our enemies abroad and innocent citizens here at home indiscriminately. Who ever thought Harry Whittington would be the answer to America's prayers?"
When asked if he hadn't gone too far, Baldwin replied that Cheney was not a terrorist, but rather just "a lying, thieving Oil Whore. Or, a murderer of the US Constitution..."
[Baldwin, Alec. "Republicans Married into the Wrong Family." Huffington Post. February 22, 2006.]
In another editorial Baldwin compared the damage done by Bush 'stealing' the
2000 presidential election to that of the damage done by the
September 11, 2001 attacks. While bringing up such things as the new wire tap laws he noted, "I know that's a harsh thing to say, perhaps, but I believe that what happened in 2000 did as much damage to the pillars of
democracy as terrorists did to the pillars of commerce in New York City."
["Alec Baldwin says disputed vote damaged democracy."]
During his appearance on the comedy late night show
Late Night with Conan O'Brien on December 12, 1998, eight days before President
Bill Clinton was to be
impeached, to a great deal of applause and laughter Baldwin said "if we were in another country... we would
stone Henry Hyde to death and we would go to their homes and kill their wives and their children. We would kill their families, for what they're doing to this country."
["Baldwin Outburst Video." Media Research Center. December 16, 1998. (Vol. Three; No. 200).] Baldwin apologized, and the network explained it was meant as a joke and promised not to rerun it.
["Baldwin Chastised." Media Research Media. December 22, 1998 (Vol. Three; No. 203).]
Filmography
Awards
