Cheat Sheet: Alec Baldwin

Name:

Alexander Rae “Alec” Baldwin III

Date of Birth:

April 3rd 1958

Place of birth:

Massapequa, Long Island, NY, USA

Special moves:

Acting, being the eldest Baldwin brother, being the male performer with most SAG Awards ever

Films include:

Beetlejuice, Glengarry Glen Ross, Pearl Harbour, Along Came Polly, The Departed, My Sister’s Keeper, It’s Complicated, Rock of Ages

What you probably already know:

Alec made his name as a television actor playing Joshua Rush in Knot’s Landing, whatever that is, but his big break came when he played Adam Maitland opposite Geena Davis and Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s 1988 goth comedy Beetlejuice. Memorable for his turn as Phoebe’s horribly optimistic beau Parker in Friends, being the hubby of Kim Basinger from 1993 to 2002 and, yes, having a crapload of weird brothers, Baldwin is perhaps most famous for his portrayal of Jack Donaghy in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Baldwin has played Donaghy since 2006, garnering two Emmys, four Golden Globes and seven – count ’em SEVEN – Screen Actors Guild Awards.You probably are also aware of that one time he got chucked off a plane. In December 2011, Baldwin was playing “Words with Friends” on his phone and, when asked by a stewardess to turn off the device, reportedly became “belligerent”. Haha. We’ve all been there. “ALL I WANT IS TO BE LEFT IN PEACE TO PLAY PHONE SCRABBLE, LADY” – potentially accurate quote.

What you might not know:

Well he might have a trio of (relatively) famous brothers but he also has two sisters: non-actors (the shame!) Jane Sasso and Elizabeth Keuchler, who evidently shunned the Baldwin name in the hope that people would stop asking them if they were related to that “Words with Friends Guy”. Baldwin is also what you might call an animal nut. Firstly he’s a vegetarian and a keen supporter of PETA and Save the Manatee Club (incidentally BFF are also big fans of this majestic creature). Secondly: man, does this guy like his pets. Whilst married to Basinger, the couple owned eleven dogs, seven cats and a wolf. A WOLF.On a more serious note, Baldwin is also the co-author of a book, A Promise to Ourselves, which details his efforts to stay in the life of his daughter Ireland after his divorce from Basinger. Though you might wonder why a man who voluntarily named his child Ireland would write a book on parenting, A Promise to Ourselves was hailed as a brutally honest, deeply un-Hollywood account of Baldwin and Basinger’s disastrous separation. Raoul Felder of The Huffington Post described the book as being told with “intelligence, passion and understandably, anger, and acknowledgment of the mistakes he made”. Sounds good, Baldy! Although, what’s with the cover? So much face!

Alec Baldwin quote:

Remember, sex is like a Chinese dinner. It ain’t over ’til you both get your cookie.

What to say at a dinner party:

“Did you know that Alec considered his performance in Glengarry Glen Ross to be his career best? It’s an obvious choice though. Baldwin’s captivating performance as the sleek, narcissistic Blake was a damning indictment of the bloated materialism of nineties America.”

What not to say at a dinner party:

“Hang on, which one is he? He’s the one who went on Celebrity Rehab right? Wait no. He’s the one from Backdraft! Man I loved Kurt Russell in that movie.”

Final thought:

Who shortens the name “Alexander” to “Alec”? ALEC BALDWIN, THAT’S WHO.

Anything else you think the world should know about Baldy? Drop us a comment below!

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