Alec Baldwin the Conversation
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THETIMES thereview 3 theSaturdayJuly10 conversation 2010 Alec Baldwin ‘I dread making films’ BARRY J HOLMES / THE GUARDIAN Funnyguy Even this week’s Biography Hehastied withthe long-timereigning Family champion,Steve Emmy nomination BornAlexanderRae Martin,forhosting BaldwinIIIin1958in theAmericanTV won’tstopthe NewYork. Hisfather programme wasateacher and SaturdayNightLive actor quitting footballcoach. themosttimes. Baldwinhas Hastwice wonthe degreesinpolitical Emmyfor Best acting for politics scienceandin Actorin aComedy drama.Histhree forhisrolein the – and writing youngerbrothers TinaFey-penned areallactors.The comedy30 Rock. a book on youngest,Stephen, Hewas nominated isnowa born-again againfor theaward Christianand thisyear. marriage, he tells provoked Tim Teeman controversythis Marriage yearwhen he From1993to2002 starredin Celebrity hewas marriedto BigBrother. theactressKim Basinger.In2003a Leadingman phonemessagein Firstnoticed whichhecalled starringinthe theirdaughter“a long-runningTV pig”wasmade soap,Knots publiconline. He Landing.Film claimedafterwards highlightsinclude thathewas at BeetleJuice,The breakingpoint Cooler,TheHuntfor afterbeing W RedOctober, deniedaccess. GlengarryGlen Hisbook,APromise hat’s this? Alec Baldwin at peace? If you’ve RossandIt’s toOurselves,charts readhis rap sheet,you’ll knowhow strange Complicated hisdivorceand that may sound. He’s better known, or lastyear,playing custodybattleover seen, as the arch-manipulative TV execu- opposite hisdaughter with tive Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock or the eldest MerylStreep. Basinger. in the Baldwin acting brotherhood (after him comes Daniel, William/“Billy”, then Stephen). Most notoriously, he left an angry rant on his then 11-year-old daugh- ‘I’m all for marriage, ter Ireland’s phone in 2007, calling her “a rude, thoughtless little pig” for not picking and for taking it up for a court-ordered conversation. “I made an ass out of myself trying to make therapists, lawyers this call,” he railed at his daughter. “You haveinsultedmeforthelasttime.Youdon’t and judges out have the brains or the decency as a human being.” And: “You’ve made me feel like a of divorce’ fool over and over and over again. I’m gon- qualified for— congressmen, governor, at- na straighten your ass out when I see you, torney-general — Bloomberg [Michael, doyouunderstandme?” Mayorof New York]has changed thelimits Today, all is calm. The 52-year-old actor of the mayoral term to benefit himself, isbetween the final afternoon and evening whichIfindappalling.Butpoliticaltopogra- performances of a modest production of phy can change, so, who knows, four years Equus at the Guild Hall, the small theatre orsixyearsfromnow?” in the posh people’s playground of East Alongside the likes of Robert Redford, Hampton outside New York,where he has A. S.ByattandSirDavidHare,Baldwinthis afarmhouse.Baldwin,portlybutstillhand- week added his name to a public letter pub- some,hasacquittedhimselfwellasthepsy- lished in The Times expressing horror and chiatrist Dysart: his clipped English accent dismayatthethreatenedexecutionbyston- isgrave and dry. He loves this theatre,hails ing of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an its recent swanky renovation and supports Iranianwomanconvictedofadultery. its artistic purpose passionately. It’s the Baldwin reveals that he is angry with first time since 1998 he’s done a “serious” President Obama’s response to the BP oil play, and while the audience follows the disasterintheGulfofMexico.“Ithoughthe sobershrink’smoodshiftsrespectfully,col- wasdoingwell,keepinghiscooldespitecon- lectivelywebecomepalpablymoreexcited stant baiting. But with the spill, I know tax- at the merest hint of menacing, unhinged payers,alreadysaggingundertheweightof Baldwin. In the stalls with me afterwards, this anaemic economic recovery and the you sense him monitoring himself for in- complete travesty of the war in Iraq, will be clement pronouncements. Fortunately, he lumberedwiththecostoftheclean-up.The alsohasaninnateinstinctforstirring:pret- sickeningly pro-business Supreme Court ty soon we’ll be on to giving up acting, why willsomehowexonerateBP.IthinkObama movies suck, the right way to divorce and should have gone to any lengths to stop thehorrorof ageing onscreen. the spread of the spill, and he hasn’t. That After the recent release of the film isdisappointing.” Lymelife, which he co-produced with Mar- Like Sean Penn in Haiti, Baldwin reveals tin Scorsese and in which he plays a philan- thathemaytravelinternationallyintheser- deringhusband,Baldwinstartsshootingthe vice of causes; a priest friend works in Cen- fifth season of 30 Rock next month. “It’s a tral America building schools, reservoirs, great job,” he says, lauding 30 Rock’screator, watertreatment and sewage systems. After the comedian and Sarah Palin dop- his 2008 book A Promise to Ourselves: A pelgänger Tina Fey — as well he might, as Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce, she rescued his career from the showbiz Baldwin is also planning another book dumpster, earning him two Emmys, three about the subject. “I want to write about Golden Globes and four Screen Actors mond: there’s a little bit up top you like; the integraltothe decideyoujust don’t likeeachother.” whysomanymarriagesfailandhowtostop Guild Awards. Some shows in the last body of it is mediocre; and the very bottom successofa Is he in love now? Baldwin laughs nerv- that. I have many friends that stay married season were not so good, he says, “but the ‘To sustain your of it is absolutely appalling. I like what particularfilm.Then ously. “What on earth makes you think I’d becausetheyfeardivorce.Theyhaveunpro- writers find fresh ways to be inspired”, peopleseemedtolikemein,soTheHuntfor therearesuperstar answer that question?” Well, he was seeing ductive marriages, they’re unhappy. I want although, “that kind of comedy is in the career you need a lot Red October and Glengarry. It’s Complicat- small careerslike[Jack] a lawyer a couple of years ago. “Yes, we to tell the stories of those for whom it does same key all the time, it’s very much of a ed: that kind of well-made fluffy thing sold Nicholson’s, don’t see each other any more. You know, work, how they do it and also show people style.Aftersevenmonthsofit,everyyearfor of good parts. TV is a lotof tickets.If it was just me,I liked doing talk who’vehad10or one of my great dreams would be, yes, to be howharditis.Myfriendswhohavesuccess- fouryears,doingthisplaywasanicebreak”. State and Main [2000] with [director David] ‘‘Onlove 12suchfilms. married again and have another child and fulmarriageshavemadethemapriority.” He’s signed to 30 Rock until 2012; will he where the good parts Mamet, I loved doing The Aviator [2004] Ihaveafemale have that child turn to me ten years from Baldwin sounds sad suddenly. Does he give it up after that? Baldwin roars. “It’s a with Marty [Scorsese], who I worship. That friendwhoisdating Onloyalty now and say, ‘My teacher told me you were regret his marriage to Basinger? “You do great job. Making films is the thing I really are now’ was an honour. But there’s a lot of stuff in thisguyandItell Oneofthethings in the movie business’, that they wouldn’t whatyou wanted to do at that time. To look dread. Oh, God, it’s so tedious. TV is so constantlythrustinyourface. .theimages themiddle.” her,‘Don’twaittoo Iliketodoisto even know me that way. I crave a com- back and say that person wasn’t right for quick, where movie-making is so long- ofyoufromthepastonfilm. .Afamousac- Baldwin and Basinger married in 1993; long,don’tsecond encourageall pletely private life. I’ve had the other, with you, that you made a mistake, isn’t right. windedandboring.It’slovelyworkingwith tor friend of mine who I can’t name said Ireland was born two years later. He has guessthesecond thosepeoplewith my daughter, and everything cast in a light When you get into the hindsight thing, it’s people — like Meryl [Streep] last year on theycouldn’tseethemselvesmakingmany said that he loved Basinger “on the deepest guess’.Youcan whatIcall‘212 thatdoesn’t do anyoneanygood.” very unhealthy. A marriage that dissolved, It’s Complicated — but it’s low productivity more movies because they couldn’t stand level” but once wondered if by only half- takea chanceon chequebooks’—all Ah,thephonemessage.Wasthatmortify- the turmoil, the custody proceedings and compared to TV. Everything’s got to end. I to see themselves ageing on film. That’s a committinghimselftotheirmarriage,ashe somethingandit thoserichpeople ing?“Yes,”Baldwinsaystightly.“Itwasater- so forth — a lot of it made me work harder. won’t be happy when 30 Rock does, but I’ll wonderfully honest thing to say. The same hadonlyhalf-committedtohisacting,both turnsout youwere fromManhattan— rible, horrible experience.” But he still Work took my mind off it.” He laughs. figure out what to do. I may be completely wise person also said, when you turn 50, had suffered as a consequence. The mar- wrong,buteven tosupportthingsin made the call, said what he said in the way “Now I see myself working less, whatever I out of the acting game by then, so which I did a couple of years ago, you have riagefellapartin2000,Basingerseemingly worseiswhenyou EastHamptonand he said it. Are he and Ireland reconciled do and [and he smiles twinklingly] having whoknows?” ‘plentyoftime andnonetowaste’.” wanting a quiet life on Long Island, Bald- don’ttakea chance notjustgivetothe now? “Oh yes, it was a long time ago.” How someprivatetime.” Lymelife, then — which is ironically Acting wasn’t his first choice of career. winamore active,publicone.