Sept. 7, 2008
Political Office In Alec Baldwin's Future?
Actor Talks To Morley Safer About His Career, Personal Life, And Possible Future Plans
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Play CBS Video Video Alec Baldwin's Many Roles Morley Safer profiles actor Alec Baldwin, who talks candidly about his career and his personal life. (This segment was first broadcast on May 11, 2008.)
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Alec Baldwin (CBS)
"Whenever I see a film of mine when I was young, I see someone who was far more vulnerable than I am now. Audiences want that. You know, Johnny Depp seems like somebody that needs to be taken care of. You know? Women wanna reach out and they braid his hair or something. And when you convey to audiences a sense that you don't need to be taken care of, there's a whole other set of parts you're gonna play," Baldwin says.
"You also become a better actor or a more interesting actor?" Safer asks.
"You have a shorter schedule on the film, that's the film, that's for sure. I mean, you're in and out of there in four weeks," Baldwin says.
And it’s his willingness to try anything that actress and writer Tina Fey was after when casting her television comedy "30 Rock."
"Having worked at Saturday Night Live, you see a lot of actors come through. A lot of movie stars. Academy Award winners who cannot do what he does," Fey says.
"The first season, especially, doing this show with him, he made us all look better, and while we were learning from him, he was carrying us," Fey says of Baldwin on 30 Rock.
That show has earned him critical raves and awards. But for all his recent success, the past year has been anything but blissful.
He says that his multi-year custody battle had driven him to the edge of despair, and rage. When he left an abusive voicemail message for his young daughter, it was leaked to the media, and replayed incessantly on the Internet.
"I don't give a damn that you’re 12 years old or eleven years or that you’re a child or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass. …You have humiliated me for the last time," he said on the message.
Asked how he could do something like that, Baldwin says, "You get so frustrated. And you realize, number one, and it's wrong, it's totally wrong, that I was really speaking to somebody else when I left that message. I mean I was pissed, I mean, I was putting up with this for six years."
"But you weren't talking to another person. You were talking to your daughter, to a kid. And you said, 'You thoughtless little pig.' I mean, I find it hard to utter the words," Safer remarks.
"Did you ever lose your temper with your kids?" Baldwin asks.
"Yeah, but nothing like that," Safer says.
"If you're asking me do I feel bad about leaving that message, I think that goes without saying. At the same time, I'm pretty overwhelmed by the sanctimoniousness of people who say that, I mean, I got so many phone calls from people," Baldwin says.
"Well…," Safer says.
"Wait a second though. I got so many phone calls from people who seem as learned and sober and together as you are, who all said to me, 'Man, I'm glad they didn't tape some of the things I said to my kids,'" Baldwin says.
Produced by Deirdre Naphin and Katy Textor
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 201 CommentsBullies need to be stood up to and it sounds like his daughter and lovely ex wife are on to him!!!!
Bullies need to be stood up to and it sounds like his daughter and lovely ex wife are on to him!!!!
He is "up" for re-election this Fall. I have been notified that John Newsome will once again be elected by "default" as District Attorney, whether the people of El Paso & Teller counties like it or not.
Mr. Baldwin would fit in perfectly here in Colorado Springs. He has the education, aplomb to handle the public attitudes,& the networking management skills to maneuver the underhanded deceit that the movie/hollywood business prepared him for in the local county arena,& the acting ability to handle & incidents that may need "ad lib" law discriminating acts that the current District Attorney is handling in a more physically overbearing manner. And since a law degree is only $500-600 on line that is a very small issue. And Mr. Newsome is not applying many laws in his position as District Attorney anyway.
My vote is for Mr. Alex Baldwin for El Paso and Teller County Distric Attorney! of the State of Colorado!
Go back to sleep. We''ll wake you when the elections are all over. Don''t strain yourself.
I guess right-wingnuts can''t stand going to the movies because all the actors are such bed-wtting liberals they just can''t stand to see them.
BTW - Baldwin didn''t say HE would leave the country if Bushh got in, he said "it would be a good time to leave the country" if Bush got in.
I do have to say, I was rather shocked by his appearance. Definitely a few too many Martinis in his recent past.
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Posted by spanki9 at 09:34 AM : May 12, 2008
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Why is that? YOU only support believers in the "Party"? Not much of an American are you there swastika breath??? Sieg Heil Rush!!
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Posted by abbas_angel at 11:02 PM : May 11, 2008
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LOL Right! We can run the views of Child Molesters and Toe Tappers but heven know''s we shouldn''t run the views of someone who doesn''t agree with the "Party". Make''s perfect sense! All stand now and lets let Old Pat know these freaks are out here!! SIEG HEIL and AMEN!!
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Posted by genesis15 at 07:01 AM : May 12, 2008
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LOL That''s all it takes for you Nazi''s isn''t it... someone calls this man a "Liberal" and you''re off and running! ROFLMAO Have you EVER stopped long enough to take off the Swastika''s and READ a history book? If you had you KNOW that ALL our great leaders were "LIBERAL''s". Do you trash THEM as you do this person or do you do what Nazi''s have done since the days of Joe McCarthy? You''ve all heard it... "Well "Those" Liberal''s were different". I don''t know why they make that stupid statement because it only PROVES how ignorant they truly are... YES they were different and for their time as LIBERAL as any leader we have today. IF NOT for a LIBERAL and their desire to find a better and different way, we do NOT have a NATION folks! If you will notice this FLAMING FASCIST doesn''t bring out a position on ANY issue we face or the solution for ANY problem we are involved in... NO! He does what the Third Reich did.. he makes the person out to be. "a sorry drunk" and NEVER addresses anything else! Sieg Heil Rush!!
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