Shuvrajit Das Biswas
6. Beetlejuice (1988)
This fantasy comedy horror movie is directed by none other than the master of the macabre, Tim Burton. Burton makes Alec Baldwin his protagonist, Adam Maitland. Adam and his wife Barbara dies in a car crash and are forced to live as ghosts in their recently purchased home. At first, they decide to scare away the new tenants but when their supernatural ghostly scaring proves counterproductive, they hire Betelgeuse pronounced ‘Beetlejuice’. However, this new hire has bad manners and wrecks havoc all around till the Maitlands step up and get rid of this unwanted presence. They begin to live harmoniously with the new tenants. Baldwin delivers a wholesome performance showing equal amounts of talent and comic flashes when necessary. Beetlejuice is one of the first movies to see Baldwin in a major comic role and of course, the future would see him become one of the biggest names in the industry.
5. The Hunt for Red October (1990)
This espionage film is based on Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name and the plot follows a rogue Soviet captain who attempts to defect to the US during the cold war era and there is a high chance that a misunderstanding might just escalate the situation and lead to a nuclear war. The captain of the Russian submarine is played brilliantly by Sean Connery, but the man in the spotlight is Alec Baldwin who is the hero of the story. He plays Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who specializes in naval warfare. Ryan becomes a Bond-like character and would later be played by other notable actors such as Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pyne. However, Baldwin as the first Ryan combines brawn and brains and delivers a brilliant performance that moves along this highly tense thriller.
4. A Streetcar Named Desire (1995)
Directed by Glenn Jordan, this film is based on Tennessee Williams play of the same name. Alec Baldwin plays Stanley Kowalski, the protagonist, and after seeing Marlon Brando play the role in the 1951 film, most would have thought that no one else could play Kowalski. However, Baldwin steps up to the task and he combines a rough masculinity and abusive edges to his character to play this role. Lauded by critics including being nominated for an Emmy, this is one of Baldwin’s finest performances and often goes overlooked.
3. Saturday Night Live (2016-)
Alec Baldwin has recently appeared in a series of comic sketches on Saturday Night Live, parodying the now President of the USA – Donald Trump. Baldwin has done a brilliant job making a political statement by taking a stand against some of Trump’s unpopular policies while retaining a brilliant air of humor around it. Lauded by critics and winner of a Primetime Emmy Award, these comic bits will have you in splits as Baldwin effortlessly channels the businessman turned president. Most of the pieces are available on YouTube so rush right over and watch them if you haven’t seen them already. They will definitely leave you on the floor rolling with laughter.
2. The Cooler (2003)
Directed by Wayne Kramer, this movie stars Alec Baldwin as Sheldon ‘Shelly’ Kaplow, the casino boss at Shangri-La. Baldwin’s character is old school and while it is never shown clearly whether he has mob ties, it is implied and he carries himself exactly like that. He breaks kneecaps and keeps a cooler on his payroll. A cooler in the gambling parlance is a person who brings bad luck to other players at the table. The film shows the love story between the cooler and a cocktail waitress but the background to it is a power struggle going on between the old school Kaplow and the new Ivy league board of directors. Baldwin delivers a brilliant performance that won him nominations at both the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
1. 30 Rock (2006-2013)
The television show is based on Tina Fey’s experiences as the head writer for Saturday Night Live. The title, of course, refers to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the address where SNL is written, produced and performed. Baldwin plays Jack Donaghy one of the supporting characters. Donaghy starts as the Vice President of East Coast Television and later the head of NBC. Baldwin does a fantastic job as Donaghy and has the awards to prove it – two primetime Emmys and three Golden Globes. Undoubtedly, this is the finest and biggest role in his career.
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