Though often steeped in controversy, Alec Baldwin is undeniably a phenomenal actor. He’s from a performing family, and he’s the oldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Alec, Daniel, William, and Stephen Baldwin are all in some wonderful films, and even have a documentary filmed about them, titled The Baldwin Brothers.
Alec Baldwin has certainly set himself apart from his famous family members with his filmography, showcasing just how talented he is and how much he contributes to projects he plays major parts in.
10. A Star is Born (90%)
Our first entry on this list is A Star is Born, in which Alec Baldwin plays… Alec Baldwin. That’s right, Alec Baldwin plays himself in A Star is Born, and he’s actually not in the movie that long. In fact, all told, he’s in four total seconds of the movie.
That’s right! His #10 movie, and he’s only in four seconds of it.
9. The Departed (91%)
Though The Departed only came out in 2006, it feels like it’s been out for much, much longer, with how it’s wormed its way into pop culture. Even if this may be the bias of a Boston native speaking, this movie is awesome.
Alec Baldwin appears in The Departed as Captain George Ellerby, a state official Captain in the Boston Police Department. He’s the comic relief, joking around with the department and with Staff Sergeant Dignam lightheartedly throughout the movie. Tragically, though, he ends up becoming head of the mission, suspending his old buddy Dignam, and last appearing at Billy Costigan’s funeral.
8. Framing John DeLorean (91%)
The documentary film Framing John DeLorean is actually a 2019 release about the life of engineer, inventor, and automobile executive John DeLorean.
Alec Baldwin plays the titular John DeLorean himself. Though the documentary has sections of actual footage of the real John DeLorean, Alec Baldwin is used in the dramatic reenactments scattered strategically throughout the movie, which gives a more personal twist and a compelling narrative to the story of the subject.
7. Blue Jasmine (91%)
Another release from this decade, 2013’s Blue Jasmine, is a Woody Allen-directed black dramedy starring Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin.
Woody Allen, Cate Blanchett, and Sally Hawkins all got a variety of awards and nominations for their roles in Blue Jasmine, but Alec’s role as Hal seems to be swept under the rug in favor of Blanchett.
6. What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (93%)
Another documentary, What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael explores the life of highly opinionated film critic Pauline Kael, who wrote for The New Yorker from 1968 until 1991 before passing away in Great Barrington, Massachusetts at the age of 82 in 2001.
Unlike the other documentary (Framing John DeLorean) on this list, however, Alec Baldwin is actually appearing as himself in What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael. Much like A Star is Born, this movie sees Alec appearing simply as Alec.
5. Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (93%)
The fifth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series, Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, was released in 2015 and receive a whopping 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
In a world where sequels are widely considered to be significantly worse than the original films, it’s pretty awesome that the fifth movie in this series was able to pull a 93% on a site like Rotten Tomatoes. Alec Baldwin plays Alan Hunley, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. You have to admit, he just does have that look about him.
4. Glengarry Glen Ross (95%)
The 4th entry on this list is an American classic: Glengarry Glen Ross, the 1992 James Foley-directed drama written by David Mamet, based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name from 1984. The movie is about four real estate salesmen and just how desperate they become when their head office sends a trainer down to motivate them by telling them that everyone except the top two salesmen will be fired in a week’s time.
Alec Baldwin plays that trainer — a salesman from downtown who the credits name Blake — who absolutely berates the salesmen during his tirade at them about their declining sales. This is where we get the famous quote “ABC — Always Be Closing,” as well as the even funnier, “Put that coffee down! Coffee is for closers.”
3. BlacKkKlansman (96%)
Another entry from this very decade, just as it comes to a close, is Spike Lee’s 2018 film BlacKkKlansman. This movie is actually based on a real story — the 2014 memoir Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth. John David Washington plays Stallworth in the movie, with Adam Driver playing his partner, Detective Philip “Flip” Zimmerman, and Topher Grace performing shockingly well as David Duke.
Alec Baldwin plays a character hilariously named Dr. Kennebrew Beauregard. He opens the movie with a racist, hate-filled tirade against minorities, setting the scene before jumping into the actual plot of the movie. This “Dr. Kennebrew Beauregard” character serves as the narrator too!
2. Mission: Impossible — Fallout (97%)
At a truly outrageous 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 2018’s Mission: Impossible — Fallout is somehow the sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series, and miraculously tops its predecessor, which appeared earlier on this list.
This is Christopher McQuarrie’s second time directing a Mission: Impossible movie, apparently spurred on by the success of Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation to become the first director to direct more than one of the films in the franchise. Alec Baldwin reprises his role as Alan Hunley, the former CIA director who is now the new IMF Secretary after the events of Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation.
1. Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (99%)
The best movie Alec Baldwin has ever been in, according to Rotten Tomatoes, is Chiemi Karasawa’s 2013 documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, about the life and career of Elaine Stritch. More than he has for any of the other documentaries on this list, however, Alec Baldwin got incredibly involved with the production. In fact, he and Broadway producer Cheryl Wiesenfeld served as executive producers on the film.
Karasawa started following Elaine Stritch in 2011 to make the documentary when she was 86 years old. The film aired in February 2014, mere months before Elaine Stritch passed away in July 2014. Alec Baldwin appears in the film, as well, again appearing as himself to speak on Elaine Stritch. The two played mother and son, once, as Colleen Donaghy and Jack Donaghy together on 30 Rock, and he continues to honor her legacy even after her passing.