The 20 best roles of Alec Baldwin’s career

Although it wasn’t his first on-screen acting job, “Knots Landing” is still the earliest role we remember Alec Baldwin for, as he appeared on the CBS soap opera in 1984 (three years before his first film appearance) for an extended stint of 40 episodes. Baldwin joined the show in its sixth season as Joshua Rush, the secret son of Lilimae (Julie Harris) and the half-brother of Valene (Joan Van Ark). Alec’s arc came to a close in season 7 when, after turning to the dark side, Rush became enraged and fell off a roof to his death.

After making his film debut in 1987’s “Forever, Lulu,” followed by an appearance in John Hughes’ “She’s Having a Baby,” Alec Baldwin was cast in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” He and Geena Davis play the Maitlands, a couple coping with the fact that they just died, and also discovering they need the help of a “bio-exorcist” named Betelgeuse in order to retake their home from its new mortal owners. Thanks in part to Baldwin (and a lot of help from Michael Keaton), bizarre hilarity ensued, and Burton’s second feature film has since become one of the most famous of his career.

“The Hunt for Red October” wasn’t just the first film adaptation of a Tom Clancy novel and the first of many portrayals of the character Jack Ryan, it was also the first thriller in which Alec Baldwin appeared. The actor was praised for his part opposite the iconic Sean Connery, and for good reason; not only did Baldwin take part in many of the film’s stunt sequences, he also learned how to drive an attack submarine as part of his training.

Prior to filming, Alec Baldwin actually dropped out of the 1992 drama “Glengarry Glen Ross” due to a contract dispute, but producer Jerry Tokofsky begged him to reconsider, as the part (which didn’t exist in the play on which the film was based) was written specifically for him. Thankfully, Baldwin changed his mind, as his insulting, profane, shake-up speech to the salesman is one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, even though it only lasts for a few minutes, and is Baldwin’s only appearance.

This slide is a two-for-one special. Alec Baldwin first took on the role of Stanley Kowalski in “A Streetcar Named Desire” on stage at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore theater, which earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in 1992. Three years later, he reprised the character in a made-for-TV movie, which earned him nods at both the Emmys and Golden Globes for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, and Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film, respectively.

Critics weren’t too kind to the 1994 superhero film “The Shadow,” but the acting was nevertheless praised. This was especially good news for Alec Baldwin, who starred as the titular character, as well as his co-stars Penelope Ann Miller, Peter Boyle, Ian McKellen, Tim Curry, and Jonathan Winters. In recent years, “The Shadow” has become something of a cult classic in the superhero genre.

Former white supremacist and Klansman Byron De La Beckwith was tried twice in the 1963 assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, but both trials resulted in hung juries. More than three decades later, Evers’ wife enlisted assistant district attorney Bobby DeLaughter to tackle the case once again, even though the latter knew it could destroy his career. However, De La Beckwith was successfully convicted in 1994, and two years later, Alec Baldwin portrayed DeLaughter's plight in “Ghosts of Mississippi” alongside Whoopi Goldberg, James Woods and Craig T. Nelson. The film was a box-office flop, but that is no reflection on Baldwin’s portrayal of the compassionate and heroic prosecutor.

We’re suckers for any guest star on “The Simpsons,” especially during the show’s pre-2000 heyday. Baldwin appeared in the season 10 episode “When You Dish Upon a Star,” where he played himself alongside then-wife Kim Basinger and actor/director Ron Howard. Sure, Howard probably had the best lines of the episode, but Baldwin still had some good ones, and he and Kim deserve credit for agreeing to the cameo in the first place. After all, it was originally offered to Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, who turned it down.

When the average person hears the names “Alec Baldwin” and “Saturday Night Live” together, there’s probably one specific impression they are thinking of (more on that later), but this has only been true for the last two years. Prior to that, there was another character for which Baldwin was most famous: Pete Schweddy, the holiday treat-maker who was a guest on “The Delicious Dish” alongside “SNL” cast members Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon. Due to the rampant use of double-entendres, we probably shouldn’t go into too much detail about the hilarious skit – which has become one of the most famous Christmas-themed sketches in the show’s history – but thankfully, YouTube has us covered.

Not only was Alec Baldwin the star of the 2000 made-for-TV movie “Nuremberg,” it was also one of his first turns as executive producer – a title he would assume a dozen more times during his career. Alongside veterans Brian Cox and Christopher Plummer, Baldwin played Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, the chief United States prosecutor at the Nuremberg Nazi war criminal trials. As an actor, he earned a Golden Globe and SAG nomination, and as a producer, he received an Emmy and Satellite Award nod.

The final film directed by John Frankenheimer and the final film produced by Edgar J. Scherick (who both died within seven months of its release) was “Path to War,” a biographical TV movie that focuses on the Vietnam War from the point-of-view of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his cabinet. Veteran actor Christopher Plummer played Johnson, Donald Sutherland played advisor Clark Clifford, and Baldwin portrayed Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, with Gary Sinise, Tom Skerritt, and Sarah Paulson as additional co-stars. Like “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Nuremberg,” Baldwin’s role in “Path to War” also earned him nods at both the Emmys and Golden Globes.

By far the most successful film role of Alec Baldwin’s career, on a personal level, was 2003’s “The Cooler.” Although William H. Macy was the star of this drama set in a Las Vegas, he was outshined by Baldwin’s old-school hardliner casino boss, Shelly Kaplow. The actor received almost universal critical acclaim, as well as numerous awards from critics groups. He also earned nominations at the Academy, Golden Globe, Satellite and SAG award shows.

We don’t care what the critics said: 2005’s “Fun with Dick & Jane” was a hilarious remake of the 1977 film of the same name that starred George Segal and Jane Fonda. This one put Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni in the lead roles, made Alec Baldwin the big bad boss, and put an Enron-like spin on the whole plot, with comedy heavyweights Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller penning the script. Baldwin was believable in the villain role, and his Southern accent wasn’t too shabby either.

For a six-episode stint in 2005, Alec Baldwin appeared on NBC’s “Will & Grace” as Malcolm Widmark, a boss of Will (Eric McCormack) who turns out to be working for Stanley, the dead husband of Karen (Megan Mullally), who wasn’t actually dead. Malcolm and Karen end up dating, and for his performance, Alec Baldwin ended up earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Although he hails from Long Island, Baldwin adopted a pretty convincing Boston accent when he took the role of Capt. George Ellerby in “The Departed.” The role wasn’t too big – with co-stars Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Vera Farmiga, Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen all getting more screen-time – but Baldwin was a perfect addition to an all-star lineup that eventually earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Plus (spoiler!), Ellerby was one of the few characters to make it out of the film alive.

What can we say about Jack Donaghy? For seven seasons, Alec Baldwin played this wealthy, smug, elitist conservative executive that was the antithesis of Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon, yet the two had a unbreakable platonic bond, and would often lean on each other for advice... although neither would admit the mutual dependency. Playing Donaghy earned Baldwin three Golden Globe wins, two Emmys, and seven consecutive SAG Awards, and is easily the most popular role of the iconic actor’s career.

Written and directed by Nancy Meyers, “It’s Complicated” isn’t just one of our favorite Alec Baldwin films, it’s also one of our favorite romantic comedies of all time. After all, it’s hard to beat Baldwin, Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, John Krasinski, Rita Wilson and Lake Bell in a single film – a fact that the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures agrees with, as they gave the film an award for Best Ensemble Cast. Although it received mixed reviews from critics, “It’s Complicated” also earned three Golden Globe nominations and a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA nod for Baldwin.

Move over, Pete Schweddy, because Alec Baldwin has topped his previous best “Saturday Night Live” performance with another: his portrayal of President Donald Trump. Baldwin actually first attempted the impression prior to the 2016 election, and has reprised the role numerous times after Trump somewhat unexpectedly won. The commander-in-chief might not be a fan of Baldwin’s portrayal (a fact his Tweets have expressed), but it has boosted the show’s ratings as of late, and earned the actor an Emmy and a Critics' Choice Television Award.

The famous fill-in-the-blank game show “Match Game” has been around off-and-on since 1962, with the first host being the incomparable Gene Rayburn. Baldwin hasn’t reach Rayburn’s level yet (Gene hosted for 20 years, after all), but he has been the host and executive producer of the revival for nearly two years now, and regularly nets famous names like Jason Alexander, Rosie O'Donnell, Leah Remini, Cheryl Hines, Niecy Nash, Ellie Kemper, David Alan Grier, Judy Greer, Wayne Brady and almost all of Baldwin’s former “30 Rock” cast-mates. “Match Game” was recently renewed for a third season, which began in January 2018.

Before we bring this list to a close, it’s missing one thing: a children’s show or movie – and Alec Baldwin has had no shortage of these, including series like  “Thomas & Friends,” “Johnny Bravo” and “The Fairly OddParents,” as well as films like “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie,” “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” and “Rise of the Guardians.” For this genre, we went with 2017’s “The Boss Baby,” which saw Baldwin playing an infant with the mind of an adult. Not only did the animated comedy get five Annie nominations and both an Oscar and Golden Globe nod, but Alec will be returning for a sequel, which is slated for a 2021 release date.