Who is Alec Baldwin?
Alexander Rae Baldwin III, born on April 3, 1958, is an American actor, comedian, and producer renowned for his diverse roles in both leading and supporting capacities spanning various genres, from comedy to drama. His outstanding performances have earned him numerous accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Additionally, he has garnered nominations for an Academy Award and a Tony Award.
Baldwin's career took flight with notable appearances in films like "Beetlejuice" (1988), "Working Girl" (1988), "Married to the Mob" (1988), and "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992). He notably portrayed Jack Ryan in "The Hunt for Red October" (1990). Baldwin's exceptional acting skills also led to Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in "The Cooler" (2003) and a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in "It's Complicated" (2010). His filmography includes roles in "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001), "Along Came Polly" (2004), "The Aviator" (2004), "The Departed" (2006), "To Rome with Love" (2012), "Blue Jasmine" (2013), "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" (2015), and "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" (2018). Additionally, he lent his voice to the title character in "The Boss Baby" film franchise (2017–2022).
From 2006 to 2013, Baldwin earned critical acclaim for his role as Jack Donaghy in the NBC sitcom "30 Rock," securing two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and an impressive seven Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actor in a comedy series. This achievement made him the male performer with the most SAG Awards in history. Baldwin also gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Donald Trump on the NBC sketch series "Saturday Night Live," a role that earned him his third Primetime Emmy in 2017, with subsequent nominations in 2018 and 2021.
Baldwin made his debut on Broadway in "Loot" (1986) and delivered an exceptional performance as Stanley Kowalski in the 1992 production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play. He later returned to Broadway with appearances in "Twentieth Century" (2004) and "Orphans" (2013). Additionally, he hosted the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010 and is a columnist for The Huffington Post. From 2016 to 2021, he served as the host of "Match Game."
In a tragic incident on the set of the film "Rust" in 2021, Baldwin accidentally discharged a prop revolver, resulting in the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injury of director Joel Souza. Baldwin faced charges of involuntary manslaughter in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, in January 2023. However, the charges were dropped in April 2023 pending further investigation.
Art, love, and disappointment
The 30 Rock actor made waves when he sued reseller Mary Boone for selling him a different version of Ross Bleckner's Sea and Mirror than the one he intended to buy. This was four years after he told The New York Times, "I love this thing," about the abstract painting, for which he paid $175,000. And that wasn't his first art misadventure. In 2015 he told Artnews that he'd accidentally bought a Pat Steir painting at auction for $95,000; he was bidding it up, thinking that a certain collector would surely offer more.
A different version of Ross Bleckner's Sea and Mirror
In 2017, Alec Baldwin stirred up controversy on Twitter when he replied to one of Harvey Weinstein's victims, saying, "If you paint every man with the same brush, you're gonna run out of paint or men." Another incident sheds light on why Baldwin had art and grievances on his mind. He had filed a civil-fraud case against New York gallery owner Mary Boone, which was eventually settled with Boone writing him a seven-figure check.
The story began as a love affair, as many lawsuits often do. In 1996, artist Ross Bleckner created "Sea and Mirror," a large canvas adorned with shimmering shapes. Years later, Baldwin received an invitation to an exhibition of Bleckner's work, featuring a photograph of "Sea and Mirror." Baldwin was captivated by the image and carried the invitation in his briefcase for years. In 2010, Baldwin purchased a painting from Bleckner's "Time" series through Mary Boone and expressed his desire to acquire "Sea and Mirror" as well. Boone responded with enthusiasm, and they agreed on a price of $190,000. A few months later, the painting was delivered to Baldwin.
Upon receiving the artwork, Baldwin noticed some discrepancies. While the painting had the correct signature, date, and the inventory number "7449" from the 1996 work on the back, Baldwin felt that the colors seemed different, describing them as "bright, like M&M's." He also observed that the brushstrokes were less delicate, and the paint had a fresh smell.
When Baldwin questioned Mary Boone about the differences, she explained that the previous owner had been a heavy smoker, so Ross had removed the painting from its stretcher, cleaned it, and made repairs as a courtesy before delivering it. Initially, Baldwin was hesitant to accept that it was a fake, trusting both Ross and Mary, whom he respected and whose work he admired.
Six years later, Baldwin discussed the situation with artist friends who found the story suspicious. They pointed out that no reputable artist or dealer would clean a painting without the owner's permission. Baldwin began to suspect that he had been deceived and decided to consult an expert from Sotheby's, who confirmed that the painting he had bought from Boone was not the 1996 "Sea and Mirror" he had believed it to be.
Baldwin opted to confront Bleckner, arranging a meeting at a friend's house. During the meeting, Bleckner confessed that the painting was, indeed, a copy. He later expressed his regret in an email to Baldwin, saying, "I'm so sorry about all of this. I feel so bad about this." Baldwin subsequently reached out to Mary Boone for an explanation. After numerous calls and emails, she finally admitted to selling him a copy. "Mary cried on the phone," Baldwin recalled. "She said, 'You caught me. I wanted to make you happy.' " Boone offered to refund the full purchase price of the painting, plus interest.
Baldwin was furious and wanted to expose Boone. However, due to the six-year statute of limitations, he couldn't pursue criminal charges. Instead, he filed a civil lawsuit against Boone and her gallery in New York State Supreme Court, alleging intentional fraud. The lawsuit claimed that Boone, unable to repurchase the original "Sea and Mirror" from the anonymous collector who had acquired it at Sotheby's in 2007, devised a scheme where Bleckner replicated the painting, and they passed off the duplicate as the original to Baldwin. Baldwin's suit sought punitive and exemplary damages to deter the defendants from continuing fraudulent practices.
Boone's lawyer countered by seeking the dismissal of the suit, arguing that Baldwin had been aware of what he was purchasing all along, portraying him as a complaining celebrity throwing a tantrum. The court decided not to dismiss the case, scheduling it for trial in early 2018.
During pretrial discovery, Baldwin's legal team uncovered potentially incriminating emails related to aging the painting and ensuring the paint was dry. Subsequently, the parties reached a settlement. Baldwin's lawyers believed that the settlement, likely exceeding the value of "Sea and Mirror," and possibly the damages awarded by a jury, was influenced by Boone's desire to prevent the release of that correspondence in court. A representative for Boone mentioned that she was preparing an art show and was unavailable for comment. When reached by phone, Bleckner commented on the dispute, saying, "It is resolved. I am sorry the whole thing happened."
The reproduction of "Sea and Mirror" now sits crated in the basement of Baldwin's East Hampton residence. He intends to feature it in a future lecture series on art fraud, humorously naming it the "Boonedoggle Tour." Besides the monetary settlement, of which he plans to donate half to the fund for rebuilding the Sag Harbor Cinema, destroyed by fire the previous winter, Baldwin will receive several Bleckner paintings as part of the settlement, including one tailored to his specifications. Baldwin quipped, "Maybe I'll have Ross paint a picture of the seven-figure check that Mary paid me to settle."
A Pat Steir painting for $95,000
Alec Baldwin's involvement in the world of art has been somewhat accidental, often participating in charity auctions in the Hamptons and occasionally toying with the idea of opening his own gallery simply because it seemed "nice." However, he accepted the honor of being recognized at Artwalk, an annual silent and live auction benefiting the Coalition for the Homeless. Even though he didn't know many of the artists present and wasn't particularly passionate about exclusive events like this, Baldwin agreed to participate.
"People invite you to these things, and sometimes they can be a bit of a hassle," he remarked while standing near the works of Ann Craven and Elliott Puckette, which were quietly receiving bids. "You go, and you can't wait for it to be over."
(He quickly added: "But that's not the case here; I really enjoy being here.")
His previous experience with live auctions at Artwalk proved costly, as he inadvertently spent $95,000 on a piece by an artist he hadn't realized was sitting next to him.
"A few years ago, I came here, and I thought I'd participate in the bidding just for fun, to drive up the price," he recounted. "It was a Pat Steir, and the estimated price was $100,000. I noticed that every time I made a bid, this guy next to me would outbid me. He was the real collector, so I started nudging him. He bid $70,000; I went up to $75,000. Finally, he reached $90,000, so I said $95,000, and then he dropped out. I was trying to push him to $100,000, but he left. I look at the guy and think, 'Are you kidding me?' 'I have to get it to $100,000. It's worth $100,000. I'm just doing it to keep you in line.' But, well, I got the painting for $95,000. The woman sitting next to me, a small, owl-like woman, said, 'Thank you very much; that was very kind of you. I'm Pat Steir.'"
When asked if he might make a similar mistake that night, he replied, "There's more art here than I have space on my walls for."
Selena Mattei