Billy Baldwin biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Actor. Born February 21, 1963, in Massapequa, New York, to homemaker Carol and high school history teacher Alexander Rae Baldwin. William Baldwin was the fourth of six children. His brothers Alec, Daniel and Stephen all became actors. His sisters Beth, a homemaker, and Jane, a physical therapist, have said they have no desire to enter show business.

Growing up in the large, rowdy Irish-Catholic Baldwin clan, "Billy was Switzerland. He was Jimmy Carter," his brother Alec later recalled. "The others could be going at it pretty bad, but Billy was always the peacemaker." The Baldwin siblings all attended the public Berner High School in Massapequa. Billy Baldwin then graduated from Binghamton University, where he majored in political science and was a standout on the school's wrestling team. After college, Baldwin interned on Capitol Hill as an assistant to Democratic Congressman Tom Downey.

Acting Debut

Baldwin and his brother Daniel both decided to get into acting after seeing how easily their brothers Alec and Stephen made it in Hollywood. Baldwin moved to New York City and began modeling, before landing his first role as killer Robert Chambers in the 1989 made-for-TV movie The Preppie Murder. After his well-received performance, Baldwin got a part in the Oliver Stone film Born on the Fourth of July, and went on to star in later movies such as Flatliners, Three of Hearts and Sliver. In 1991, he found his greatest success starring in the hit film Backdraft, as a firefighter haunted by his father's death. Baldwin had also been cast as a heartbreaker con man in the movie Thelma and Louise at the same time, but had to pull out when the filming conflicted with Backdraft. The part went instead to Brad Pitt, which launched the actor's career.

Personal Life

In his single days, Baldwin dated Madonna and actress Jennifer Grey. In 1991, he met Chynna Phillips, a former member of the pop group Wilson Phillips and the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas. The couple married in 1995 and had three children: daughter Jamison in 2000, son Lance Alexander in 2001, and daughter Brooke in 2004. While his wife took time off from her music career to raise their children, Baldwin continued to act, produce and write for the screen.