TLDR: Alec Baldwin joined Knots Landing as an unknown actor from a family that would eventually produce three more working actors. He left the show a year later without much say in the matter, and a costar’s parting words to him turned out to be more accurate than either of them could have known at the time.
Alexander Rae Baldwin III was born April 3, 1958, in Amityville, New York, and raised in nearby Massapequa, the second of six children to a high school history teacher and football coach.
He initially enrolled at George Washington University intending to study law, before his childhood interest in acting resurfaced and he transferred to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, studying at the Lee Strasberg Institute while working as a busboy at the famed Manhattan nightclub Studio 54.
His three younger brothers, Daniel, William, and Stephen, all went on to become actors themselves, making the Baldwins one of Hollywood’s more prolific acting families.
He Broke In on Daytime Television First
Baldwin’s first real acting role came playing Billy Aldrich on the NBC daytime soap The Doctors from 1980 to 1982, followed by a short-lived primetime series, Cutter to Houston, in 1983.
Neither role gave him any real name recognition before Knots Landing cast him the following year as Joshua Rush, written into the show as the half-brother of longtime character Valene Ewing and the son of Lilimae Clements, played by Julie Harris.
His Character Turned Dark, and the Storyline Never Quite Worked
Baldwin’s character grew increasingly villainous as his run continued, a shift that costar Donna Mills has since said never came together cleanly on the page. “They could have developed Joshua’s storyline better,” Mills said in a contemporary TV Guide interview. “The character seemed to change and turn bad and a part is hard to play when it isn’t written clear and strong.”
Baldwin himself seemed to sense trouble ahead even at the time, telling TV Guide, “I don’t know how much longer he’ll be on the show,” describing a strange, almost premonitory feeling about the character’s fate.
He Didn’t Choose to Leave
Baldwin was let go from the show in 1985, and Mills confirmed decades later exactly what happened. Asked directly whether there was a story behind his sudden exit, she answered plainly: “They fired him,” attributing the decision to budget concerns at the production level rather than any conflict with Baldwin personally.
A Costar’s Parting Advice Turned Out to Be Exactly Right
Mills has said she offered Baldwin real encouragement on his way out the door. “I said, ‘Alec, don’t feel bad. This is the best thing that ever happened to you. You’re going to go, and you’re going to get bigger and better things,'” she recalled telling him, going so far as to name the specific direction she thought his career would take: “I just thought, you know, movies. He’ll make it in the movie world.”
He Lost a Major Franchise, Then Found Broadway Instead
Mills’s prediction held up quickly.
Baldwin made his 1986 Broadway debut in a revival of Loot, then broke through on film with Beetlejuice and Working Girl in 1988, before landing the lead role of Jack Ryan in 1990’s The Hunt for Red October opposite Sean Connery, a genuine box office and critical success.
A real falling-out with Paramount over the direction of future Jack Ryan scripts cost Baldwin the franchise entirely, and the role went to Harrison Ford instead.
Rather than chase another studio picture, Baldwin turned back to the stage, earning a Tony nomination for playing Stanley Kowalski in a Broadway revival of A Streetcar Named Desire, a role he later reprised for television.
He returned to the Knots Landing world years later for its 2005 reunion special, filming a separate segment rather than appearing alongside the full original cast. You can read more about the rest of the show’s cast in our full guide to Knots Landing.
Alec Baldwin, Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Alec Baldwin leave Knots Landing?
He was fired in 1985. Costar Donna Mills later confirmed the decision came down to budget concerns at the production level, not any personal conflict.
What character did Alec Baldwin play on Knots Landing?
He played Joshua Rush starting in 1984, written as the half-brother of longtime character Valene Ewing and son of Lilimae Clements. The storyline grew increasingly villainous as his run continued.
What did Alec Baldwin do before Knots Landing?
He played Billy Aldrich on the NBC daytime soap The Doctors from 1980 to 1982, followed by the short-lived primetime series Cutter to Houston in 1983.
Did Alec Baldwin lose a major film role after Knots Landing?
Yes, after starring as Jack Ryan in 1990’s The Hunt for Red October, a dispute with Paramount over future scripts cost him the franchise, and the role went to Harrison Ford instead.
Are Alec Baldwin’s brothers also actors?
Yes, his three younger brothers, Daniel, William, and Stephen, all became actors, making the Baldwins one of Hollywood’s most prolific acting families.
