Alec Baldwin's goodbye from public life apparently extends to "Saturday Night Live." In an interview with Capital New York, writer Joe Hagan -- who was the "as told to" in Baldwin's first-person treatise on being famous for New York magazine -- revealed that Baldwin said he won't host "SNL" again.
"As he pointed out, it's ironic that he was doing this story in New York magazine," Hagan said when asked if he really thought Baldwin was finished with public life. "The cynical view is that all of this is only image rehab and he'll come back in eight months as a new and improved Alec Baldwin and host 'SNL' (which he promised never to do again). That's quite possible. He did tell me, 'If I wanted to straighten out some public-relations reversal in the press, I used to go do 'The View.'' Is this different? I don't know. I hope he actually focuses on his acting, because when he does he's brilliant."
Hagan's words echo what Baldwin said in the piece itself, where the 55-year-old actor alluded to the idea that he was finished with guest appearances that required him to play some version of himself.
It’s good-bye to public life in the way that you try to communicate with an audience playfully like we’re friends, beyond the work you are actually paid for. Letterman. 'Saturday Night Live.' That kind of thing. I want to go make a movie and be very present for that and give it everything I have, and after we’re done, then the rest of the time is mine. I started out as an actor, where you seek to understand yourself using the words of great writers and collaborating with other creative people. Then I slid into show business, where you seek only an audience’s approval, whether you deserve it or not. I think I want to go back to being an actor now.
Baldwin has hosted "Saturday Night Live" a record 16 times in his life, most recently in September of 2011. He last appeared on "SNL" in October of 2013 to narrate a trailer for "The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders," a spoof of Wes Anderson movies. Baldwin also took part in the monologue of that episode, which was hosted by Edward Norton.
For fascinating insight into Hagan's process with Baldwin, read the Capital New York interview. Baldwin's full piece can be found at New York.
Sign up for Peacock
to stream NBCU shows.
Before You Go
