Despite having one of the most well-known second names in the entertainment industry, and being a part of a clan of brothers who are famously all actors too, Alec Baldwin has always been the standout star among them. He's been around the acting world for over three decades now, becoming a celebrated star with a truly mesmerizing list of film, TV, documentary, and theater acting credits to his name in that time. He's also been embroiled in his fair share of controversy too, most recently for the tragic mishap that led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.
Despite his famous ups and downs in the industry, Baldwin still has millions of fans around the world and an ongoing career in showbiz. He's made some amazing film appearances like his roles in The Cooler and The Departed, falling short of winning an Oscar for the former. The veteran star has also maintained a constant presence on TV shows too and earned plenty of acclaim in that medium too. With Alec Baldwin's career seeming set to keep growing, here's a look back at his best TV series over the years.
10 The Doctors
A daytime soap opera that ran from the early '60s right up until 1982, The Doctors was a notable show for Alec Baldwin since it gave him his start as an actor. He appeared on it during its final years, playing a character named Billy Aldrich. Known for being grittier and more serious than its chief rival, the show was an extremely popular one in its heyday and, as a medically themed soap, gave the legendary General Hospital a run for its money at one time.
However, by the early '80s, the show's viewership had dropped drastically, and it was finally canceled after an epic run that lasted almost two decades. Nevertheless, before its demise, the show gave the world its first glance at a new star that would go on to become one of the most recognizable faces in the world after it. To his fans who are able to remember him that far back, it was clear to see that he was already destined to be a star since his youthful good looks and fiery screen presence made him stand out despite the show being in its decline at the time.
9 Thomas & Friends
In a role Alec Baldwin never gets enough credit for, he was the narrator in a voice role for various episodes of the acclaimed and very popular kids TV series Thomas & Friends. The show was so popular that it aired from the '80s, right up until 2021 across various series and iterations. To children around the world, it was a favorite show that helped them learn a host of great life lessons.
All the while they were entertained by the show's diverse range of locomotive characters that featured on it with some wonderful animation techniques bringing them to life. Through the famous tank engine's many adventuresover the decades, generations of children have grown up with this delightful show being a memorable part of their childhood. For many of them, it was all brought together beautifully by Alec Baldwin's expressive voices as he narrated 52 episodes of the American version of it across the fifth and sixth seasons of the show.
8 Knots Landing
Still too early in his career to be picky, and likely still being typecast, between 1984 and 1985, Baldwin appeared on another successful soap opera. This one was called Knots Landing and while it lasted for fourteen years, its most notable legacy was that it was a spin-off from the legendary show Dallas that was famously a worldwide icon of primetime TV.
Baldwin joined Knots Landing as a character named Joshua Rush who became a memorable part of the show during the 40 episodes of it he appeared in. Initially trying to find his mother, Rush later settles down in the show's main town and finds love along the way. Despite never being as famous as Dallas, Knots Landing was just as engaging and dramatic at times.
7 The Simpsons
Alec Baldwin's career has been so diverse and wide-ranging that it's difficult to pin him down as a specialist actor since he's been so good in so many ways. Whether it's serious and dramatic roles, or effortlessly hysterical comedic ones, over the years he's proven to have some amazing acting depth.
That depth was shown again when he took on voice roles in The Simpsonstwice. In one episode, he played himself, while in the funnier of the two, he voiced a character named Dr. Thorn. Thorn was a handsome environmental scientist who tries to woo Marge Simpson in Homer's absence. Thankfully, his efforts only make Marge realize that she truly loves her goofball but devoted husband instead. It was a great episode and Alec Baldwin's efforts in it certainly helped make it even more appealing.
6 The Looming Tower
The Hulu original miniseries The Looming Tower was a resounding success from a critical standpoint. The show is highly rated, holding an 88% approval rating among audiences, in addition to being nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards. It depicts a troubling tale of how the professional rivalry between the FBI and CIA's efforts to get the best intelligence may have contributed to the rise of Osama bin Laden.
Featuring some outstanding acting from the likes of Jeff Daniels, Alec Baldwin also did his part for the show's cause as he played the CIA Director George Tenet on it. Baldwin made appearances in six of the show's ten episodes, and while he may not have been a part of the main cast, was certainly as good as any in it.
5 Friends
Despite his brilliant dramatic repertoire as an actor, Alec Baldwin is often most memorable in his comedic roles. In the super hit sitcom Friends, like many other famous actors, Baldwin made cameo appearances on the show. Across two episodes, he appeared as a character named Parker who was one of Phoebe's short-lived love interests. Parker proved to be a memorable character who stoked many laughs with his crazy antics.
While he starts off seeming like a great person who is high-spirited and infectiously optimistic, Parker soon proves that he's actually just plain weird as he begins taking these traits to nauseatingly exaggerated levels. While it annoys the daylights out of Phoebe and the rest of the gang, it made for some sidesplitting scenes that Baldwin knocked out of the park with his brilliant comedic talents.
4 Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin
While not technically a TV series, Comedy Central Roasts have become legendary for the stinging jokes celebrities have hurled at each other over the years. Many have been memorable for how crude and racy the humor in them was. The list of standout roastees has seen everyone from Justin Bieber and Charlie Sheen, and even Donald Trump taking a turn in the hot seat. Proving that he could take a joke as well as he could deliver them, Alec Baldwin's turn in The Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin was as funny as these special comedy events have ever been.
His roasters included the likes of sitcom, Sean Hayes, screen legends like Robert De Niro, Caitlyn Jenner, and even his own daughter Ireland Baldwin. Nothing was off the table as the team poked fun at Alec's temper, the infamous voicemail message he left his daughter, and his struggles with substance abuse. Regardless of the crudeness of it all, it was one hilarious night, capped off in perfect style as Baldwin took the stage himself and hit back with some savage stingers of his own.
3 Will & Grace
Proving that his wacky sitcom talents were no fluke, Baldwin topped his appearances in Friends with another wildly funny character named Malcolm Widmark in both the older and more updated iterations of Will & Grace. Baldwin appeared in ten episodes across the show and was immensely hilarious in all of them. Malcolm was a CIA agent in the show who is tasked with spying on Karen Walker's friends when her husband is placed in witness protection.
Instead, he later starts dating Karen, played by the unforgettable Megan Mullally, and the wacky pair often prove riotous with their kooky and outlandish ways together. Baldwin was brilliant in the part, usually playing on exaggerated extremes between Malcolm's dry serious tone and the outrageously funny things he ends up saying. In a scene where Malcolm boasts about his rare skills as a CIA agent, here's one of his funniest lines that typified not just how funny the character was, but also why the show was so well known for its brilliant and witty writing.
"I'm skilled in many forms of interrogation, including physical torture, sleep deprivation, and Jewish guilt."
2 Saturday Night Live
Alec Baldwin has probably been the funniest and most beloved actor on Saturday Night Live that wasn't technically ever a full-time cast member. The reason is that he's a legend of the famous sketch show since he hosted and played various characters on it 17 times between 1990 and 2017. However, during the Trump Presidency, Baldwin, like many other celebrities made their dislike of the former President well known.
For Baldwin in particular, his constant mocking of Trump was so famous, it became a full-time role for him when he did end up joining the SNL cast from 2016 to 2020, playing a heavily satirized version of Trump across 40 episodes of the show. His role as Trump during that period became so popular that he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, winning one of them along the way. His constant mockery even drew the ire of Trump himself who often took to Twitter to lash out at the show and Baldwin for it. Here's what Donald Trump had to say in one of his most infamous tweets about it.
"Just tried watching Saturday Night Live - unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad."
1 30 Rock
Alec Baldwin's connection to SNL also led to his biggest TV career highlight as he joined Tina Fey as a regular cast member and producer on their hit comedy show 30 Rock. The show was hysterical, with all involved creating some seriously funny moments over its seven-season run and a special that aired in 2020. Baldwin played Jack Donaghy, an NBC executive and the hilarious boss of the main character, Liz Lemon, played by Fey.
Despite him being morally questionable in some sidesplitting ways, Jack takes a shining to the more affable Liz, but also makes her life hell with his bungling ideas and maddening executive decrees. Baldwin was brilliant in the role and owned it across 139 episodes of the show, winning two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards for the character, amid many more nominations.
With so many wonderful TV series to his name, most of his fans can't wait to see what direction Alec Baldwin's takes next as he moves on from what has probably been the most trying period of his entire career so far.