William Baldwin Biography

Fast Facts

• After he received 2003 Outstanding American Award, he was inducted into the Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame
• William and his brother Alec both won $250K for charity on celebrity episodes of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire․"
• Baldwin attended Alfred G․ Berner High School in New York with his well-known brothers Alec, Stephen and Daniel
• Studied political science at the State University of New York at Binghamton for two years before going to Hollywood to pursue his acting career
• Baldwin worked as a male model before becoming an actor, and has modeled for Calvin Klein
• Worked as aide for Representative Thomas J․ Downey, a Democrat from New York, on Capitol Hill
• Quote: "I could count my modeling jobs on my hands and toes․ When I graduated from college, I moved to New York specifically to study acting and I needed to pay the bills and it's better to make a couple thousand dollars in one day than to wait tables six days a week․"
• Quote: "If I have a choice between my family and my work, my family wins out every time․ My lack of embracing the show business world is what's kept me as solid as I am․ In fact, I deliberately distance myself from show biz, because it makes me feel more safe, more stable․"
• Quote: "(On what drew him to the Hallmark film "Be My Valentine") "Work! Well, that's part of it․ No, I read the script and I was very moved by it․ Definitely touched by it․ It's a very sweet piece, right up Hallmark's alley․ They are doing great stuff and I had never done one with them before․ I thoroughly enjoyed myself․""
• Quote: "Acting is my career and activism is my passionate hobby․ But acting is my livelihood․ I was an activist long before I even entertained the possibility of being an actor․"
• Owns estates in Santa Barbara, Calif․, and in Bedford Corners, N․Y
• Baldwin is a keen jazz music lover but doesn't have a favorite music genre
• Has been nominated as PETA's "Sexiest Vegetarian․"