The Baldwins

I just realized it was Thursday night so in honor of the NBC "Must See" TV line-up...I thought I'd write about my experience with two of the Baldwin Brothers, Daniel and Alec.

I worked with Daniel Baldwin once on a movie in Texas. Daniel Baldwin has had many well publicized stints in rehab over the years, but I saw no sign of any trouble during this shoot. He was not exactly a "ball of laughs," but he was professional and kept to himself. The most interesting thing I remember about working with him was actually not really about him, but more about his assistant. We had no idea he was bringing an assistant until he showed up on set with a guy who introduced himself as "Sky Vermicelli!" I don't care if that wasn't his real name. That was how he introduced himself and that's what we called him for the next 6 weeks!

I encountered Alec several years when I was working in a book store in Studio City, California. The store was very popular with celebrities because of its close proximity to several major studios. The store was actually a converted movie theater. It was part of the "Barnes & Noble" family, but because of its limited size we didn't have a music department or a cafe. We were a book store that only sold books!

It must have been around Christmas because the store was packed. The cash registers were right by the front door and I distinctly remember there was a long line of customers. I was waiting on one of these customers when I suddenly heard this deep, booming voice ask,

"Do you sell DVDS?"

The voice came from the front of the store and didn't seem to care that there was a long line of other customers patiently waiting their turn. My first thought was, "Great, who is this jerk with the distinctive voice." It actually didn't register for me at first that it was Alec Baldwin, but as soon as I looked up there was no mistaking that this guy who had not even bothered to say, "Excuse Me," was a very imposing, charasmatic figure. There was no way you could miss this guy even if he was not famous. I told him we didn't and continued to complete my transaction with the customer in front of me.

He must have decided to look around anyway because a few minutes later he was standing in front of my register with his daughter. Yes, the daughter that had been at the center of a bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife, Kim Bassinger, several years before and several years later would be the recipient of an angry, embarrassing rant from her father. I rang up his purchase and now we're at the point where I was required to ask if he had "Barnes & Noble" discount card.

He thought for a moment and his reaction was priceless. He looked over at his daughter and said to me, "I...I think her mother might have one somewhere."

I played a long as I was required to do and asked, "Would you like me to look it up by a phone number?"

He really thought about it for a moment and then shook his head.

"No."

It was obvious, in so many ways, that he didn't want to go there!