The youngest of the acting Baldwin brothers, Stephen Baldwin was the last to enter show business. After working in a Manhattan pizza parlor and as a Calvin Klein model, the fair-haired player began landing small roles in films (e.g., "Homeboy" 1988, "Last Exit to Brooklyn" and "Born on the Fourth of July" both 1989). Baldwin earned a degree of stardom playing the young 'Buffalo Bill' Cody on the Western TV saga of the Pony Express, "The Young Riders" (ABC, 1989-92). Based on his small screen popularity, he began landing more substantial roles, generally cast as a doofy, irresponsible guy, in 90s films like "Posse" (1993), as an irreverent Caucasian gang member, "8 Seconds" (1994), as Luke Perry's best friend and stiffest competition on the rodeo circuit, and "Threesome" (also 1994), which offered the actor his first lead as a party-loving college student in a co-ed suite. Few of his subsequent films, however, have fully capitalized on his abilities. The primary and notable exception was Bryan Singer's "The Usual Suspects" (1995) which cast him as a hot-headed thief. But efforts like the lame comedy "Bio-Dome" (1996), teaming Baldwin with Pauly Shore, hurt his career. He was poised to break out of his rut, however, with leading roles in two 1998 projects: "Dean Koontz's 'Mr. Murder'", an ABC TV-movie, cast him as a mystery writer whose life is nearly destroyed by a madman while "One Tough Cop" was a biopic of maverick policeman Bo Dietl adapted from Dietl's memoir.
- Also Credited As:
Stephen Andrew Baldwin
- Born:
Stephen Andrew Baldwin on May 12, 1966 in Massapequa, New York, USA
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Job Titles:
Actor, Model, Producer, Restaurateur
Family
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Brother: Alec Baldwin. Born in 1958; was previously married to actress Kim Basinger; best known for starring in Beetlejuice (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Cooler (2003) and the TV show, 30 Rock (NBC)
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Brother: Daniel Baldwin. Born in 1960; best known for playing Det. Beau Felton on NBC s Homicide: Life on the street
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Brother: William Baldwin. Born in 1963; married to singer-actress Chynna Phillips; best known for starring in Backdraft (1991), Sliver (1993) and ABC s Dirty Sexy Money
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Daughter: Alia Baldwin. Born in February 1993; mother, Kennya Baldwin
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Daughter: Hailey Rhode Baldwin. Born Nov. 22, 1996; mother, Kennya Baldwin
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Father: Alexander Rae Baldwin Jr. Taught history in high school and coached football; died of lung cancer in 1983
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Mother: Carol Baldwin. A breast cancer survivor who founded the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Care Center of the University Hospital and Medical Center at Stony Brook
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Sister: Elizabeth Baldwin. Born c. 1956; non-acting mother of six and head of Stephen Baldwin s fan club
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Sister: Jane Baldwin. Born c. 1965;
Education
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Berner High School, Massapequa, NY
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American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York, NY
Milestones
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1987 Cast in the American Playhouse s TV presentation of The Prodigious Hickey and its sequel, The Return of Hickey
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1988 First significant film role, The Beast of War
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1988 Made feature film debut in Homeboy
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1989 Debuted as a series regular, playing a young Buffalo Bill, on ABC s The Young Riders
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1989 Cast in the feature film adaptation of Last Exit to Brooklyn
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1994 First film in a leading role, Threesome
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1995 Breakthrough film role, playing Michael McManus in The Usual Suspects
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1996 co-starred with Pauly Shore in the comedy film Bio-Dome
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1998 Had lead role in the feature One Tough Cop
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1999 Featured in Mike Binder s The Sex Monster
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1999 Joined the ensemble Friends & Lovers
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2000 Cast as Barney Rubble in the live-action film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
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2003 Joined the first celebrity edition of The Mole entitled, Celebrity Mole: Hawaii on ABC
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2004 Returned for Celebrity Mole Yucatan on ABC
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2006 Published the book, The Unusual Suspect
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2007 Cast in Ty Murray s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge on the CMT Network; injured in a bad fall and left the show in the second episode
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2008 Appeared on Donald Trump s Celebrity Apprentice on NBC
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2009 Participated in NBC s I m a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here! ; was forced to leave early after contracting a serious infection from bug bites
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Appeared in Calvin Klein ad
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Spotted by an agent when he was working in a Manhattan pizza parlor