When Alec Baldwin announced his next project after putting some of his Rust legal issues behind him, many fans were surprised. The 66-year-old actor, who has starred in critical hits like 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live, is headed for reality TV stardom on TLC — and it doesn’t sound like it’s going very well.
A crew member on the set of The Baldwins, which is set to debut in 2025, told In Touch Weekly, “Alec thinks he’s filming a movie, not a cheap reality show. He doesn’t seem to understand there is no script or lines for him to learn.” That has led to a difference of opinion between the crew and Baldwin, who reportedly “thinks he knows best, on everything from the storylines to the camera angles to the lighting.” The insider described the production as a “disaster.”
This desire to be in control aligns with Rust director Joel Souza’s revelation that he had to draw a boundary with Baldwin when they returned to finish the movie after the accident. “I had to make it crystal clear that if I’m coming back, creatively I am going to have what I want. There was not going to be a discussion about it, and that’s that,” Souza told Vanity Fair. “I was just all over the place emotionally during that whole second shoot.”
Baldwin announced the reality show in June on his Instagram account with wife Hilaria Baldwin by his side and their seven young children. “We’re inviting you into our home, to experience the ups and downs, the good and the bad, the wild and the crazy. Home is the place we love the most,” he said in the chaotic video clip. The move to reality TV was locked in ahead of the dismissal of his Rust involuntary manslaughter charges. The surprising shift in his career could be related to his cash flow, which is likely tied up with legal bills.
He has also been trying to sell his $19 million Amagansett, New York home, and he even appeared in a YouTube video to drum up real estate sales. He took a nostalgic look at the property in January 2024 and gushed, “I fell in love with this place the moment I came here. You just can’t get this out here anymore. I love coming here. I’m always happiest when I come here.” It sounded like he did not want to let the residence go, but the Rust shooting and seven young children have changed the course of his finances and his career.
Perhaps he should take a page from Kim Kardashian who leveraged her reality show fame to acting, producing, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Reality TV isn’t a major Hollywood production, but it can certainly pay the bills if you lean into it.
Before you go, click here to see the best reality TV shows on right now.
