25 Lesser-Known Things About The Prestigious Baldwin Family
Ever since Justin Bieber confirmed his engagement to Hailey Baldwin a few weeks ago, attention has once again been thrust upon this much-loved model and her famous family. The Baldwins have been one of the most prominent Hollywood dynasties for decades now, starting with the four Baldwin brothers: Alec, Stephen, Billy, and Daniel. Now that the brothers' children - most notably Hailey and Ireland Baldwin - are starting to break into the entertainment business too, it doesn't look like the Baldwins will be leaving the headlines anytime soon! And that's not even considering the Bieber-Baldwin nuptials that are on the horizon…
It's easy to assume that you know everything there is to know about the Baldwins: after all, Hailey shares a lot about their lives on social media! The future Mrs. Bieber is pretty close to her parents, uncles, siblings, and cousins, so we get a pretty deep insight into the Baldwin family dynamic thanks to her. However, even the most famous of families do manage to keep some things about themselves almost totally hidden from the public eye. No matter how much you've stalked Hailey's social media or watched all of Alec's interviews, you probably haven't come across these interesting pieces of information about the Baldwin clan.
25 All Four Baldwin Brothers Are Famous Actors
Probably the most famous of the four Baldwin brothers is Alec, the A-list star of shows such as 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live.
However, Alec is by no means the only actor in the family!
All three of Alec's brothers - Stephen, Daniel, and Billy - are actors in their own right. People notes that Daniel is best known for his reality TV work, while Stephen and Billy have starred in a range of movies and shows over the past few decades.
24 The Baldwin Brothers' Parents Weren't Involved In Showbusiness
Considering all four Baldwin brothers became actors, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that they were born into a family that was already involved in show business. However, that couldn't be further from the truth!
According to Vanity Fair, the brothers' late father, Alexander, was a teacher and a football coach. Meanwhile, their mother, Carol, was a housewife during their childhood and now works in the charity sector! These are pretty humble origins considering the brothers are all now Hollywood superstars.
23 Three Of The Brothers All Starred In The Same Tom Cruise Movie
Considering all four Baldwin brothers work in the same industry, it was perhaps inevitable that they'd star alongside a sibling or two in a movie or TV show someday. In 1989, this became a reality in the Tom Cruise film Born On The Fourth Of July.
According to IMDb, three of the brothers - Billy, Daniel, and Stephen - all had roles in this Vietnam War-themed drama.
The film went on to win two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes.
22 The Family Was Raised Staunchly Catholic
It's pretty clear that Hailey Baldwin is religious: CBN reported in June that her faith is one of the things that drew her close to the equally devout Justin Bieber. However, you might not know that the rest of her famous family is pretty religious too.
According to Vanity Fair, the Baldwins were specifically raised in the Catholic faith - something that Alec credits with fostering his wish to help others at all times. His younger brother Stephen - Hailey's dad - has since converted to born-again Christianity.
21 There Are Two Baldwin Sisters Who've Stayed Out Of The Limelight
Enough about the Baldwin brothers: let's talk about the Baldwin sisters! Alec, Stephen, Daniel, and Billy have two of them. According to People, Elizabeth "Beth" Baldwin-Keuchler is the oldest of the brood, while Jane Sasso is the second-youngest.
Neither Beth or Jane pursued careers in acting, or professions in the spotlight at all.
In the 90s, Slate reported that Beth was a housewife while Jane was a physical therapist. Both sisters live in the state of New York. And that's about all we know about them!
20 Hailey Baldwin Trained In Musical Theater For 7 Years
Before she became a top model and world-famous celebrity, Hailey Baldwin dreamed of a career in musical theater. Hello Magazine reports that Hailey actually spent seven years training to get on the stage and is still obsessed with Broadway shows to this day.
In fact, there's a strong possibility that she'll follow her father and uncles into the acting business. According to Hello, Hailey has admitted that acting is something she loves to do in her spare time and could be a real career option for her.
19 Alaia Baldwin, Stephen Baldwin's Elder Daughter, Is A Renowned Model
Turns out Hailey Baldwin is not the only model in her family! Her older sister, Alaia, works in the same industry. Speaking to Marie Claire, Alaia revealed that she sees modeling as her "creative outlet." The professional model tends to focus on getting into a "character" on a shoot.
Alaia doesn't want her career to bring her fame, though.
In fact, she aims to live as "normal" a life as possible and wants to be a "healthy model for young girls."
18 Alec Baldwin's 2003 Awards Season Performance Broke A Hilarious Record
Back in the 2004 awards season, Alec Baldwin made headlines for breaking a hilarious and somewhat bittersweet record. As Variety notes, he joined the "elite" group of actors who've been nominated for both an Oscar and a Razzie in the same year!
He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Academy for his role in The Cooler, and a Worst Supporting Actor nod for The Cat In The Hat by the Razzies. In the end, though, he didn't walk home with either award.
17 Hailey Baldwin Was Maid Of Honor At Her Sister Alaia's Wedding
In 2017, Stephen Baldwin's eldest daughter Alaia got married to her long-time partner Andrew Aronow. According to Brides.com, it was a special day for the entire Baldwin clan, many of whom had a role in the ceremony!
Hailey Baldwin acted as her sister's Maid of Honor while their cousin Ireland Baldwin was a bridesmaid.
The bridal party all looked striking in jet-black dresses. At the reception, Hailey Baldwin posted a Snapchat joking "Dad said me next… NOT." Turns out he was right!
16 Before Embarking On His Acting Career, Billy Baldwin Modeled For Calvin Klein
Now, onto one of the more private Baldwin brothers, Billy. Billy prefers to stay out of the limelight the majority of the time, but that doesn't mean he hasn't had an illustrious show business career!
Things began for Billy back in the 1990s when he started a successful modeling career. At the time, The Washington Post reported that he was one of the most prestigious up-and-coming models of the day. Billy worked with huge brands like Calvin Klein and Nike - and that was just the beginning!
15 Ireland Baldwin Once Starred In A Movie Alongside Her Mom, Kim Basinger
While Alec Baldwin was married to fellow actress Kim Basinger, he became a father for the first time. Baldwin and Basinger named their daughter Ireland - that would be the same Ireland Baldwin who's killing it in the fashion industry these days.
Before she became a model, Ireland dabbled in the acting world for a while.
In fact, as Yahoo notes, she starred in the 2013 movie Grudge Match as the younger version of her mother's character! Talk about keeping it in the family!
14 Stephen Baldwin Is Passionate About Skateboarding
Stephen Baldwin is a man of many talents. He's an actor, a reality star, a filmmaker… And a skateboarder? Apparently so! According to The Guardian, after the 9/11 terror attacks, Baldwin decided to put acting on the back burner for a while and focus on his twin loves of religion and extreme sports.
He actually combined the two in a nationwide tour and went on to direct a movie spin-off of the project, Livin' It. It was a mildly successful film that's sold 500,000 copies to date.
13 Hailey Baldwin Has A Matching Tattoo With Kendall Jenner
Anyone who's been following Hailey Baldwin's social media antics for a while will know that she's on pretty good terms with the younger members of the Kardashian-Jenner crew.
Hailey's particularly close to Kendall Jenner: the two women bonded over their shared modeling career aspirations.
As Refinery29 notes, Hailey and Kendall decided to take their BFF status to the next level a few years ago by getting matching heart tattoos on their fingers. The only difference is in the tattoos' colors: Kendall opted for a white heart, while Hailey's is bright red.
12 Carol, The Baldwin Family Matriarch, Founded Her Own Cancer Treatment Center
Although the Baldwin brothers' father Alexander passed away over 30 years ago now, their mother, Carol, is still going strong at the ripe old age of 88. Carol was a housewife when the brothers were children, but in her later years, she turned her hand to charity work.
She founded the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund in 1996. According to the fund's website, Carol was motivated to do so by her own near-fatal experience fighting breast cancer and subsequently undergoing a double mastectomy.
11 Alec Baldwin Learned How To Operate A Submarine For A Role
Plenty of Hollywood actors have chosen to engage in a bit of method acting over the years, and Alec Baldwin is no exception. According to Slate, Baldwin really went the extra mile when preparing for his role in the acclaimed thriller The Hunt For Red October!
Alongside his co-stars Sean Connery and Scott Glenn, Baldwin received military submarine steering training before filming the vessel-based movie!
The actors were also permitted exclusive access to U.S. Navy submarines that are otherwise kept closely guarded.
10 Daniel Baldwin Runs A Support Center For Families In Need
Like his brother Stephen, Daniel Baldwin has taken a step away from acting work over the past few years. After facing numerous personal troubles involving substance abuse, Daniel decided to focus on his recovery.
Syracuse.com reports that as of 2016, he now works closely with Central New York families who are undergoing similar issues themselves. He supports young people who need to enter rehab or seek out treatment for their issues, and credits the work with helping him to maintain his own sobriety.
9 Hailey Baldwin Is A Talented Dancer
Along with modeling and acting, one of Hailey Baldwin's other many talents is dancing.
As Dolly notes, Hailey trained as a professional ballerina for many years and is still impressively flexible.
In 2016, she posted a throwback video to Instagram of herself performing in a ballet show as a child, and her talent is obvious! Seriously, is there anything this woman can't do? The ability to perform is clearly in her blood - although perhaps that's not surprising considering her family background.
8 Ireland Baldwin Stands At 6 Foot 2 Inches Tall
It's time for a fun fact about model Ireland Baldwin: she stands at a pretty lofty 6 feet 2 inches tall! As the Daily Mail notes, that's taller than her 6-foot father and 5-foot-6-and-half-inches-tall mother.
Ireland has frequently used her social media platform to promote self-love and self-acceptance no matter what your body type is. E! Online reported in 2017 that Ireland had posted an honest account of her own struggles with her body on Instagram, ending with a message of positivity and confidence.
7 Alec Baldwin's Big Break Came In A Soap Opera
Alec Baldwin is pretty much a household name these days thanks to shows like 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live. However, just like pretty much every superstar, he was an unknown actor at one point in his career.
According to ScreenCrush, Baldwin was a struggling actor looking for his first role back in the early 1980s.
That role turned out to be a part in soap opera The Doctors, a two-year job that served as a springboard for his Hollywood success!
6 Stephen Baldwin Has A Hannah Montana Tattoo
Of all the tattoos you'd expect Stephen Baldwin to have, a Hannah Montana-themed design probably isn't one of them. However, that's a thing that actually happened! In 2010, Baldwin told Metro reported that he'd got the tattoo following a conversation with Miley Cyrus, who said she'd get him a guest spot on her show if Baldwin got inked.
Unfortunately, Cyrus didn't keep to her side of the bargain, and Baldwin never got his role in Hannah Montana. Unsurprisingly, he also regrets ever getting the tattoo.
5 Justin Bieber Asked Stephen Baldwin For His Daughter's Hand In Marriage
Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Justin Bieber proposed to Hailey Baldwin back in July. The sudden announcement took the world by surprise, considering how little time the couple had actually spent together.
However, it seems that Stephen Baldwin didn't have any reservations about the union.
According to TMZ, Bieber asked his future father-in-law for permission to wed his daughter in a face-to-face meeting, and it was happily given. Justin clearly likes to do things the traditional way!
4 Billy Baldwin Was A Wrestler In His High School And College Days
Before he was a model and actor, Billy Baldwin was just a normal kid looking to succeed in high school and college. We're not just talking about his academic work, either: Baldwin had one pretty prominent hobby back in the day.
As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported back in the 1990s, Billy was a successful wrestler both in high school and college leagues. He modestly told the publication that he "wasn't that good," but later admitted to winning various championships and tournaments.
3 Each Of The Baldwin Brothers Has Been Nominated For A Razzie Award - Except Daniel
Remember how Alec Baldwin once got nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie in the same year? Well, he's not the only Baldwin brother to be nominated for an award in the latter ceremony!
In fact, as IMDb notes, Daniel Baldwin is the only brother never to have been nominated for a Razzie.
Stephen received a nomination in 2001 for The Flintstones Viva Rock Vegas, while Billy was "honored" twice in the 1990s. Luckily for him, Alec's 2003 Razzie nomination for The Cat In The Hat is his only one to date.
2 Hailey Baldwin Claims She'd Be A Makeup Artist If She Wasn't A Model
We've already established that Hailey Baldwin is talented in the fields of modeling, acting, and dance. However, turns out she has another skill under her belt that has formed the basis for part of her career.
Speaking to Byrdie in April 2018, Hailey revealed that she's truly passionate about makeup. Her grandma introduced her to various beauty techniques when she was a child and she's been hooked on makeup ever since. Baldwin has even released her own line of products through ModelCo!
1 The Baldwins Can Trace Their American Ancestry Back For 14 Generations
The Baldwins may be a pretty impressive dynasty in the present day, but that's nothing compared to the historical importance of their ancestors. According to Mayflower History, the Baldwins are all descended from one John Howland - a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620.
That makes the brothers the 14th generation of their family to live in North America.
Through the Howland connection, the Baldwins are also distantly related to three US Presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. Impressive stuff!
References: People; Vanity Fair; IMDb; Slate; Hello Magazine