Nevertheless audiobook

Alec BaldwinAlec Baldwin is an American actor, writer, comedian, producer, and political activist. Baldwin is among the most popular performers of his time, as illustrated by the many times he's hosted Saturday Night Live. This memoir tells Baldwin's story.Starting in childhood, Alec talked to himself.Alec (Xander) Baldwin as a childAlec would repeat lines from films, TV shows, and commercials, trying different dialects and ethnicities. This undoubtedly contributed to Baldwin's abilities as an actor and a mimic, and his impersonations - during his appearances and in the audiobook - are fun and entertaining. As a youth, Baldwin did not plan to become an actor. Called Xander as a boy, Baldwin grew up in a Catholic family in Massapequa, Long Island. Xander's father Alexander was a high school teacher/sports coach, his mother Carol was a homemaker, and - with six children - the family never had enough money. Utility and phone bills went unpaid, Mrs. Baldwin became anxious, Mr. Baldwin felt inadequate, and Xander's parents grew distant from each other. The family's dysfunction had a strong impact on Xander, and he determined to attend college, become a lawyer, and make money. Alec Baldwin's yearbook photoBaldwin's descriptions of his early years are honest and unflinching, and - though times were hard - it's clear Alec loves his parents and appreciates what they did for him. Baldwin also mentions his siblings: his sisters Beth and Jane - who maintain low profiles as adults; and his brothers Daniel, William and Stephen - who are also actors.Alec Baldwin with his mother CarolThe Baldwin brothers: Daniel, Alec, William and Stephen (left to right)The Baldwin clan: Daniel, Jane, Alec, Carol, William, Beth, and Stephen (left to right)For college, Baldwin attended George Washington University (GW) in DC, financed by Pell Grants, TAP loans, and sacrifices by his parents. For Alec, college was a social equalizer, unaffected by what he 'didn't have' in his parents' home. College was also where Alec developed an interest in politics - majoring in political science, working at an internship in his congressman's office, and later at a law firm specializing in FCC filings. At GW, Alec was constantly plagued by insolvency, and - almost on a whim - decided to audition for the theater program at NYU.....where he was offered a needs-based scholarship. At NYU Baldwin helped subsidize his education by working as a busboy at Studio 54, selling men's shirts in a discount apparel store, waiting tables in a bistro, and being a chaperone for a tour bus company. Baldwin decided to give up law for the theatre, and the actor was born. Meanwhile, Baldwin's parents separated, his father moved out, and his mother became a successful market researcher - which helped restore her self-confidence and personal pride. Carol went on to become a civic champion and source of pride to her family.Carol Baldwin won the Ellis Medal of Honor which recognizes individuals who have made it their mission to share with those less fortunateAfter graduating from NYU, Alec - who had very little acting experience - was lucky enough to land a role on the daytime soap opera 'The Doctors.' There Baldwin started to make connections and learn skills that assisted him throughout his career. Alec mentions being helped by soap opera star David O'Brien, calling the actor "one of the kindest, most intelligent and urbane men I've ever known." On the downside, during this time Baldwin began drinking heavily and using cocaine. Actor David O'Brien was very helpful to Alec BaldwinTo advance his career, Alec headed out to Los Angeles for more opportunities, 'snorting and drinking' all the way. By now Baldwin's use of liquor and cocaine was out of control, but he was enchanted with Hollywood and the people he met there. The actor - who had good looks going for him - went to lots of auditions, and says, "In the majority of my early auditions, I was either dreadful or totally unmemorable. But it didn't matter. I was perfect for TV in the 80s." Producers wanted to make Alec the next Bill Bixby.Young Alec Baldwin's heartthrob good looks spurred his careerAlec Baldwin was being promoted as the next Bill Bixby (shown here)Baldwin got a little work in LA, but his father became ill with cancer, and Alec returned to New York shortly before his dad died. Feeling bereft, Alec grew close to his agent, Michael Bloom, who became a kind of surrogate parent. Baldwin writes, "[Bloom] would become among my dearest friends, as my life turned fortunate and gratifying on one hand, and abruptly and numbingly painful on the other."Baldwin's first major break was scoring a role on the prime-time soap opera 'Knot's Landing', set in Los Angeles. Alec Baldwin starred in Knot's Landing with Lisa HartmanThere Alec worked with the talented Julie Harris, whom he reveres. The actor notes, 'No one I've worked with during my career has come close to Julie Harris in terms of the reservoir of humanity, talent, and professionalism that she embodied." Alec Baldwin with Julie HarrisIn retrospect, Baldwin wishes he'd taken more of Harris's advice, which might have forestalled some of his troubles. Baldwin's substance abuse landed him in the hospital, after which he joined Cocaine Anonymous. It took a while longer for Alec to give up alcohol, but in time he did. There were setbacks, but Baldwin got permanently clean in 1985.After leaving Knot's Landing, Baldwin returned to New York, did theatre work, and met some of the best stage actors in the business, including Charles Keating, Zoë Wanamaker, Zeljko Ivanek, and Joe Maher. Charles KeatingZoë WanamakerZeljko IvanekJoe MaherAfterwards Baldwin returned to California to film a movie, and his career began to seesaw between the East and West Coasts. The actor includes LOTS of stories about this in the book, including anecdotes about films he made, plays he did, people he worked with, parts he had, roles he lost, agents he fired, etc. Baldwin takes the opportunity to settle some scores, and readers interested in inside dirt and name dropping will find it here. For instance, Baldwin doesn't like Harrison Ford, who replaced him in the role of Jack Ryan after Alec made 'The Hunt for Red October.' Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red OctoberBaldwin met Kim Basinger in 1989, and the actor was smitten with Kim's beauty and independent spirit. Alec Baldwin and Kim BasingerThe couple's relationship was never easy, in part because Kim got embroiled in a contentious lawsuit with a studio, which left her embittered and bankrupt. Nevertheless, Alec and Kim married in 1993 and had a daughter named Ireland in 1995. The couple split six years later, and their custody battle is the stuff of legend. Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger wed in 1993Alec Baldwin with his daughter IrelandIn 2007, in the heat of the custody war, Baldwin left a harsh voicemail message for his daughter Ireland....and the fallout went on for years. Baldwin tells the entire tale in his memoir, and it's a sad story all around. Baldwin berates California divorce lawyers and family court judges, and he lambastes erstwhile attorney and TV personality Harvey Levin, who REALLY made hay of the incident. In any case, Baldwin is now on good terms with Ireland, though permanent damage was done by his rant.Alec Baldwin with grown up daughter IrelandBaldwin includes a few sentences each about many of the plays, films, and TV shows he did, and writes a LOT about his admiration for actors like William Holden, Anthony Hopkins, and Al Pacino. Alec also writes a good deal about making the movie 'The Edge'; acting in the play and movie 'Prelude to a Kiss'; hosting 'Saturday Night Live'; being in '30 Rock'; making his podcast; and more. Baldwin also admits to being a belligerent guy, and mentions physical fights with confrontational men and aggressive paparazzi. Alec observes, "Whenever these eruptions occur, sanctimonious tabloid types get on some bullshit show like 'Nancy Grace' and scoff at celebrities who insist on some degree of privacy, especially for their children." After some of his tirades, Baldwin has been called racist and homophobic, charges he STRONGLY denies.Baldwin despaired of finding love after his divorce from Kim, but met and fell in love with yoga instructor/fitness expert Hilaria Thomas in 2011. The couple wed in 2013, now have six children together, and seem to be very happy.Alec Baldwin and his wife HilariaAlec and Hilaria Baldwin with four of their childrenHilaria Baldwin with the couple's six childrenThough Baldwin never got a degree in political science, he's been active in politics for a long time. The actor explains his interest in government, and talks about the work he's done on behalf of democratic candidates. Alec brilliantly lampooned Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, and was horrified when Trump was elected. Alec Baldwin playing Donald Trump on SNLBaldwin doesn't want something like that to happen again, and hints he might become a political candidate himself. He writes, "If I ran for president of the United States, you'd be lucky. Just as if you ran for president, I would be lucky. This country needs to see some new faces in that arena." Baldwin wraps up by saying, "I offer [this book] to you to entertain, to motivate, to inspire, and to learn....My thanks to you for reading it." In an afterward, Alec observes, "I never had many actors as friends.....but I have loved so many actors. Their wit, charm, and style. Their vanity, insanity, and courage." The author then provides an index, from A to Z, mentioning the actors he loves best, with little blurbs about them.For example: A is for Julie Andrews, the most elegant movie star of them all. And Woody Allen, the funniest screenwriter of them all. And for Jean Arthur in movies like Shane and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.... Julie AndrewsB is for Burstyn and Blanchett, Beatty and Bening. For Banderas. For Javier Bardem. B is for Brando - and I'll watch it all, the good, the bad and the great.... Marlon BrandoC is for Cagney and his athleticism, passion and tenderness. It's for Joan Crawford. It's most definitely for Tom Cruise.....and so on.Jimmy CagneyI love the index and Alec's comments, which are amusing and fun. I enjoyed this memoir, which seems essentially honest and open. Of course Baldwin presents himself in the best possible light, and people he dislikes in the worst possible light....but who wouldn't? I recommend the book to Baldwin fans and to readers who enjoy celebrity memoirs.You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

No further explanation for why I gave this 5. Particularly when read in his voice.

4.25 Stars — Nevertheless, Alec Baldwin’s stunningly honest and earnest Memoir, was equally stunning — to me — in terms of quality and the unputdownable nature contained within its pages.Baldwin’s soothing and sultry voice can be well heard even in the prose here, as he re-tells his life from youth to current day and does so with brevity, openness and a perspective that feels measured and to be perfectly honest, humble! Humility is not a quality I’d necessarily associate with Baldwin, and I entered this expecting some forced contriteness amidst some self-aggrandisement perhaps, yet I was gladly very much mistaken. Baldwin is at his best throughout when discussing what is clearly nearest and dearest to his heart, being his relationship with his — very much of-the-era — father, whom he lost to cancer, right as Baldwin moved to Hollywood. Baldwin vividly sketches a stoic and selfless figure whom he had a difficult yet close relationship with and it is in reminiscing these moments he is most pure and raw. There is a visceral quality to this memoir and it was akin to sipping a gritty scotch that washes down the throat a sincere smoother than you could have imagined. Baldwins anecdotal wandering are filed consistently with little gems inc his sleazy man-fondling agent and years in the world of TV Soap-opera amidst his humble beginnings as an actor. All of which are fun and are steeled with a kind of soft sharpness that permeates the page.A welcome and thoroughly enjoyable surprise.

The audio version of this book was appealing as it is narrated by the author and Baldwin has a great story telling voice. Whether he is talking about his grandfather fondly or his ex wife not so fondly, the stories are interesting and compelling. Towards the end, Baldwin gets a bit preachy concerning his stance on politics and he goes on in a chapter about the love of his life, his current wife. Other than those slight digressions, the narrative is enjoyable and reminds me of why I like Baldwin as an actor. My favorite is his sting on 30 Rock and SNL but I think he has done good work as Jack Ryan and even in his movie debut, She's Having a Baby. I would like to see him on Broadway. I commend his work politically with the Arts and hope he continues his work in that arena as well. Fans will not be disappointed and readers will be satisfied.

Inspirational read. The story of a middle class guy who scrapped his way to the top of his field. The good and the ugly of showbusiness.

Alec Baldwin delves into his life from his childhood to present. I found this to be a very interesting, insightful book. He’s truthful about his life, including his own mistakes. He doesn’t hold anything back. I always find listening to audio books in the author’s own voice really brings the story to life. This book shows how he’s changed over the years and how all the events in his life brought him to where he is today.

Fans of Alec Baldwin (me, obviously) could find some level of enjoyment in listening to him narrate a phone book, thanks to his stark, instantly recognizable, no-nonsense delivery. The fact that he narrates the audio edition of this memoir (the version I read) makes it all the better. Actors like Baldwin (intense, serious about craft, intellectually aware of what other masters did before him and knowledgeable of classic roles on both stage and film) are fewer and fewer these days; he may be one of the last of this kind, a masculine presence that doesn't need coaching in how to achieve it naturally. He's had some classic roles in his career, and I hoped this memoir would shed insight into some of his characters, and his stories about the films in which he played them. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Though Alec does occasionally tantalize the reader with carefully rendered filmic information, the majority of this memoir is Alec dissecting various public incidences and scandals, attempting, it seems, to "set the record straight" about various he said, she said battles (with the media, Kim Basinger, studio heads, etcetera). Though this stuff isn't boring, I would've preferred a memoir detailing more of what Baldwin claims (and has essentially proven) he is so passionate about. Overall this is a worthwhile read, but I can't see non-Baldwin fans finding much-if any--interest in it. Unless they want to hear him rip up Harrison Ford, that is.

Whether you've seen Alec Baldwin in the TV show 30 Rock, playing the psychotic con-man Freddie "Junior" Frenger in the Jonathan Demme-produced, George Armitage film, Miami Blues, with Fred Ward and Jennifer Jason Leigh (based on Carl Hiaason's book), as Jack Ryan in The Hunt For Red October, as Adam Maitlan in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, on stage in numerous productions, or as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, you know he's an actor of inspired and widely varied talent. His memoir is equally surprising and interesting. Whether dwelling seriously on the events of his life, honestly confronting his trials with the tabloid press, discussing his love of actors and theatre work, or mocking himself and over-the-top Hollywood types, he comes across as a genuine (if slightly flawed) human being who is as wide in his interests and reading as he is in his roles. I was expecting a breezy and perhaps salacious book of show-biz gossip but wound up being impressed with a man seriously looking back on his life and trying to discern its shape and meaning. An unexpected pleasure! - BH.

I was nursing Eero and he fell asleep...and I read this entire thing with him in my arms. It was a delight. I could imagine his cashmere voice with the staccato diction reading it to me. Some of the passages are truly beautifully written, he clearly has a novelist's heart. He also seems really intelligent, willing to own up to some of his lesser qualities. He's also wanting to settle some scores, clearly, and maybe unwilling to admit defeat on some of those accounts -- and it is in those places that his writing is flimsiest. There is a little gossip, a little backstory, a little narrative. (I particularly loved the chapter on him punching people, and hating Harrison Ford for the pettiness aspect of the book.) Not much about his siblings, and not a whole lot of behind the scenes on movies. His editor would have served the narrative better by moving a few sections around or combining/condensing some of his thoughts or topics. But overall I really, really enjoyed reading this!

Who would want to read a book about a guy that needs to spend two pages detailing all of the people he's punched since becoming famous? Somebody whose most famous moment in the past twenty years involved leaving a voicemail insulting his young daughter? Somebody whose politics can be so one sided he was caricatured as the villain in Team America: World Police? Sign me up, for starters. In addition to plenty of controversy and poor decisions, Baldwin is also the fascinating Hollywood leading man who famously could not draw an audience. Despite all that, he has appeared in many great films, had a starring role in one of the best TV comedies of all time, hosted Saturday Night Live more than any other person and enjoyed a second career as a successful podcaster. Clearly there is ample substance here to populate an autobiography.Much like the man writing it, Nevertheless: A Memoir by Alec Baldwin is at times very entertaining and at others frustrating. I suspect your enjoyment of this book will depend on your expectations heading into it. If you are looking for an extensive experience inside the mind of Alec Baldwin spent discussing his famous family, behind the scenes drama on movie sets and his aspirations beyond acting you'll unfortunately be disappointed. Although there are nuggets of each of those areas, Nevertheless doesn't spend an extensive amount of time on any of them. If you are hoping for a very well written summary of his life that touches on all of the greatest hits but does not go into great detail on any of them, then this is a very engrossing read and a page turner. The early headlines coming from this book involve the shade thrown by Baldwin at the producers of a movie that possibly misled him on his co-star being underaged and at Harrison Ford for taking his Jack Ryan franchise away from him. Those two sections combined take up two paragraphs in a 260 page memoir. Comparatively, Baldwin spends extensive time complimenting the many actors, directors, agents and friends he has known throughout his life. It is fitting that Nevertheless's headlines look to make Baldwin as combative and ignore sections praising the likes of Gary Oldman, Jennifer Jason Leigh or Al Pacino. Even when describing his relationship with Kim Basinger, Baldwin's harshest words are reserved for the attorneys and judges that he has encountered in his various trips to the court room.While Baldwin spends an appropriate amount of time discussing 30 Rock, The Hunt for Red October, The Edge and his work in the theater, the vast majority of his filmography receives one sentence or fewer. For me, that was the most disappointing aspect of this book as Baldwin is primarily known for being an actor but glosses over most of his film work. Similarly, Baldwin spends a great deal of time discussing his parents but almost no time at all on his famous siblings (what little is mentioned is when all of the boys were still living at home). The one family member that gets extensive discussion outside of his parents is his daughter Ireland. While I don't disbelieve anything Baldwin writes regarding his daughter, each passage does read like atonement bordering on pandering to convince the reader that the voicemail controversy was not indicative of their relationship. Baldwin also details his relationship and affection for homosexual males throughout his life which similarly reads as laying the groundwork for his rebuttal toward criticism of his use of the word "faggot" toward a paparazzi (Baldwin also denies saying that word).Those are my criticisms of the book but I'm giving it four stars. I read this book over a few days but it's definitely the sort of book you could read through in one sitting. Baldwin writes more like a novelist than an actor, utilizing different tenses and twists in chronology to tell his life story. The language is excellent to the point that I was checking for a ghost writer after completing. My favorite section was actually the flashback through all the people Baldwin had punched which served as a shocking and entertaining switch from the reality Baldwin had presented throughout the rest of the book. While I didn't learn a lot about his work on his own projects that I didn't already know, Baldwin is proud to share his knowledge of film history (and classical music) in a way that is likely to educate many readers. Despite obviously writing to counter personal attacks on him as a parent and homophobe, Baldwin also comes away looking very honest at other times, such as discussing his motivations for writing this book and his belief that parents can never love all their children equally.One gets the sense that Baldwin is just beginning another chapter of his life with three children under three as he approaches sixty years old. For older fans, he is a former leading man but a new generation sees him as a game show host and a late night impressionist. Nevertheless is the second book he has written, but looking at where he is now in life Baldwin has ample life experiences happening to supply a third one. If you are a fan of his work or just find him an interesting public figure, this book will entertain you. If you are looking for more than what you could get in an extended interview with the man, particularly related to his film work and famous siblings you may come away disappointed.

I have been a big fan of Alex Baldwin since I first saw him in the Hunt for Red October. He is a very handsome man with incredible talent and physical presence. The book reveals the insecurities that haunted his life and led to drink, drugs, and considering suicide. The Baldwin boys all became actors and struggled with the same substance abuse issues. Fortunately Alec found his bliss acting in the comedies 30 Rock and hosting SL. He is happily married in his early 50s now, and I appreciate the insight and honesty in his book, particularly his reporting of sexual harassment by other men. Men get harassed too, it's just different if you are 6'2 and can deck the person.

Alec Baldwin, an actor renowned for his versatility and pugnaciousness, has written a candid memoir of considerable delicacy and thoughtfulness. The product of a large boisterous, Irish Catholic household on Long Island, Baldwin stumbled into his career after dropping out of college and acting in soaps in the 1980s. His role in The Doctors and Knots Landing catapulted him to early stardom, but his life was spinning out of control. His father's death precipitated a dark period of drug and alcohol addiction. After getting clean and sober in the mid-1980s Baldwin became a movie star, appearing in films as varied as Beetlejuice, Working Girl, and most famously as Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October. Despite his background as a classic film buff, in the early 1990s he started to grow uneasy with film stardom. Baldwin returned to the New York stage to act in two well-regarded productions, Prelude to a Kiss and A Streetcar Named Desire. He married Kim Basinger, his co-star in The Marrying Man.The tempestuous relationship would produce one daughter. His career in film migrated away from lead roles to supporting parts. The third act of Baldwin's career has been the most fruitful. Multiple guest host appearances on Saturday Night Live led to his casting as Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock, a show whose star and creator is the former head writer for SNL, Tina Fey. Baldwin won two Emmy Awards for his comic portrayal of the fictional television executive. Before the show went off the air in 2013 Baldwin got married again, to a yoga instructor. He has hosted many television and radio programs in recent years, including The Essentials on Turner Classic Movies, Up Late With Alec Baldwin on MSNBC, Match Game on ABC, and The New York Philharmonic This Week. In one memorable passage in his memoir, Baldwin reminisces about how he developed his love for classical music by listening to KUSC when he lived in Los Angeles. Nevertheless delves into Baldwin's persona and provides the reader with insights into the actor's professional life, and his experiences as a son, husband and father. There is very little tabloid fodder or political invective to be found in his memoir.Reviewed by David B., Librarian, InfoNow