Happy Birthday Alec Baldwin! It Was a Big Year

Amagansett actor and the Hamptons‘ busiest celebrity Alec Baldwin turned 55 today.

It’s been a big year for Baldwin and his family. He and then girlfriend Hilaria Thomas got married in June of 2012, they announced her pregnancy in February and then, in March, shared that the child would be a baby girl! His older daughter with ex wife Kim Basinger, 16-year-old Ireland Baldwin, signed contracts with IMG Models and Two Management last month.

On the career front, Baldwin ended his seven-season run as beloved fictional NBC head Jack Donaghy on NBC‘s 30 Rock on January 31 and immediately began his contract developing new show ideas for the same network. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Donaghy during awards season and was a featured presenter last month at the 28th Annual Guild Hall Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Awards. The star also returned as host of the second annual NFL Honors the night before Super Bowl and, once again, did a bang up job roasting the biggest names in the sport.

He entertained fans with more memorable skits on Saturday Night Live and filmed several television commercials as spokesman for Capital One Bank. Ever the philanthropist, Baldwin donated his massive Capital One earnings to arts organizations, including $1 million to the New York Philharmonic, $500,000 to the Roundabout Theatre Company and another $1 million to his drama scholarship fund at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Baldwin also served as Honorary Chairman of the Hamptons International Film Festival in October. He is a longtime supporter of HIFF.

Following his passion, rather than his wallet, Baldwin continued to interview celebrities and notable people on his Here’s the Thing podcast, including David Letterman, Billy Joel, Peter Beard, Judd Apatow, Lena Dunham, Andrew Luck and, most recently, Thom Yorke (released Monday, April 1). And just last week, Baldwin began previews for his run in Orphans on Broadway, starring alongside Ben Foster and Tom Sturridge.

While the actor was well represented on television, radio and the stage, he still managed to squeeze in numerous performances on the silver screen. Baldwin played Dennis Dupree in the film adaptation of Broadway musical Rock of Ages, he voiced the character North in the animated hit Rise of the Guardians and played “John” in Woody Allen‘s To Rome with Love. He also filmed currently unreleased movies, including AmeriQua, Caught Stealing, Blue Jasmine and TV movie The Normal Heart.

With all this work, Baldwin stayed active with local and national causes, including the East Hampton Conservators and his Alec Baldwin Foundation, through which he called for a boycott of AIG. He even hinted at officially entering the political world, though he has yet to fully explain those goals.

It looks like Baldwin‘s stalker will be exiled from Amagansett, so hopefully he and Hilaria will make time to relax at their Hamptons home, especially after their daughter is born later this summer. The Baldwins are frequent riders on the Hamptons Subway, so maybe we’ll see them around.

Happy Birthday, Alec, thanks for keeping South O’ the Highway busy these past 12 months!