Biography
Who is William Baldwin?
Early Life and Family Background
William Baldwin Joseph Baldwin was born on February 21, 1963, in Massapequa, United States. His parents were Carol Newcomb and Alexander Rae Baldwin Jr. William's father worked as a high school history and social studies teacher, and also coached football. His mother, Carol, was the founder of The Baldwin Fund.
William is one of six children, including his brothers Alec, Daniel, and Stephen, who are also actors. His sisters are Elizabeth and Jane. The family was raised in the Catholic faith. William has both Irish and French ancestry.
Path to Acting
Before beginning his acting career, William worked as a fashion model for Calvin Klein. His first significant role came in 1989 in the television film The Preppie Murder, where he portrayed Robert Chambers. That same year, he appeared in a minor role as a U.S. Marine in the film Born on the Fourth of July, which also featured his brothers Daniel and Stephen in small parts.
The 1990s brought William to more prominent film roles. He starred in Internal Affairs alongside Richard Gere. He then appeared in the science fiction thriller Flatliners and played Chicago firefighter Brian McCaffrey in the action drama Backdraft. His performance in the 1993 film Sliver earned him an MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male.
Career Highlights
William continued to appear in a variety of films throughout the 1990s, including Fair Game with Cindy Crawford and the science fiction thriller Virus. In the 2000s, he took on roles in films like The Squid and the Whale, for which he received a Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast. He also had a supporting role as Detective Hunter Rush in the comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
During the 2010s, William lent his voice to Batman in the animated film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. He also had recurring television roles, playing Dr. Willam van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl and Gordon Flint in Parenthood. He portrayed the lead detective in the 2011 Lifetime Original Movie, The Craigslist Killer. William also appeared in the CBS drama Hawaii Five-0 and guest starred on 30 Rock, playing a character who portrayed his real-life brother Alec's character.
Personal Life
In 1995, William married singer Chynna Phillips, who is a member of the music group Wilson Phillips. Chynna is the daughter of musicians John Phillips and Michelle Gilliam. William and Chynna have three children together: daughters Jameson, born in 2000, and Brooke, born in 2004, and a son, Vance, born in 2001.
In 2019, William shared that his son Vance had been diagnosed with cancer the previous year and was in remission. William divides his time between residences in Santa Barbara, California, and Bedford Corners, New York.
Birthday and age
William Baldwin was born on February 21, 1963, which makes William 63 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. William shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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