Alec Baldwin is joining MSNBC as the host of “Up Late,” a weekly current events and culture talk show that will air Fridays in primetime.
In an email to staff this afternoon, MSNBC president Phil Griffin called the show, which will begin in October, “an exciting new addition to our lineup.” As first reported by Mediaite last month, the show will air at 10pmET, replacing an hour of MSNBC’s long-form documentaries.
“After two seasons of my WNYC podcast, I’ve developed a fondness for hosting a show that involved talking with smart, talented and engaging people in every imaginable field,” Baldwin said in a statement. “I’m grateful to MSNBC for helping me bring a similar show to television.”
The official announcement from MSNBC is after the jump.
ALEC BALDWIN TO HOST “UP LATE w/ ALEC BALDWIN” ON MSNBC
The Talk Show Will Air Fridays at 10 PM ET
NEW YORK – September 5, 2013 – Award-winning actor, activist and philanthropist Alec Baldwin will join MSNBC as the host of a new weekly current events and culture talk show to air Fridays from 10-11 p.m. ET. “Up Late w/Alec Baldwin” will begin this October. The announcement was made today by Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC.
“After two seasons of my WNYC podcast, I’ve developed a fondness for hosting a show that involved talking with smart, talented and engaging people in every imaginable field,” said Baldwin. “I’m grateful to MSNBC for helping me bring a similar show to television.”
“I’ve been talking with Alec for a while and can’t wait to bring his personality and eclectic interests to MSNBC,” said Griffin. “He’s got such passion for ideas and what’s going on in the world – he’s going to be a great addition to our line-up.”
Baldwin is the winner of two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, eight SAG Awards and a Television Critics Association Award for his role as Jack Donaghy on NBC’s “30 Rock.” He is one of Hollywood’s most charismatic and prolific actors, having appeared in over 40 films. Baldwin garnered raves for his performance in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a 2004 Academy Award nomination for his role in “The Cooler” opposite William H. Macy. Other film credits include “Beetlejuice,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat,” “The Aviator,” “The Good Shepherd,” “It’s Complicated” and Woody Allen’s “To Rome with Love” and “Blue Jasmine.”
Baldwin has hosted the popular podcast “Here’s the Thing” on WNYC since 2011. On “Here’s the Thing,” Baldwin has interviewed a variety of public figures including politicians, policy makers, performers and artists, ranging from David Letterman to Dick Cavett to Republican political strategist Ed Rollins.
In addition to his dramatic credits, Baldwin has proven to be an adept and perennial host of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (with 16 hosting appearances to his credit).
Baldwin’s production company, El Dorado Pictures, has co-produced the Emmy-nominated miniseries “Nuremberg,” “The Confession” for Showtime and the feature film “State and Main.”
Among his many stage credits, Baldwin won acclaim and a Tony nomination for his work opposite Jessica Lange in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which also garnered him an Emmy nomination for the television adaptation.
Baldwin co-hosted the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in 2010 with Steve Martin. In 2011, he received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A dedicated supporter of public policy and the arts, Baldwin serves on the boards of the Roundabout Theatre Company, People For the American Way, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Guild Hall of East Hampton and the New York Philharmonic.