Another Brick City weekend has come and gone at RIT. This year for the Horton Distinguished Speaker Series, RIT brought in New York native Alec Baldwin. Baldwin sat down for an hour long interview with local WHEC journalist Robin De Wind.
Going into the event, not many people knew exactly what Baldwin would be talking about. Known for his opinionated views, there was a question of whether or not he would actually discuss common issues in the U.S., as well as the always touchy subject of politics. They started out talking about some more basic things, like Baldwin’s hit television show “30 Rock.”
“No, no, no, I did not,” said Baldwin when asked if he thought the show would be as successful as it has been. “It turned out really positive.”
Baldwin went on to credit “30 Rock” as his greatest accomplishment career-wise.
He spent almost the entire first half of the interview discussing more entertainment-based questions. Talking mostly about the film industry today and how they have started reducing their costs by combining jobs, such as asking the screenwriter to also be the director.
Towards the middle of the interview, Baldwin gave the crowd what they wanted. De Wind pointed out the fact that he had skirted around her political question earlier in the interview. Baldwin gave in and discussed his “mostly democratic” views on politics.
“I am announcing my run for New York senate in 2016,” said Baldwin during this discussion of politics. “And I would never ever, ever, ever forget that I am your employee.”
Baldwin rounded out the interview by answering some questions from students. He even made sure to let De Wind know that she should be more careful when reading the cards when she accidentally said “sex-ess” instead of success.
Baldwin was the eighteenth Horton Distinguished Speaker at RIT. He follows in the likes of Michael J. Fox (2011), Al Pacino (2010) and Magic Johnson (2002).
Photos by: Lauren Kiker