Seeing Triple
Shifting to more harmonious times, did you know that three of the four brothers were all in the same Tom Cruise movie? While you may occasionally see two siblings acting in the same movie together, seeing three is truly unique!
In 1989, Billy, Daniel, and Stephen starred together in the Tom Cruise movie, Born on the Fourth of July. The film centered around the Vietnam War and went on to win two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes.
Family Feud
You would assume that four brothers who pursued the same career path would bond over their shared experiences, but for the Baldwins, sibling rivalry is alive and well. What is the root of the problem? Apparently, politics are partly to blame. Reportedly, the 2016 election created incredible tension amongst the Baldwins, leaving Stephen and Alec barely on speaking terms.
Alec is known to be a passionate Democrat and Stephen an equally passionate Republican. When it came to the elections, it was clear which brother supported which candidate, as both were less public about their political beliefs. Sadly, because of their polarized and passionate beliefs, Alec and Stephen are no longer very close.
Divided They Fall
Stephen was also reportedly upset with Alec for impersonating Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, believing his performance to be too mean-spirited. Billy, too, holds strong, Democratic beliefs that leave him and Stephen at odds. Billy even struck close to home claiming their late father would be enraged by Stephen’s choice of political party...ouch.
Because of the tender rift between the brothers, Alec prefers not to speak about his relationship with his brothers. But, judging by one of his throwback Instagram posts featuring the four of them, it seems that he may be missing the way things used to be. Hopefully, blood is thicker than ever-changing political waters.
An Impressive Ancestry
Though the Baldwins have created a remarkable acting dynasty, they also have an impressive ancestry. According to Mayflower History, all the Baldwins are descended from John Howland, a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620. The Mayflower was the English ship that transported the first English Puritans (or, Pilgrims) from England to the Americas in 1620.
These records indicated that the Baldwin brothers are considered the 14th generation of their family to live in North America. Also, because of their relation to Howland, they are distantly related to three American Presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush.
From The Wrestling Mat To Modeling
Before becoming an actor, Billy was just an average kid attending school. But one extracurricular activity he became involved with was wrestling. In the ‘90s, a local newspaper reported that Billy was an excellent wrestler in both high school and college.
Billy, however, was modest about his wrestling and claimed that he was not as good as they said, though his various championships and tournaments say otherwise. But the ‘90s had more in store for Billy and it was then that he started a successful modeling career. He was so successful that he had contracts with brands like Calvin Klein and Nike and ad campaigns with models like Naomi Campbell.