A Rocky Past
Though he had some lucrative, film opportunities in the past (excluding Bio-Dome), Stephen learned the hard way that money can easily slip away. In 2009, he reportedly filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, claiming to owe over $2.3 million in debt. In addition, he owned a $1.1 million New York home.
The burden of two mortgages on the property and $1 million in back taxes became too much for him to handle. Sadly, in 2012, Stephen was arrested for failing to file tax returns from 2008 to 2010.
A Behind-the-Scenes Fact
If you saw The Usual Suspects, you may remember that one of the most iconic scenes from the film was the police line-up. Apparently, the actors struggled with their lines for the scene which led to screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie feeding them their lines off-camera. When Stephen said his line, the other actors couldn’t help but break character.
Actor Gabriel Byrne remembers that they often burst out laughing and could barely keep it together between takes. Kevin Spacey admitted that the hardest part was trying not to laugh, but Stephen and Kevin Pollak were the worst offenders when it came to breaking character.
One Last Interesting Fact
Another interesting fact about that scene: their goal was to get the typically serious Byrne to crack up and break character. But Byrne was tough to crack and his co-stars ended up spending all morning trying to make him laugh. On their break, director Bryan Singer reprimanded the five actors for failing at their task. Eventually, one of the takes where they couldn’t stay serious had to be used, and editor John Ottman used a combination of the takes they made and decided to showcase the humor.
In the scene where the crew meets Redfoot after a botched drug deal, he flicks his cigarette at McManus’ (Stephen’s) face. It turns out that the actor playing Redfoot was supposed to flick the cigarette at Stephen’s chest, but he missed and hit his face instead. This means that Stephen’s reaction was genuine.
Money Woes
Because of these financial difficulties, Stephen was forced to pay back both the state of New York and the IRS. He had to move out of his Nyack, New York home into a smaller place in Queens, but even then his legal problems continued.
In 2014, Stephen was busted for driving with a suspended license in NYC and also for holding an expired Texas car registration. In 2012, Stephen was arrested for making an illegal U-turn. These were rough years for the youngest Baldwin.
Trouble Can Be Contagious
Like Stephen, Daniel also found himself in trouble with the law. In 1997, he went on a narcotic-fueled rampage in an NYC hotel room. He was then arrested, hospitalized, and later pled guilty to disorderly conduct. However, Daniel was able to avoid jail by being sentenced to three months of rehab.
Daniel confessed to People that his addiction started in his earlier years (1989), which led to a tragic, cyclical battle of rehab and relapses. But as the entertainment industry finds a way to create a show from nearly anything, Daniel’s struggle helped land him a spot on reality TV...