Biography:

The self-described "black sheep" of the famous Long Island acting clan, darkly handsome, slightly chunky Daniel Baldwin was the last of the siblings to enter the business, working as a sports handicapper until deciding the money was just too good not to pursue. With the help of his more high-profile brothers Alec, William and Stephen, he quickly established himself and compiled a respectable resume after debuting in the NBC TV-movie "Too Good to Be True" (1988), including feature roles in "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989), "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" (1991) and "Hero" (1992), His first big break, however, came through television with the short-lived CBS sitcom "Sydney" (1990), in which he played Cheezy, an over-sexed associate of star Valerie Bertinelli. Although he had the title role in "Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life" (CBS, 1992) he was not in the subsequent, short-lived 1993 series ("Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times") because he had already landed the part for which he is still best-known.

NBC's gritty Baltimore-based cop show "Homicide: Life on the Street" cast Baldwin as wise guy Detective Beau Felton. Although he gained good reviews, he left the show after two seasons (1993-95) and his character was eventually a murder victim in a powerful two-part episode in 1997. TV-movies like HBO's "The Attack of the 50-Foot Woman" (as Daryl Hannah's loutish husband) CBS' "Family of Cops" (1995, playing Charles Bronson's son) and NBC's "Twisted Desire" (1996, opposite significant other Isabella Hofmann) continued to show him in a good light, but his big-screen career failed to ignite, despite nice contributions to Lee Tamahori's "Mulholland Falls" and Steve Buscemi's "Trees Lounge" (both 1996). A string of direct-to-video releases followed before better roles began coming his way. Unfortunately, while in NYC in early 1998 to film the romantic comedy "It Had to Be You", the recovering substance abuser fell off the wagon with an alarming thud, and the tabloid embarrassment that ensued put the actor's career in serious jeopardy. (He was arrested and immediately replaced in the film by Michael Rispoli). Ironically, "John Carpenter's Vampires" (1998, filmed before the incident) was released while Baldwin was undergoing treatment in a rehab center and contained perhaps his best feature work to date. As James Woods' partner in tracking and killing the undead who becomes involved with a victim of a vampire's bite, he displayed not only a tough guy persona but also a more tender side. Nevertheless, he has an uphill battle to dispel people's image of him as "that crazy Baldwin who went nuts at the Plaza Hotel."

Facts:

Name: Daniel Baldwin

Birth Name: Daniel Leroy Baldwin

Height: 6' 2''

Sex: M

Nationality: American

Birth Date: October 5, 1960

Birth Place: Massapequa, Long Island, New York, USA

Profession: Actor, Director, Producer

Education: Massapequa High School, Massapequa, NY   Nassau Community College, Garden City, New York   Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana (majored in Psychology; dropped out after one year)

Husband/Wife: Cheryl Baldwin, Elizabeth Baldwin (married in 1990; separated in 1994; divorced in 1996)

Relationship: Isabella Hofmann (actress; met in 1994; engaged since February 1995)

Father: Alexander Rae Jr. (teacher in Massapequa, New York; died of lung cancer in 1983)

Mother: Carol Newcomb (nee Martineau, born in 1930; breast-cancer survivor)

Sister: Elizabeth (aka Beth Keuchler, born in 1955), Jane (aka Jane Sasso, physical therapist, born 1965)

Brother: Stephen Baldwin (actor; born on May 12, 1967), William Baldwin (actor; born on February 21 1963), Alec Baldwin (actor; born on April 3, 1958)

Uncle: Charles H. Baldwin, Joseph Baldwin (actor)

Son: Atticus (born on July 13, 1996; ten weeks too early, needing repeated surgery; mother: Izabella Hoffman)

Daughter: Kahlea (mother: Cheryl Baldwin), Alexandra (mother: Elizabeth Baldwin; born 1994)

Claim to fame: As Detective Beauregard Beau Felton on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993)