The Baldwin family is an American family of professional performers, including the four acting siblings

Alec Alec or Aleck is a Scottish form of the given name Alex. It may be a diminutive of the name Alexander or a given name in its own right. Notable people with the name include: People *Alec Aalto (1942–2018), Finnish diplomat * Alec Acton (1938– ...

, Daniel,

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

and

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

, who are known collectively as the Baldwin brothers.

Ancestry

The Baldwin family’s patrilineal line traces to a Richard Baldwin, who lived in England, c. the 1500s. Through their father Alexander Rae Baldwin Jr., the Baldwins are descended from the ''

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...

'' passenger

John Howland John Howland (February 23, 1673) accompanied the English Separatists and other passengers when they left England on the to settle in Plymouth Colony. He was an indentured servant and in later years an executive assistant and personal secretary ...

. The four brothers are therefore the 13th generation of their family to be born in North America.

Members

* The four Baldwin brothers: **

** Daniel ** Billy **

* Present or former wives / partners to the Baldwin brothers: **

Kim Basinger Kimila Ann Basinger ( ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress and former fashion model. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film and television, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Glo ...

– ex-wife of Alec ** Hilaria Baldwin – wife of Alec ** Isabella Hofmann – former partner of Daniel **

Chynna Phillips Chynna Gilliam Phillips (born February 12, 1968) is an American singer and actress, and a member of the vocal group Wilson Phillips. She is the daughter of the Mamas & the Papas band members John and Michelle Phillips and half-sister of Macken ...

– wife of William ** Kennya Baldwin – wife of Stephen * Baldwin brothers' children and their spouses/partners: **

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

– daughter of AlecMiller, Samantha
"Carol Baldwin – One Tough Mama"
People.com, December 8, 1997 ** Hailey – daughter of Stephen and wife to

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

Actors

Adam Baldwin Adam Baldwin (born February 27, 1962) is an American actor. He starred in ''Full Metal Jacket'' (1987) as Animal Mother, as well as in the television series '' Firefly'' and its continuation film '' Serenity'' as Jayne Cobb. His roles include St ...

and

A. Michael Baldwin A. Michael Baldwin (born Michael M. Baldwin; April 4, 1963) is an American actor, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter. He came to public notice as a child actor, appearing as Mike Pearson in ''Phantasm (film), Phantasm'' (1979) and its sequ ...

are not related to the family.

Family tree

Hollywood

Three of the four brothers (Daniel, William, and Stephen) appear in the Oliver Stone film ''

Born on the Fourth of July ''Born on the Fourth of July'', published in 1976, is the best-selling autobiography by Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who became an anti-war activist. Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, and his book's ironic title echoed a famous line ...

''. In 1996,

E! True Hollywood Story ''E! True Hollywood Story'' is an American television documentary series on E! that pulls back the curtain and highlights some of pop culture's most fascinating people, moments and trends. The series offers exclusive interviews with new insigh ...

produced a television documentary about the brothers, eponymously titled ''The Baldwin Brothers''.

In popular culture

* In the 1995 film ''

Clueless ''Clueless'' is a 1995 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling. It stars Alicia Silverstone with supporting roles by Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd. It was produced by Scott Rudin and Robert ...

'', "Baldwin" is used as a slang term for an attractive male, coined by writer-director

Amy Heckerling Amy Heckerling (born May 7, 1954) is an American filmmaker. An alumna of both New York University and the American Film Institute, she directed the commercially successful films ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982), ''National Lampoon's Europ ...

after the four brothers. * In the 1999 film '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'', when the United States declares war against Canada, the Royal Canadian airforce are depicted bombing the Baldwins (along with another acting dynasty, the Arquettes) as a pre-emptive strike.

References