William Baldwin’s upcoming Gossip Girl stint as Serena and Eric’s MIA dad (which kicks off April 26) forced him to come face-to-face with an awful truth: “The hardest thing to take in was that I was playing Blake Lively’s father,” sighs the 46-year-old actor of his 22-year-old co-star. “As scary as it is to say, I AM old enough to be her father. But it’s still tough to take.
“I’m [supposed to be] with the girl,” he continues with a laugh, “not the father of the girl.”
Ironically, it’s the actor’s own fault he got cast in the part. Gossip producers approached him last season to play a different role, but he nixed it. “It was only for one episode,” he explains. “So I told them to come up with something [bigger].”
Well, there are few roles bigger than that of William van der Woodsen, who’s forced out of hiding due to a crisis involving ex-wife Lily. Baldwin says he “avoided meeting” Lively in advance of the scene in which father and daughter reconnect for the first time in 15 years. “We didn’t see each other virtually until when they rolled the cameras,” he says. “I wanted to limit the amount of exposure we had with one another, because I really wanted it to have an unknown quality to it.”
More certain is Baldwin’s future with the show. “If I were a betting man, it would make sense for something to happen next season,” he hints. “It feels like they’re going to want to bring William back.”
If not, Serena could always work out her daddy issues with a look-alike lover. Quelle scandale!
PHOTO CREDIT: Giovanni Rufino/The CW
“I’m [supposed to be] with the girl,” he continues with a laugh, “not the father of the girl.”
gross.
I don’t think gross. I think what he means that he’s looking back on his career at his younger days when he was with young hot women. He was ‘the guy that gets the girl’. Well now that time has passed and he’s the father of the new generation of girls. he’s just joking on his age.
I agree Ryan, I remember those days when we were all hot over Billy Baldwin. My how time flies. I thought his comments were hilarious!
Can Alec give him good advice on raising a child?
Not gross, but his comments remind me of the episode of 30 Rock where Jenna auditions for Gossip Girl, thinking that she’s up for the role of a hot new freshman girl at NYU, instead of the girl’s socilate mother. Eventually she embraces the part, milking her big scene: “I’ve had a full life. And now, I’m 41 years old. Time to die.” Ha!
Not gross – just real. Time goes by so quickly, and really, until the physical changes of aging catch up with you, your brain doesn’t just automatically age up your self-image. Though I’m a bit younger than Baldwin, my mental image isn’t thirty yet (and hasn’t chnaged since I was that old).
I personally think that it’s gross to want to “be with” a girl who’s over 20 years younger than you.
Yeah but Mark, I don’t think thats what he’s saying. He’s saying that he was 20 with the 20 year old girls once. Now he’s 40, and he doesn’t have those roles anymore
“First Look” – except for the pap pics and stories in the NY papers last week
AKA a first look for the people who don’t sully their days with paparazzi photos AND those who live in the other 29,999 cities in the U.S.
Robert Gant would have been a better choice to play the roll of S’s dad.
Quel Scandale !
En effet!
Yep, tout à fait
He sounds like a tool and I’m glad Michael played that up. Arrogant actors are annoying.
Um… he’s a Baldwin. What did you expect? Charm and arrogance in equal vast abundance…
I hope Serena and William sleep together. It would be so hot!
Allison THE ROCKER Iraheta is so much hotter than Blake Lively and Leighton Meester!
That’s just taking it too far, Michael. I like Allison and think she’s adorable but she is no where near as pretty as Blake and especially, Leighton.
“Baldwin says he ‘avoided’ meeting Lively in advance….I wanted to limit the amount of exposure we had with one another…”. LOL — I just love it when actors say things like this. Hey actors: It’s called ACTING! If you can’t do that convincingly, then you are not worth even a small fraction of what you are being paid.
Alot of respected actors do the same thing that Baldwin speaks of. You’ll be very surprised. So, honestly, your comment doesn’t really make any sense, April-Ann.
Many actors may do it. Respected actors do not need to (exceptions to this may be changes to physical appearance, but real acting comes from within). You’d be very surprised. I loved Sir Laurence Olivier’s remark to Dustin Hoffman during filming of Marathon Man, upon learning Hoffman had stayed up all night to come off as a character who had stayed up all night: “My dear boy, why don’t you try acting? It’s much easier.” So, honestly, my comment makes alot of sense, vivi.
Yeah having real reactions is great. Sure actors can act but you can’t put a price on adding realism to the scene
Nick Nolte (oscar winner) didn’t BATHE for like 2 months to portray a homeless guy. Wouldn’t have wanted to be his costar.
@ Michelle — LOL!
it’s the constant argument between method acting and non method. Just leave it alone, if he does a good job of the scene what does it matter how he did it.
Yeah but even if DF could do a fantastic job acting the scenes pretending he’d been up all night actually staying up would have affected how he looked… personally I think actually looking worn out and tired would have looked better than letting a make-up artist fake it.
Ever hear of method acting?
Thank goodness! I was going through GG withdrawal. This should keep away the nausea.
Billy Baldwin is Serena’s dad?!?!?!?! OMG, is it possible for GG to keep getting any better?
I thought that Serena’s dad was blonde or at least the younger version of him was in that flashback episode with Brittany Snow?? Maybe he’s dying his hair these days?
i think we’re supposed to forget that episode ever happened.. along with the potential CW show- thank goodness that idea went away btw
The blonde guy was KEITH van der Woodsen AKA Serena’s uncle. WILLIAM van der Woodsen is her father.
The blonde guy in the flashback episode was her uncle(Keith Van Der Woodson).
good call maybe I should have actually watched the episode before asking questions HAH
This is a HUGE story. Billy Baldwin has a job!
Did he steal this midlife crisis from 30 Rock? XD
it’s quel scandale not quelle scandale