Toronto Star

Star worries how pandemic life will affect children

Themed episodes will be part of new season of game show ‘Match Game’

- JOHN CARUCCI

NEW YORK— Whether he’s playing U.S. President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live” or hosting a new season of “Match Game,” Alec Baldwin prefers working close to home.

And for good reason, the 62-year-old actor and wife, Hilaria, have four young children and there’s a fifth on the way. So, Baldwin says it’s important to remain nearby to help raise his young family. While work hasn’t been an issue for the Emmy-winning actor, helping his family deal with the unusual circumstan­ces of the COVID-19 pandemic has been trying at times.

Still, he believes New York, which has been ravaged by the virus, will bounce back, though things will be different.

Recently, Baldwin opened up to The Associated Press about his upcoming fifth season as host of the retooled “Match Game,” which premieres Sunday on ABC, as well as the struggle to bring normalcy to family life.

Baldwin also commented on breaking character as Trump with an ambiguous comment during the cold open of the season finale of “Saturday Night Live.”

On the “SNL” finale, you broke character and said, ‘Taped from home, for one last time, it’s Saturday Night.’ Were you saying it’s the last time you were doing it from home or playing Trump?

I certainly can understand why it read that way. But what

I think they meant was this was the last show of this package … and they’re all going to go back to work. I mean they’re supposed to go back to work — the season starts at the very end of September. I think what they were saying, to be hopeful, was that they’ll be back in the building.

Many A-list celebritie­s are doing game shows, but at one time it wasn’t so cool. What makes you do it?

Game shows, they do push the envelope. I mean, when you watched “Match Game,” the old “Match Game” with all these really witty people like Arlene Francis and Gore Vidal … the show did push the envelope.

We’ve heard there will be themed episodes. Care to share?

The first show we’re doing is this is detective show with (Michael) Chiklis and Angie Harmon and Jennifer Esposito. Mario Cantone, who doesn’t play a detective, but certainly has had detectives snooping around his career. We got famous TV detectives. And that was a lot of fun. How are you dealing with the pandemic in the quarantine?

My only concern, I think, is that as people who are parents know, we’ve got to keep these kids distracted from how unusual this is. My son, who turns five next month, told me the other day that ‘I miss the city.’ They’re not used to this. This is not normal. What do you miss most? Being with my wife, who I worship, and walking the streets of New York together. My kids going to school, a real brick and mortar school. All that is on hold right now. And for my kids — and all kids — we’ve got to help them. My job is to help them get through that. Because they’re beginning to get that something is not right. This is not normal for kids. And you have to try to help them to manage their feelings and manage your own feelings. Because my wife and I look at each other and we sigh, the most theatrical sigh.

 ??  ?? Alec Baldwin prefers working closer to home so he can spend more time with his wife, Hilaria, and their children.
Alec Baldwin prefers working closer to home so he can spend more time with his wife, Hilaria, and their children.

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