Alec Baldwin has finalized a deal to host a weekly night-time talk show on MSNBC. The program - Up Late with Alec Baldwin will bow in October and have Baldwin taking on current events and culture.
The announcement came Thursday from MSNBC president Phil Griffin.
"I've been talking with Alec for a while and can't wait to bring his personality and eclectic interests to MSNBC," said Griffin. "He's got such passion for ideas and what's going on in the world - he's going to be a great addition to our line-up."
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Baldwin has been honing his interviewing skills on his WNYW podcast Here's the Thing, where he's questioned everyone from Chris Rock and Lena Dunham to New York Times editor Jill Abramson and PETA's Dan Mathews. He's made no secret of his desire to host a TV talk show. He told THR in an interview earlier this year that a lifelong dream was to be a 60 Minutes correspondent.
"That show would be the pinnacle of the marriage between my political beliefs, my political curiosity and wanting to communicate to people on camera to a broader audience," he told THR during an interview last spring.
And he had preliminary discussions with NBC executives to host a late-night show on the network. The former 30 Rock star has an overall deal at NBC.
But his left-leaning politics are an organic fit for MSNBC, which has been making changes to its primetime and early prime lineup with he addition of Chris Hayes at 8 p.m. and Ed Schultz at 5 p.m.
