Alec Baldwin Talks Public Radio Show, Politics, Leaving ’30 Rock’

NEW YORK — Alec Baldwin is preparing for life after 30 Rock, working with New York public radio on an interview show that will be available via podcast starting Oct. 24.

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The first interview posted will be with actor Michael Douglas, who talks about watching Glee with his young daughter. Other interviews to follow will be with Republican campaign strategist Ed Rollins, reality-show celebrity Kris Kardashian Jenner, comic Chris Rock, actress Kathleen Turner, author Erica Jong and veteran talk-show host Dick Cavett, station WNYC said Thursday.

Baldwin said that he’s been exploring other things to do, knowing that his small-screen life as crazed corporate executive Jack Donaghy is heading toward its end.

Baldwin has won Emmys for his comic portrayal of a TV network boss. He said he likes to use his spare time to satisfy the need to do other things.

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His mixture of guests on the radio show will take in several fields, although he leans toward fellow entertainers. Baldwin said he’s particularly interested in talking with show-biz veterans about the directions their careers have taken and how they keep the juices flowing.

He’s an admitted “public radio junkie” who has filled in on the air for New York’s WNYC and also helped with fund drives. After his on-air work as a substitute host for Kurt Andersen, both Baldwin and WNYC were interested in doing something more, said Dean Cappello, senior vice president for programming at New York public radio.

“Alec is one of our hometown guys,” he said.

New interviews will be available about once a week. Cappello said he expects they will eventually be made into an on-air radio show, but those plans aren’t set yet.

Baldwin said his 30 Rock contract ends after the upcoming sixth season, which will begin with Donaghy “in agony” because his wife is being held captive in North Korea. There’s a possibility the show might be extended another year, but he said he’s not sure whether he wants to do it.

“I might,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to prevent them from having another year, because they’re all my friends and they’ve been good to me. Maybe I would do a piece of the year. But I really do want to move on to other things.”

His 30 Rock work has led to movie offers he wants to explore. Baldwin, 53, has also talked about getting into politics someday, but that would require a transformation that would take time.

“I have to finish what I’m doing now and separate these two parts of my life,” he said. “I haven’t really formalized that. It’s like the difference between going to Jon Stewart and Jim Lehrer. The jokes have to stop, everything has to be on the record.”

No one appreciates the run he’s been on better than Baldwin.

“The life I have now is not going to get any better,” he said. “I have a great job. Everybody thinks I’m funny. I’m fooling everybody. They think I’m talented. I’m pulling the wool over everybody’s eyes and they’re paying me for it. It’s thrilling.”