There have been a number of changes in the actor's life. His widely publicized political advocacy - there was speculation he'd run for senator or governor, and he was active in several political causes - lies dormant. "I've totally lost interest in the whole celebrity advocacy nexus I was part of pretty vigorously for a few years," he says.

There's a tremendous opportunity for celebrity advocacy," says Baldwin. "Doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians, and artists all used to be held in equal high regard 50 years ago, and now that's not the case. All the credibility and respect for those professions are in the toilet. But celebrity, for some reason, is given a disproportionate amount of emphasis. It's a sad reality and a sad commentary on the times we live in. But let's acknowledge this, let's harness it, and let's turn it around and use it constructively.