SAN DIEGO (AP) 鈥 Alec Baldwin says the year since his trial suddenly ended with a dismissal has been far better than the few years that preceded it, and the affect that time has had on him has been 鈥渋mmeasurable.鈥
鈥淪omething as powerful as that happens in your life, you don鈥檛 know how much it changes you,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 even tell you how different I am from three-and-a-half years ago. And what I want and what I don鈥檛 want, and how I want to live my life and not live my life.鈥
The 67-year-old actor spoke to The Associated Press at San Diego's , where he was part of a panel on 75 years of whose simplicity, existential philosophy and moral outlook have been very much on his mind.
Baldwin spoke while a suited Snoopy character stood nearby after posing for photos with him.
In a foreword Baldwin wrote for 鈥淭he Complete Peanuts 1977-1978,鈥 he said while reading Schulz's newspaper comic strip every day as a child, he realized Charlie Brown, more than anyone, wanted the things he wanted.
Chief among those wants are 鈥渢he desire to have friends and the desire to hold your friends close to you.鈥
That hasn鈥檛 changed in the years since.
鈥淐ome on, what man my age doesn鈥檛 relate to Charlie Brown? If Charlie Brown was 67 years old, he鈥檇 be me, but he wouldn鈥檛 have been stupid enough to have seven (small) children,鈥 he said with a laugh.
But he aspires to the qualities of a different character.
鈥淟ucy. I want to be Lucy. Lucy is in charge. She鈥檚 got it all figured out,鈥 he said. 鈥淪he pauses for a moment of self-awareness, but not too long.鈥
Baldwin said he admired Schulz's simple line drawings combined with the real circumstances of the characters, embodied by real children's voices when the animated holiday specials emerged in his childhood.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so complicated and simple at the same time, which is what I think makes it beautiful,鈥 he said.
And he admired Schulz's willingness to embrace melancholy, and deeper darknesses, in stories about inner struggle that needed no villains.
鈥淎 dog sitting on top of a dog house would have the same impact on you as, like, Nietzsche, he said,鈥 looking across the room at Snoopy. 鈥淭hey should have named the dog Nietzsche.鈥
Baldwin's career has had several distinct phases. Early on he played tough husbands and boyfriends in supporting roles including 鈥淢arried to the Mob鈥 and 鈥淲orking Girl.鈥 He moved on to heroic leading man in 鈥淭he Hunt for Red October鈥 and 鈥淭he Shadow.鈥
Downshifting to memorable character parts, he showed his gift for manly speeches in 鈥淕lengarry Glen Ross鈥 and 鈥淭he Departed,鈥 and his comedy prowess in seven seasons of 鈥30 Rock鈥 and as a constant host and guest on 鈥淪aturday Night Live.鈥
In July 2024 his trial in New Mexico on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western 鈥淩ust鈥 fell apart halfway through. the case on allegations authorities withheld evidence.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe that happened on that day the way it happened,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd it couldn鈥檛 have been better for us in certain terms because of the malice and so forth and everything that鈥檚 embodied in that whole situation.鈥
The next phase is uncertain. He says he's 鈥渏ust trying to move forward with my wife and my family.鈥
He and wife Hilaria and their seven small kids recently appeared on the TLC reality series 鈥淭he Baldwins.鈥
He says he has successfully sold his young ones on 鈥淧eanuts,鈥 especially the Halloween and Christmas specials, as he did with his now nearly 30-year-old daughter Ireland when she was young.
He notices their personalities zig-zagging between the traits of Schulz's characters.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e Charlie Brown, now they鈥檙e Snoopy, now they鈥檙e Schroeder, now they鈥檙e Linus, now they鈥檙e Pig-Pen,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e Pig-Pen most of the time, I must say.鈥
And their house is full of themed toys.
He keeps a small Snoopy figure among the things in his office, a reminder to try to maintain 鈥渓ove, kindness, patience.鈥
"Peanuts are still kind of like, in that zone," he said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 just try to be good people.鈥