Alec Baldwin believes that Americans have a misunderstanding of the world’s most pressing problems.
The reason for this, he told a recent event, is that they are uneducated and have been misled by the mass media.
The 66-year-old “Rust” actor, this year’s recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Torino Film Festival in northern Italy, commented on the influence of the media in news reporting.
“Television news in the United States is a business. They’ve got to make money,” Baldwin said during a press conference hollywood reporterHe added, “There is a hole there. There is a void. There is a gap in information for Americans, if you will.
He added, “Americans are not very aware of the reality – what is really going on. With climate change, Ukraine, Israel… you name it, on all the biggest topics in the world, Americans are hungry for a little information.
Baldwin believes the film industry – which he has been a part of for decades – also plays a role.
“That void is filled by the film industry. Not just the independent film industry, not just the documentary film industry – which are very important around the world. But also by narrative films. Where filmmakers and buyers, studios, and networks and streamers, are willing to go down that path. They’re willing to try it.”
Baldwin, who earned an Emmy Award for her portrayal of President Trump in 2017, also talked about the current political climate.
Asked about Trump’s fears and desires for the country as he returns to the Oval Office, Baldwin responded without directly addressing the billionaire businessman.
“There are still many challenges to be faced,” he said of the country. “The environment, the plastic problem, the permafrost: there are plastic molecules in every corner of the planet. “These are real problems worth solving.”
“Every building will be required to have an alternative energy component,” he added. “Photovoltaic panels will have to be installed on the rooftop of every hospital, school, airport and government building. We should force states to work on alternative energy sources. But we will never get rid of oil and gas. Can you imagine an ambulance car or a fire department car that runs on electricity and has to refuel at a charging station?
In addition to receiving praise, Baldwin appeared in Italy to present a screening of his 1990 film, “The Hunt for Red October”, in which he starred alongside Sean Connery.
