Sarah Maslin Nir, the Times scribe who penned this morning’s story on Alec Baldwin’s mayoral ambitions, doesn’t often write about politics for the paper. She’s a staff reporter who often writes on stylish subjects*, and recently crossed paths with Baldwin a couple of times in the Hamptons. By Nir’s own account, Baldwin seemed rather taken with the 28-year-old.
Two hours later, around 10 p.m., Nocturnalist regaled friends at the restaurant with tales of how Mr. Baldwin had asked us if we’d exposed ourselves on Three Mile Harbor Road.
“Oh my god,” said a friend. Mr. Baldwin was at the door, making a beeline for our table.
We scooted over.
You said you’d be here, he said, plopping down with his male friend on our banquette. …He said he’d stay for five minutes, but stayed an hour.
The feeling was mutual: “Mr. Baldwin was a delight, a refreshing change from the press-release-spouting animatrons many of his peers become around Nocturnalist.”
Yet when Nir ran into Baldwin the evening after that story ran, the bloom was off the rose:
The feeling was mutual: “Mr. Baldwin was a delight, a refreshing change from the press-release-spouting animatrons many of his peers become around Nocturnalist.”
Yet when Nir ran into Baldwin the evening after that story ran, the bloom was off the rose:
But perhaps Mr. Baldwin’s true feelings about our column were revealed in what else he said to us: hardly anything. The ever-affable actor responded noncommittally to our repeated requests for an interview, and deflected all banter.
The chillier part of Baldwin’s hot-and-cold act with Nir obviously didn’t last too long in the summer heat: They tweeted at one another a bunch in July (she, lots of Baldwin retweets; he, ” … you are a good writer”). And just about a month after that story ran, she crowed, “Chilling wiv @AlecBaldwin in the West Village, homies,” presumably conducting the interview for today’s scoop-y piece about his political intentions. Now, a relationship that had played out publicly on social networking and in the softer sections of the paper jumped the fence into the “real” news. The story itself might have struck a less flirty tone than her previous encounters, but they were back to mutual admiration on Twitter after it ran. “Ah, there’s nothing like a young reporter yearning for truth” was greeted with “thanks! Nothing like a newsmaker being frank with the press. Much appreciated.”
Alec, call me. Seriously. I’d like to do an interview. I think your sea-blue eyes contain the universe, they don’t make men like you any more, and I’m very interested in hearing more about your views on mayoral term limits.
*This post has been corrected to show that Nir is a staff reporter at the Times, not, as originally written, a party columnist.
Related: Alec Baldwin Is Very Serious About Running for Mayor
Alec Baldwin: Actor, Charmer, Fish Deboner [NYT]
Alec Baldwin, the Sequel [NYT]
