Stephen Baldwin
The youngest Baldwin brother carved his own niche, from an Oscar-winning film debut to a public embrace of evangelical Christianity.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American actor·Birthday: May 12·Generation X
Biography
Stephen Baldwin entered the family business as the youngest of the acting Baldwin brothers, bringing a wiry, off-kilter energy distinct from his siblings' more leading-man personas. His early career was a study in contrasts: he delivered a sharp, memorable performance as the hapless criminal McManus in the Best Picture winner 'The Usual Suspects,' yet also headlined the much-malined eco-comedy 'Bio-Dome.' In the 2000s, his life and career took a dramatic turn following a profound religious conversion. He became an outspoken evangelical Christian, often weaving his faith into his work, such as directing the skateboarding DVD 'Livin' It.' This shift placed him firmly outside the Hollywood mainstream, leading him to conservative media and reality television, where he embraced a public identity defined more by conviction than celebrity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Stephen was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Stephen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Stephen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played Michael McManus in the Academy Award-winning film 'The Usual Suspects' (1995).
- Starred as Billy McCord on the ABC Western television series 'The Young Riders' for three seasons.
- Published the book 'The Unusual Suspect: My Calling to the New Hardcore Movement of Faith' detailing his religious conversion.
- Directed and starred in 'Livin' It,' a Christian-themed skateboarding film and DVD series.
Did You Know?
He is the only one of the four Baldwin brothers who is not a political liberal.
He competed on the seventh UK season of 'Celebrity Big Brother' in 2010, finishing in ninth place.
His daughter, Hailey Baldwin, is a model who married pop star Justin Bieber.
“I found a different path, and it changed everything.”
