Oscar nominee Alec Baldwin (The Cooler) will star in NBC’s upcoming live production of A Few Good Men, signing on to play Col. Nathan Jessep in the 2018 live television event. Baldwin will also be involved as an executive producer along with Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, and Aaron Sorkin. A Few Good Men marks NBC’s first live production of a Broadway drama in more than five decades.
Aaron Sorkin wrote A Few Good Men in 1989 as a stage production which was made into an Oscar nominated feature film in 1992. Jack Nicholson earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role in the dramatic thriller, and the film also earned Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Sound Academy Award nominations. Sorkin will be writing the teleplay for the NBC production.
“Alec Baldwin is the gift that keeps on giving at NBC, and we’re excited to have him starring in Aaron Sorkin’s towering work as we expand our live theater imprint beyond musicals,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “No stranger to live television, Alec is the most multi-faceted actor in the world and his range is incomparable. He will put his own inimitable stamp on the role of Col. Jessep in a play that is still as surprising and relevant as ever, from one of the most gifted writers working today.”
“Alec is one of our greatest actors. Having him play this role — live onstage for a television audience — is a dream come true. This will be a brand new take on Nathan Jessep and I expect that Alec is going to bust through TV screens and right into living rooms,” added Sorkin.
Baldwin was just nominated for two Emmys: one in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category for portraying Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, and one for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program for hosting Match Game.
The Plot: Set in 1986 and taking place in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, A Few Good Men centers on newbie military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee, who comes up against the formidable Col. Jessep when he is asked to defend three Marines on trial for murder. Tom Hulce (Amadeus) was nominated for a Tony for his portrayal of Kaffee on Broadway. The film adaptation starred Tom Cruise as Lt. Kaffee and Jack Nicholson as Col. Jessep.
