Reality Dish Exclusive Interview: Daniel Baldwin of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

Interviews

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I’m a Celebrity Get, Me Out of Here/i> puts these “celebrities”: Stephen Baldwin, Janice Dickinson, former NBA great John Salley, Heidi and Spencer from The Hills, Lou Diamond Philips, former American Idol cast-off Sanjaya Malakar, the comedy duo Frangela, new addition Daniel Baldwin, among others in the Costa Rican jungle. They have to avoid being eliminated, while competing in Survivor and Fear Factor like activities.

The third person eliminated from I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here was Daniel Baldwin. Daniel was a late addition to the cast after Spencer and Heidi quit the show the first time. The day after his elimination, I participated in a conference call interview with Daniel and other members of the media. Here is what he had to say….


How did it all go sour between your and Janice Dickinson from the moment you arrived on set to the moment you left? If you could just tell us examples of what happened?

Daniel Baldwin: Well, I struggle with people who have that real sense of entitlement. And when I got on the show I realized that I represented a demographic that would have a severe uphill climb against people that have a built-in MTV audience and represent those who are in the voting situation to be in the shower and reach out blindly hitting their cell phones while they are still lathering their heads.

So, you know, I knew I was going to have to win them over with my work ethic, with my sense of humor, and try to reach them on the realistic sense of, you know, my mom. You know, I was not there with an agenda.

So, you know, Janice, who I don’t know if it ever aired, I referred to and several other people in the jungle ended up referring to her as C-4, the nickname that I gave her. And finally John Salley leaned down to me and said, “You know, bro, why do you call her C-4?” I said, “Because a majority of it is plastic and it’s very explosive.”

So C-4 as I will call her during this interview, you know, she was somebody who I believe, in my opinion, you know, we’re dealing with a human being that is undereducated and overmedicated. So, you know, she really did believe that she is such a huge international star she should not have to pitch in and do her share of work.

And for that I really, you know, as somebody who knew he had to do more than his share — and I don’t know if it aired that way — but, you know, I was constantly carrying wood and building things and doing stuff and chipping in with John cooking-wise, and I was the father-figure to Sanjaya who was, you know, at one point ready to walk. John, the catalyst, big brother to calm him down because he had a couple of explosive episodes between he and Janice.

And, you know, look I don’t know Janice well enough to really make a judgment nor am I God and it’s my responsibility to do so. But she is absolutely one of those people, like Heidi and Spencer, that believes that by being, you know, super annoying and that that’s what’s going to keep her on the show. And God bless her, you know. I mean if that’s what she wants people to know her for, she’s truly accomplishing that.

I was there for a bigger picture. I was there for one reason and one reason only. And that was to try to raise awareness about early detection for breast cancer and raise a big, big number from my mom’s fund so that we can find a cure.

Janice on the other hand was there because at 54 years old and there’s so much they can do, cosmetic surgery wise, to keep her in the game, you know, that she has to keep herself on television because that’s all she’s about, you know. So I’m sure she’s accomplishing that. I am that there are, you know, a lot of people are going to remember her for, you know, her self-entitlement and her annoying behavior, you know.

But she really did do — there was some very bizarre, bizarre things that happened. I don’t know if they aired. And her urinating in camp in the middle of the night because she couldn’t take, I mean I talking 25 more steps to go to the bathroom, with lanterns lighting the way. It was totally safe, you know. And then she looked Lou Diamond Phillips right in the eye, who was our camp leader, and said, “God, I can’t believe someone would do that, Lou.”

I mean it was almost, you know, a sociopath behavior. You know, just totally disconnected to the truth and way beyond anything she could be trying to do for the show. I mean I really believe that she was believed in her heart-of-hearts that it wasn’t her. You know, that it wasn’t her that stole food and it wasn’t her. I mean she did some things that were just well beyond entertainment. They were sick.

I think she really needs some help. And I hope she gets it, I really do. Because, you know, she’s a child of God like the rest of us. And she deserves to have a quality life and I hope maybe something, you know, some kind of bottom occurs in her life, you know. Because I think that she really needs help, this woman.

Could talk about your brother and your hopes for him with this series?

DB: Well, you know, first I want to address the fact that Stephen and I are both born-again Christians and Stephen has, you know, a much more of a focus in his life as far as his mission when it comes to God and his personal relationship with God.

I on the other hand am one of those people that does not wear my relationship with Jesus Christ on my sleeve. If you want to talk about my relationship with God in private, particularly not on camera, I’m there for you and I’ll tell you what my path to God was.

Stephen believes that it’s his job, you know, to bring people to Christianity. And to the point of where, if you’re not ready to receive that some people could deem that as being annoying. You know, I was really, really taken aback by the advantage that the reentry of Heidi and Spencer took on my brother, because I don’t believe for a minute, although I would to believe it was true, I did not believe the sincerity behind either one of them. Particularly when Stephen did the Baptism on the river of Spencer, which even if it does take down the road, I think it’s a miracle.

But when Heidi turned around before she was dropped, you know, into the river she said, “No, no Stephen. Spin me this way so the camera can see me better.” Anybody that didn’t have or didn’t deserve to have the word agenda tattooed on their forehead, you know, would never have said that. So with that said I believe that everything that those two do — and they took advantage of my brother’s real love for Jesus, you know, in that moment, and I find that really, really sad.

But I think that the greatest thing that came from this was when my expulsion occurred. You know, you have to do like a debriefing and Jayson Dinsmore, who is a really, really good guy, he came to me and he said, “Hey, you know, I’m really going to have problems now in the editing room because we have an entire editing section called The Baldwins, because you guys are so funny together.”

And I knew that in the center of me Stephen would never have come out of his shell in that way. I just represent something in his life that you can go back to — you know, it’s kind of that recall thing — that you’re right, only I could probably have brought that in him. Not even Alec or Billy would have been able to bring out what I bring out in Stephen, because we have that relationship together.

So he said to me, “Any day you’re ready, you let me know because I wouldn’t even have to do a pitch to sell a Baldwin Brothers reality show.” Now I don’t want reality to be my life. I’ve got

So he said to me, “Any day you’re ready, you let me know because I wouldn’t even have to do a pitch to sell a Baldwin Brothers reality show.” Now I don’t want reality to be my life. I’ve got five movies coming out and Grey Gardens on HBO right now with Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore.

And, you know, but at the same time the proposition of raising money through a reality show for my mom’s fund and potentially saving women’s lives and finding a cure for breast cancer, really intrigues me. Because if you’ve had an opportunity to drink from the well it becomes your responsibility to replenish the well so that those after you at least have an opportunity to take a sip. And I know that’s true in my life and I find that my responsibility because I have been blessed.

So I would consider doing that with Stephen as long as we had a little bit of control of what it was going to be about topic wise.

But I got to say I’m going to miss Stephen and I know that Stephen, you know, loves me and it’s going to be much more difficult for him to be in that venue right now without me there.

The picture you were showing us at the end, now that’s your wife and your daughter who is almost a year and a 1/2 now, is that right?

DB: Yes, my wife is almost eight months pregnant right now for our second daughter and that was for a picture of my 17-month-old daughter, Avis.

It must have been hard for you to decide to go there. Tell us how the decision came to join the show, because you joined the show late? Had they talked to you earlier or how did it all come about?

DB: Well actually what happened was I was approached by Chuck LaBella, one of the producers and bookers on the show, and he said to me, “Listen, we have this show.” It was a different show and the show fell apart. And as it was falling apart and they didn’t me the straight offer he said, “Look, it may be a Godsend because I have another show.” And he told me about “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!”, and he said, “I think you would be perfect for it.”

Well I guess demographically they felt that Stephen would be better for their audience, so they gave Stephen an offer and not me. So as I heard this from Stephen, I called Chuck and said, “Hey, I think it would be a great idea to have both of us on, what a funny concept,” and they agreed, but they thought it would better for me to be an alternate and a surprise. So that’s how that came about.

And as far as, you know, the baby and our unborn is concerned, my wife and I don’t make any decisions, you know, without talking about them together. We’re really truly a team. And my wife knew that the only reason why I’d be going would be because we might ring the bell with a big number for my mom’s fund and she thought that, that was equally important.

Although, my wife was the one that had to work a lot harder. If you think being in the jungle with these idiots was hard, imagine what my wife had to go through trying to chase around, you know, a 17-month-old with a baby in her stomach and as tired as she is. So, you know, my wife deserves a lot of the credit.

Since your family is interested in politics, what was your take on Patti?

DB: Well, you know, I mean I think that one of the great things about our judicial system is, you know, you’re innocent until proven guilty. And, you know, I’ve seen a lot of the sensationalized cases go by, you know. And I’ll bring up a for instance, you know, read William Dear’s book, O.J. Is Guilty But Not of Murder, because after I read that book I thought to myself, “My God, is there really a true possibility that O.J. Simpson didn’t do it or that at least his son was involved?” Because the book truly implies that forensically they proved that Jason Simpson was onsite during that slaying.

So, you know, that doesn’t mean O.J. wasn’t standing right next to him. But I think most of America would have absolutely guaranteed that he got away with murder, no pun intended.

So I don’t know yet and, you know, the tapes suggest and imply dramatically that her husband may have been guilty of improprieties. But, you know, let’s wait and see because she vehemently denies it. She does not want to talk about it on camera. And I’m going to wait to see and go through the process to make sure our country, is the great country that it is today.

Now how much was the booth was it to get that ticket talk to your wife and daughter last time?

DB: Oh, I can’t tell you. You know, I don’t think a lot of people understood the twofold thing that made my participation in this very different. Try to imagine leaving your wife pregnant and she’s had some difficulties in the pregnancy. And also leave, you know, your 17-month-old daughter behind and your wife trying to take care of her, while you’re so far away that you can’t even talk. This is very different than doing a film or doing a TV project abroad, where you can pick up the phone and be available for, God forbid anything went on.

I’m in a foreign country. I don’t even have my passport anymore and I’m obligated to stay. Now that’s not to say if something really serious happened I wouldn’t left immediately, because I would. But psychologically speaking, it played on both of us quite a bit more, I think, than anybody else on the show.

Aside from your brother, who did you like hanging out with the most?

DB: Well, I mean I had a preexisting long-term relationship with John Salley. And it’s one of those almost like a high school thing where you don’t have to see the person or talk to the person for even months and months or even a year. You know, and if you popped into them or they end up calling you pick up right where you left off. And John and I have that kind of mindset with each other and friendship and love for each, that it was truly a pleasure to see him.

And I’d say the surprise relationship that I think will be very similar to that because of what occurred in the jungle, will be my relationship for now on with Lou Diamond Phillips. He’s just such a fantastic guy. I always appreciated his acting and his ability, but I never knew just how intelligent and what a wonderful man, and father, and husband that he is. So I know that he and I will not wait very long to get together with out families and become even better friends.

How do you think Alec would have done on the show?

DB: I don’t know that with that cast, Alec would have done that well, patience-wise. And I think that one of the things that, besides his SNL work that I was really happy that he did, was, you know, 30 Rock. Because people don’t realize because of his staunch political, you know, views and his stance that he has taken in a lot of ways in the press, just how funny and witty Alec is, you know.

He’s certainly, you know, right there with any of the satirists, you know, in film that have been there for many, many years. He’s one of the greats. And I love the banter that go on between us in the private sector. And there’s been so much talk for years, “When are the four Baldwin brothers going to do a movie?” And of course they come up with the stereotypical, “Let’s see them do a western. Let’s see them do, you know, an Irish mafia.”

And I have always said, “If we’re ever to do anything, if it’s not a comedy, we’re really, really falling short of the mark.” Because we’re very funny together and I think one of the things that came out of having Stephen and I on this show — and believe me, imagine how much footage hit the floor because it would have been R-rated — between Stephen and I, particularly from my mouth more so than Stephen, you know.

And one of the first things said by Jayson Dinsmore, the great Executive Producer of this show was, “Any day you’re ready, whenever you say. We don’t even have to have a script and I could sell this to many, many venues, the Stephen and Daniel Show, you know. We’ll just follow you guys around with a camera. You guys cracked us up so much in the booth, I don’t know how to replace you now that you’re gone.”

To the point where he went back to NBC Standard and Practices and said, “Do I have final say? Could I have someone else leave the show before him? You have not idea how funny they are together.” And they said, “Unfortunately we can’t do that.” So, you know, you never know, if I can generate a large enough number to go to my mother’s breast cancer research fund, I would consider doing a show with Stephen, provided, you know, he’s willing to do it too. So stay tuned.

As far as a Baldwin reality would go, did you say you were just thinking you would be you and Stephen and not your other brothers? Is it you and Stephen have the best chemistry out of all of you or what?

DB: Well I’d have to say there’d be three factors. A, if you had, you know, more than there might have to be a medic that does stitching on service at all times. B, the price would shoot up quite a bit if you were try to Alec in the mix. I don’t think he’s leaving 30 Rock anytime soon to do a reality show.

And C, I think that when you talk about the chemistry and the humor, in a reality situation I think you’re probably better off because of the style of our humor would probably most complement a reality show with Stephen and I.

Why do you think America is not voting off Janice? I mean we see her lying. We’ve seen everything she does and still she’s not getting voted off. I mean what does that say about who’s voting? What does that say about America, I guess?

DB: Well this is one of the things that I have to say, I didn’t think I was going to be one of the final two unless they really made it, you know, in the editing process, “The Daniel Baldwin Show — look how hard he works. Look how he get’s up first. He’s, you know, helping people.” I mean if I could tell you that three different people were ready to absolutely leave that show until I sat them down and said, “Remember why you’re here. Remember what you’re looking to do. This would look really…” And I had to literally talk them of the ledge.

So I don’t know if they showed that. I don’t know if they showed how I was of service. And the reason why I was really there because I think a lot of people had personal agendas involved and we’re not there first and foremost for their charities as I was.

But besides the point, I think that when it comes to what drives a show like this, let’s face it — you want to see Heidi and Spencer fail, but at the same time you just can’t — it’s like a bar of chocolate when you’re a diabetic, you know. I mean you sit there and you say, “I know this is really bad for me. I know I shouldn’t do it, but I just can’t resist it because it satisfies kind of sick thing in me,” you know. And, you know, you look at Janice and you think, “This is someone — forget about voting her off — this is someone who should be committed,” you know.

Janice, and I don’t think it ever aired, I referred to as C-4 and it became a comedic thing that everyone said, “John would lean over and go check on C-4.” And finally, you know, when I first looked the first three times it was John Sally who said to me in front of a group of people (unintelligible). “Hey man why do you call her C4?” I said, “Because the majority of it is plastic and it’s very explosive.”

Now not to harp on Janice but do you think she’s trying to – do you actually think she’s trying to get kicked off because each time she isn’t she seems surprised? Does she really want to get out of there?

DB: No. You know I honestly believe and, you know, and again this is just an opinion. But I honestly believe in knowing, you know, I portray human beings for a living.

You know I have a psychology background education wise and honestly I was – she was fascinating from a psychological standpoint and human behavior standpoint because I really believe in my heart of hearts Janice honestly needs help. I mean she – there was a moment that was so disturbing to me that she had with Lou Diamond Phillips over this urinating incident where it was not acting. It was not an agenda to stay on the show and be this maniacal (unintelligible). She literally looked at him and said I just can’t understand Lou how anyone could do that, you know, near where we eat. That’s just grotesque behavior and blah-blah.

And I swear to you it wasn’t – now this was not hamming it up for the cameras. I think she honestly believed it was even beyond like it was beyond denial. I think it was, you know, it was sociopathic. You know it was really disturbing to watch, you know, as a voyeur of this incredible detachment from the truth.

And, you know, I don’t know that she even realizes it. She’ll sit there and I – and there was another scenario that I diagnosed her with and I will coin the term of name dropping correct. You would be in the middle of a sentence doing something and she’d go (Gorby Dow), (Gorby Dow) and I turn around and then she would tell an entire story really no one even listening about her and (Gorby Dow) and the name drop, you know, Trump would drop in and Calvin Klein and she was with Mickey Rourke.

And it would be this long story, you know. And no one’s even listening. You know we’re having an entire conversation sitting around the campfire and she’s in her bed laying there continuing to go on sometimes for five minutes not even realizing no one’s even there and I’m trying to keep an ear to it going does she understand like that there’s no possibility this even happened because she would talk about years (unintelligible).

And I’d go that’s funny. At one point she told a story that I realized at the exact time she was saying this was happening I was in Tucson, Arizona with Mickey Rourke shooting Harvey Davidson The Marlboro Man when she absolutely claimed I’ll never forget it because it was, you know, she named the holiday and the year.

And I thought that’s funny I was in Tucson with Mickey then. How could she be in Paris with him? You know and I’m listening to her going wow, she’s just so delusional right now and so, you know, needed to be I mean in the mix in some ways. She just kind of just made stuff up. It was really sad in a way, you know. I think that Janice deep down and, you know, at the end of the game has a good heart. I just think that it’s so past her game now. No one’s taking the photograph and putting it on a magazine anymore.

And the only thing that works for her is kind of living in this weird, you know, microcosmic bubble of nonrealistic annoying behavior.

Now speaking of “Villains” have you heard that the show is supposedly trying to get Spencer Pratt back? Do you think it could happen?

DB: Here’s the sad thing about those two. A, I think that he’s the driving force behind that dynamic duo. She really, you know, from an acting standpoint I didn’t believe for a moment that she was sick. I didn’t believe any of it. You know anyone that’s – and I thought they took advantage of their – of my brother’s love, you know, for his Christianity and God.

And in the moment that she turned around and he baptized Spencer and, you know, God bless him. If he ever really does come to Christ because I don’t believe that either, I want to believe it but I just don’t. She turned around just before she was going to hit the water and she said “Hang on (Steven). Just turn me this way. The camera will see you better.”

And I thought are you kidding me, you know, I mean here’s this beautiful moment where you’re going to, you know, re-pronounce your faith and your, you know, your commitment to God and you’re worried whether or not camera C is going to see your face better.

And I just thought wow, if there was ever a couple that needed to wear the agenda tattooed on their forehead there they were.

But he’s definitely got brains, this kid. He’s got a lot of drive. I think that he doesn’t realize that was has worked for him now is starting already to get old.

And you need to reinvent yourself and change gears. And unfortunately he’s playing the annoying card a little too much and that’s something that can get old really, really fast. Take a look at Andrew Dice Clay on Celebrity Apprentice. You know Andrew had a chance to reinvent himself and was in the public eye and he should have been a little more humble along with the Dice Clay part that we know and we love. But you got to mix it up a little.

I think the same thing true of Spencer. He’s a guy you’re going to see down the road. If he learns this lesson as a young man, and he’ll be a big producer in TV and stuff, and you want him. He’s a gamer.

She’s the meal ticket right now because of her popularity but there’s not really a lot of talent behind this woman, I don’t think. You know, she’s a pretty face right now but, you know, at best she’s going to be, you know, on the Christian Channel and, you know, whatever you’ve seen in her career she’s a reality show at best and nothing more.

Have you heard anything about him coming back though? Do you think it’s a possibility?

DB: We were told by the producers that this is the cast. You know so whether or not they bring him back, you know, guest star wise. There has been some talk of maybe the entire cast returning for the finale. I don’t know if that’s true or not. You know I hear all the rumors.

But remember I’ve been in the jungle. I just got out last night. And no one has approached me yet and made any kind of offers to coming back.

I think it would be truly an unfair move to bring him back as a participant in the show. And I think it was kind of unfair. In some ways you could say this about me although I was only a couple days behind them. And I certainly outworked anybody but maybe Lou Diamond Phillips. He and I were neck and neck and John Sally because of his cooking.

But I outworked the entire rest of the cast. And evenly at least with those two as far as service and stuff like that and innovation and counseling, I outworked them all. Unfortunately the – you know, that didn’t work for me as far as the voting was concerned.

But to add Holly on I thought was irresponsible because she was ten days behind and what she’s had to endure in the jungle. And that’s a psychological indurement along with physical.

So she’s definitely the freshest. She carries an MTV crowd with her. And this is, you know, truly an entrepreneurial show in that they’re rerunning all the episodes in a marathon way on Sundays on a demographic that no one has but Holly and maybe Sanjaya.

So by showing this on MTV the allure here is turn around and say do I want to wait to watch all four episodes in a marathon way again next Sunday on MTV or can I just not stand it and crossover into watching network television the following Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

And I think that what’s going to happen is they’re going to succeed in this particularly as they get closer to the final.

So Holly has a distinct advantage in that if they are successful in this marketing plan she’s got to beat the odds on favorite because she carries an MTV audience with their biggest reality show.

Were you genuinely surprised that you were voted out. Did you expect to stay longer?

DB: I have to tell you that, you know, let’s face it. They can’t with 47 minutes I believe of television when you subtract in an hour the advertisements, they can’t really cater to anyone too much.

So they’re going to have to make their choices storyline wise. And I knew that there wouldn’t be justice in that.

I knew going in that I was probably besides (Patty) I felt probably the odds on the long shot. But I knew my work ethic and the reason why I was there was really pure. And I hope that if they depicted that accurately and responsibly I would have a shot at outlasting enough of them and outworking them and winning (Meredith)’s heart over. Obviously I didn’t either. I didn’t do that or they didn’t show that or a combination of both.

So with that said I was surprised and, you know, there were murmurings amongst the cast, who do you thinks going to go and blah, blah, blah.

And I thought (Patty) would probably be the first one to go because she carried no TV queue. And if she was to carry a large audience in one of America’s biggest cities, Chicago because her husband the governor and there was kind of a sympathy backlash if you will for the mom with two kids and the husband’s out of work, I don’t really know how it worked and how it voted.

But yes. I was surprised that they didn’t take her out and I didn’t think maybe a couple others who I clearly outworked and did the Janice factor, you know, would it backlash against Janice that she’s just such a psycho, you know, that people would say, you know, she deserves to go or would it be that her plan if it is a plan or she is just truly that much of a nut, did it work that they wanted to punish her and keep her in there because it was difficult to be in the jungle.

Now certainly with my going she’s not going to be punished as much because I’m the only one that called her on her nonsense. You know she called me a bully on the show because I’d look at her and go are you going to get up and do anything today or are you just going to lay there like a pig.

You know and I would tell that because I’m up at 5:00 am while they’re all still sleeping, carrying wood and bringing in supplies and cooking meals with John and, you know, building rakes and brooms and doing stuff with my hands. You know and I’m being bit up just as much as them and I’m 48 years old and don’t need to be here.

Janice needs to be there. What else is Janice going to do?
I don’t see her anytime soon being on Grey Gardens or the Closer or Sopranos. Janice is Janice. You know no one’s taking her picture anymore and there’s just so much plastic surgery that could be done to keep her in the game.

How many months pregnant is your wife?

DB: This is her eighth month now so, you know, it’s a double edged sword for me. As much as my wife and I clearly saw the responsibility and opportunity to bring breast cancer awareness and early detection to the forefront on network television and raise a very, very large amount of money for what seemed to be, you know, a difficult task.

And I have to tell you, it was nowhere near as hard as what I was prepared for. I mean I was going in there ready to put the war paint on, build my own, you know, hut if I had to, spear fish, you know, all that.

When I got there and I saw, you know, the game was to say rice and beans and everything. And it was way better than that. There was food being sent in. You know it was cots under cover. You know swimming facilities, shower, you know, I was like this is it. They were doing our laundry for us after a while. I mean I was – you know and everyone was moaning or crying about how bad it was and I was like, wow I thought, you know, I was going to have to, you know, blow gun a monkey out of a tree and learn how to, you know, skin it and cook it and find out which parts you could eat.

You know was I going to have to suck the spider venom out of my brother’s arm if he got bit before we could get him to a hospital. But there were medics there with prescription meds. You know my term – my two terms for Janice were undereducated and over-medicated and then after a while I came with a nickname which unfortunately I heard never made the air so I want to make sure I publicize it. She became to be known as C4.

And finally John said, “You know man, I know you’re calling Janice C4 but why do you refer to her as C4?” And when I gave him the answer everyone refers to her now as C4. I said, “Bro C4, a majority of plastic and certainly explosive.”

Was there a contingency plan if your wife did actually go into labor early? Were you going to get pulled out or what would have happened in that case?

DB: Well I made it very clear in production. I said listen I know we’re undercover. We can’t receive communications, blah, blah, blah. But I need my wife as a boundary to do this show to clearly have cell phone, direct line communication to powerful people on this production and set. LA Connection, NBC. So there were several members.

And let’s not even think for a second because I’m going to know from my wife when the call comes if I don’t have within ten minute access if God forbid something happened, you realize that I would have to be on a plane next flight out.

Not waiting for first class, blah, blah. And have to get home. You know if there was an early labor or some kind of medical emergency. And they said, “Obviously Daniel.” So that was pre-negotiated in my contract. And I got to tell you as torturous as I’ve heard Heidi and Spencer have tried to depict the situation on this show, I believe Jason Dinsmore is going to go down now and be one of the hottest producers in TV because this is going to in some ways unfortunately reshape the flow of television on- you know for the next five or ten years. I mean really this reality crossover, you know, into NBC and then MTV rerunning and I mean they are redesigning.

Now I want to go back and do, you know, Sopranos, Homicide Life on the Street, and continue to do some of the bigger and better movies or cool little movies like, you know, Trees Lounge and so on.

But, you know, this unfortunately, demographically America likes to see reality television. And I don’t think the trend is going away anytime soon.
And I think you’re going to see the celebrity kind of format and live NBC show on the other networks now. It’s coming.

So you were mentioning, you know, it wasn’t so bad out there. The conditions weren’t as bad as some of the other people made it seem. And you seemed like you were really at ease and just handling everything really well. Do you have like experience in like camping growing up or anything like that or are you just one with nature type thing?

DB: You know I hate to say it and sound obnoxious and I don’t mean to sound obnoxious. But I think I was in a lot of ways in preparatorial smartness, you know. I did the research, you know. I – indigenous, you know, plant life, weather conditions. I did my homework on all the participants. I watched every episode that was aired in eight seasons of the reality show that proceeded us that spawned this show.

You know so I was just really ready and I did research on things about outdoor life and survival and stuff. I really thought this was going to be a hard core. We’re going to give you a couple of knives, you know, and we’re going to set you free with rice and beans. That’s the show I was sold on.

Let me tell you something. This was nothing like what I thought. In some ways some of these people I believe, pardon me, ate better than they do at home. You know I mean I don’t think they depicted it. You know, the producers were held hostage a couple of times on the show. And I think they were frustrated because the British producers never dealt with American stars before.

And these people are really used to, you know, that kind of, you know, behavior where it only takes a couple of American stars on a movie to really screw it up for the rest of us.

When we show up and some big A list movie star says, “Yeah, by the way I want all my shoes pulled out of my closet. And I want them shined and outside my trailer tomorrow morning or I’m leaving.”

You know and because you know you have to do it or they will leave, you send some PA to the house and pick up 27 shoes, you know, and shine the blue (O’Magleys) and the guy walks out and says, “Okay, that’s good. By the way, my six cars too, thanks I’ll be back tomorrow.”

You know and you get that attitude of entitlement, you know, that a person like Janice represents. And unfortunately they need her. They need her demographic. They need Heidi and Spencer because they need the MTV crowd to come in and watch the show. And so they have to tolerate their behavior.

And what about past camping experience? I mean did you guys ever do camping just like as a family or maybe just the brothers or anything like that?

DB: No, not so much. You know we never had the money for that. My dad was a school teacher with six kids. I’m surprised he could ever even pay the bills him and my mom. God bless them both.

No, I am somebody that has that attitude that I don’t go into any game not ready to do all the work necessary before I get there in order to win.
And so I truly – besides John I did much more homework than anybody there and that’s when I was ready. And physically and psychologically I think I was stronger than a lot of people, maybe only Lou Diamond Phillips. I think that if it truly came down to a survivor show it probably would have ended up being me against Lou.

What are your thoughts on Sanjaya?

DB: You know I think that Sanjaya is the surprise. I won’t call him Dark Horse. I mean obviously in some ways he has an advantage because he’s been through this scenario of not us voting him off but he’s been through the American public scenario before in his, you know, attendance in Idol.

So with that said he knows that it’s out of his hands. He is what he is. If they didn’t make it as easy as they did poor Sanjaya, a good stiff breeze would blow that kid away. And there was a couple of times when the storms hit that I thought I was going to have to tie a string to him anyway.

But with that said he does have an advantage of having an in-house audience, you know. And certainly this type of show, again I’ve used this analogy.

The people that vote on this show are mostly people that could be shampooing their head with their right hand and not even looking with a cell phone out of the shower and texting blindly.

Now who is that? That’s not mom and dad. Those are kids. And those kids are going to take the time and spend a buck on their mom and dad paying the cell bill by the way, are going to vote for Sanjaya over Daniel Baldwin. I mean, you know, it’s like when I play in the Celebrity Golf Tour and a 9 year-old kid would walk up to me and go, “Excuse me Mr. Baldwin, can I have your autograph.”

Now I’m thinking to myself this kid doesn’t even know who I am with his mom smiling in the background at 40 plus years old who sent the kid over to have me sign a golf ball.

So it’s mom and dad who know who I am. I’m almost 50 years old. I’m not an idiot. But I was hoping that they might depict me the way I actually played it which was somebody who outworked everybody and was truly there with no agenda but with a personal relationship with my mother and trying to save women’s lives around the world.

Now I think that I might have got some of that message across. And I’m hoping that certainly the fallout of it is that I get to do things like I’m doing now, press, and get people to get hip from the fact that we’re not some of these other big, big breast cancer funds where God bless them I’m sure that their intention is good, but we don’t have a huge staff of people that are flying around the world and that, you know, are leasing cars and big offices.

We’re a mom and pop operation with nine oncologists on our Board that we receive information from people who are asking for a grant because they’re showing promise in finding a cure for breast cancer. And we release the money directly to the researcher in hopes to find a cure.

If I can turn around and save some 26 year-old mother of two, you know, who might find the strange lump and oh gosh that hurts and wait too long before she goes, or someone God forbid who doesn’t even have the symptoms yet and have her go in and get a mammogram done because that’s what I’m about, you know.

So I’m not somebody who is Eddie Murphy who when I show up they pay me $1 million just to show up. I’m somebody who’s Daniel Baldwin who’s a working actor and has a conscience. So that’s what I’m about.


I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here Currently Airs on NBC Monday-Thursday Night at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

I'm not embarrassed to say that my favorite television show of all-time is The O.C. I live by the motto "you can't fight fate!" More importantly, I watch WAY too much television, but I do so for the benefit of everyone reading this now. So to my mom and my wife, I say thanks for reading! To everyone else that might stumble across this, remember TiVo should be your best friend!