The acting career of Adam Baldwin -- no relation to the famous Baldwin brothers Alec, William, and Stephen -- has been filled with ups and downs as he aspires to the stardom that as yet, seems to elude him. Due to his muscular 6'4" frame, the handsome Baldwin is frequently cast as hulking bad guys and psychopathic killers. He has been involved with films since he appeared in My Bodyguard (1980), the story of a victimized teenager seeking the protection of the school bully (Baldwin) who is believed to have killed his brother. While he did a fine job as the taciturn, deeply traumatized young man who affects a violent facade to conceal his inner pain, it was his costar Matt Dillon who became famous. Baldwin then went on to play supporting roles in three lesser films before playing the lead in the 1986 bomb Bad Guys, where he dyed his naturally dark hair bright blond and played a young cop who becomes a wrestler after he is suspended from the force. One year later he appeared in his most memorable role as the psychopathic war-loving soldier Animal in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987). In 1992, Baldwin played a drunken, abusive stepfather in Radio Flyer.
He continued to work steadily in projects such as How to Make an American Quilt and Independence Day. He had the title role in the 1999 retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As the new century began he was part of the cast of the short-lived but much beloved sci-fi series Firefly as Jayne, a character he would return to in Serenity, the big-screen version of that show. He voiced Jonah Hex and Superman in various animated projects, and in 2007 landed the part of Major John Casey on the NBC series Chuck, about a geeky dude who becomes a super spy. He could be seen on big screens in the thriller InSight in 2011.
