MSNBC Cans Alec Baldwin, Will Hollywood Do the Same?

MSNBC has had enough of Alec Baldwin after less than two months’ worth of shows.

Will Hollywood follow its lead?

The liberal network brought Baldwin aboard for his celebrity cache as well as his knack for drawing headlines–for better and worse. It didn’t matter that he frequently explodes in public with hate-filled exchanges that should have warned network executives to stay far away from him

He was a progressive in good standing, and it was worth a gamble to see if he could draw a crowd.

Turns out Baldwin’s combustible personality extended to the work place, as reports painted his brief MSNBC tenure as full of diva-style moments.

The talented actor never seemed to suffer for his outbursts. He worked regularly on 30 Rock, collecting awards for his turn as the conservative Jack Donaghy. He appeared in two Woody Allen films (Blue Jasmine, To Rome with Love) as well as mainstream fare like Rock of Ages and Rise of the Guardians.

Meanwhile, some of his peers got punished for saying the very wrong thing, from director Brett Ratner (lost gig producing Oscars) to Isaiah Washington (career purgatory after using gay slur). Lest we forget the pop culture punishment meted out against Michael Richards for his sole ugly outburst.

Not Baldwin.

Will that change now that a bona fide liberal body deemed him unfit for the air? Hollywood teems with hungry, gifted actors scrambling for their next role, and at some point a director will consider Baldwin’s other body of work and decide he or she would rather go with another actor in the part.

If that happens, today’s firing will be a big reason why.