Page 3 Profile: Alec Baldwin, actor

Alec Baldwin, actor (Rex Features)

Still letting his temper get the better of him?

Baldwin is a great actor, but he’s not renowned for his ability to keep a cool head. His latest punchbag was a showbiz journalist at Mail Online, whom he described as a “toxic little queen”. “I’m gonna find you, George Stark,” he wrote on Twitter, “and I’m gonna f*** you up.”

What could provoke such rage?

Stark’s venom was directed at Hilaria Thomas, the 30 Rock star’s pregnant wife. The website alleged she was tweeting during the funeral service of Sopranos star James Gandolfini in New York on Thursday. The offending tweets included a plug for her segment on a US cooking show and a helpful message to a magazine which told them how to contact her publicist.

Probably best to switch phones off while paying respects, though?

Naturally. But the couple’s supporters point out that Stark was in Los Angeles and had simply not taken into account the three-hour time difference with NYC. But Baldwin, 55, was not up for compromise. “My wife did not use her phone, in any capacity, at our friend’s funeral,” he said. “How much of this s*** are people supposed to take?”

How did Hilaria respond?

“I hope this reporter knows how much pain and drama he has caused ... lying and bullying are shameful,” she tweeted. “My husband fights for me fiercely. It hurts to be misunderstood and it hurts to see your loved one in pain – even more so when she is pregnant.”

So, what can we learn here?

Is it not time journalists stopped spreading the poison which is now de rigueur where celebrities are concerned? It’s by no means Baldwin’s first outburst but he has now deleted his Twitter account.