Emilio Estevez on His ‘Bromance’ With Alec Baldwin and Being ‘Scared of Him at First’

Emilio Estevez and Alec Baldwin are among Hollywood’s growing list of bromances. They’re in good company, joining the ranks of bromances including those of Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth as well as Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon among others.

Ahead, learn why Estevez had been “pretty scared” of Baldwin when the two first met in the 1980s as young actors, plus how now, according to Estevez, they text “all the time.” 

Baldwin and Estevez are both from acting families

Acting is a family business for both actors. Estevez, who now splits his time between Calif. and Cincinnati, Ohio, grew up watching his father, Martin Sheen, act.

Then came he and his brother, Charlie Sheen, who have both made careers as actors. As for Baldwin, he’s the oldest of four siblings who are all actors. He and his younger brothers Daniel, William, and Stephen, have pursued careers in acting.

They’ve known each other ‘casually’ for years

A movie written, directed, and directed by Estevez brought him and Baldwin together. The Public, which debuted in Jan. 2018, is about a librarian (Estevez) who inadvertently finds himself forced to choose sides when homeless patrons in the library refuse to leave on an especially cold night. Baldwin plays a detective set on getting the patrons to exit the library. 

During an interview about The Public, Baldwin explained how he came to work with Estevez on the project and that he didn’t hesitate before saying yes.

“I’ve known him casually, run into him here and there, loved his dad [Martin Sheen] forever and when that opportunity comes with someone like him if you’re free, you go,” Baldwin told The Hollywood Reporter in April 2019.

See Baldwin and Estevez in The Public along with Gabrielle Union, Michael K. Williams, Jena Malone, Taylor Schilling, and Christian Slater, on Amazon Prime for $4.99.

Why Emilio Estevez once felt ‘pretty scared’ of Alec Baldwin 

Estevez admitted in a Jan. 2020 interview with The Guardian he hadn’t seen Baldwin in decades before working with him on The Public. The 57-year-old also recalled what he thought of Baldwin when they first crossed paths back in the 1980s when the two were trying to make names for themselves in Hollywood. 

“I hadn’t seen Alec in 30 years, and I was pretty scared of him at first,” Estevez said. “Back in the day, when he first came on the scene we thought we were done.”

He continued, saying, “I was part of this group of scrappers – me, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn – and when Alec Baldwin came in the room the whole industry was like, ‘OK, this guy’s a great actor, and he’s gorgeous!’ So we had this absolute jealousy of Alec Baldwin.” 

Years later the two are in different places in their lives as established actors. And they talk regularly.  

“But now here we are today working together, texting all the time and having a bromance,” Estevez added. 

Here’s hoping we see Estevez and Baldwin work together again soon.