First Emmy win can change career trajectory

Paul Giamatti. Eileen Atkins. Tom Wilkinson. Alec Baldwin. Bryan Cranston. Zeljko Ivanek. A list of veteran actors who have graced stages and screens around the world for decades, winning countless accolades in the process. Giamatti, the youngest at 41, has been at it for almost 20 years; Atkins is celebrating 50 years in the business. Beyond their talent and work ethic, they all share another rewarding milestone: Last year marked a first Emmy win for each of them.

Giamatti won for lead actor in a movie/miniseries as John Adams and Wilkinson won for supporting actor as Benjamin Franklin, in HBO's "John Adams." Atkins' supporting turn as Miss Deborah Jenkyns in the "Masterpiece Classics" miniseries "Cranford" was honored.

Baldwin, Cranston and Ivanek won for series work, two on cable programs and one on a network. The three took some time recently -- here and on the following page -- to consider how winning has changed their careers, in ways both subtle and overt.

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ALEC BALDWIN LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES, "30 ROCK"

Alec Baldwin has been nominated for six Emmys over his 29-year career, winning for the first time last year. He also acquired two Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild awards and the TV Critics Assn. award for his portrayal of Jack Donaghy, a conservative broadcast company exec with a heart of some kind of gold-related substance.

Calling in from the set of the latest untitled Nancy Meyers film, in which he stars with Meryl Streep and Steve Martin, he says of the win, "I think of it more cumulatively, how great it is for the show."

And not just his own show. "When Bryan won, I was beside myself, because I love 'Breaking Bad,' " Baldwin, 51, says. He's also a longtime friend and fan of Ivanek. (The two first performed together in the play "Loot," Baldwin's Broadway debut, in 1986.) "In my case, and I'm sure the other guys feel the same way, you want this run to go on."

He adds that his NBC program didn't get much in the way of promotion initially. "We never thought we would last after the first season; we thought we were dead," he recalls. "The ratings weren't awful, but they were one micron away from awful." All the awards have served as promotion for the show, he says.

And validation. After finishing its third season, Baldwin hopes the show's winning streak will continue. "I've never had a bad day at work, ever. It's the best job I've ever had," he declares. "Winning all these prizes, we go to work and we know now that it's working and that people like the show." He pauses. "Discerning people."