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16 Stars Who Started Out on Soaps

As One Life to Live airs its final episode on Jan. 13, take a look back at the celebs whose careers were launched on daytime TV (17 Photos)

Lisa Rosman on Sep 23, 2011 at 10:41AM

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Alec Baldwin

From the film It's Complicated to the hit television show 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin is known as quite a versatile actor. That talent had to start somewhere, and Baldwin kick started his career on soap operas. He first appeared on the NBC daytime soap opera The Doctors from 1980 to 1982, but his real break came from his two year stint on the CBS primetime soap Knot's Landing, from 1984 to 1985. Baldwin played Joshua Rush, the handsome televangelist half-brother of main character Valene. Tragically, Joshua became mentally ill and violent, leading him to try and force his wife (played by country singer Lisa Hartman) into committing a double suicide off a roof with him. His mother arrived at the scene just in time to yell at her son so forcefully that he fell off the roof alone. Joshua Rush's life may have ended badly, but Baldwin's career is still flourishing almost 30 years later!