Can we Take Alec Baldwin Seriously as George Tenet in Hulu’s “The Looming Tower?”

Once upon a time a very studly, a very rugged, and a very jet black haired Alec Baldwin played none other than Jack Ryan in the classic novel turned into film The Hunt For Red October.   Starring alongside Sean Connery and Scott Glenn, Baldwin was fantastic in this movie.  I bring it up because despite me not believing it, Baldwin was a sex symbol and even serious actor at one point in his career.  It’s just so hard seeing that now that he’s been in a comedic role in one way or another for the past decade plus.   I mean even when he’s in a serious movie the guy is still funny.   Think about him in The Departed.  His whole role was a joke and it as on purpose.  So when I found out that Baldwin would be playing ex CIA Director George Tenet in Hulu’s The Looming Tower I didn’t know what to think.

According to Deadline he’ll portray CIA director George Tenet in the 10-episode straight-to-series adaptation of Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer-winning 9/11 exposé from executive producers Dan Futterman, Alex Gibney and Legendary Television.

The series officially began production today in New York. Jeff Daniels, Tahar Rahim and Peter Sarsgaard topline the drama, which co-stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Bill Camp, Virginia Kull, Louis Cancelmi, Ella Rae Peck, Sullivan Jones and Wrenn Schmidt.

In the book, Tenet is Richard Clarke’s (Stuhlbarg) partner in fighting al-Qaeda, though he may know more than he is letting on. Wright’s book traces the rising threat of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, and takes a controversial look at how the rivalry between the CIA and FBI may have inadvertently set the stage for the tragedy of 9/11 and the war in Iraq.

I can only assume that this movie isn’t going to be nor is supposed to be funny but I just don’t think I’ll be able to look at Baldwin and not laugh.  I mean what if at some point he breaks out his Trump impression or starts talking in a foul mouthed Boston accent?  If he’s not actually doing it I’ll be picturing it thus me coming to the conclusion that I simply cannot take this seriously.

Photo via REX/Shutterstock