Alec Baldwin Gave Up Law Studies for Acting

Alec Baldwin had a back-up career planned if he didn't find success acting - he wanted to be a lawyer.

The 30 Rock star, who will host the Academy Awards on Sunday night, spoke to a room of aspiring attorneys at New York's Fordham Law School on Wednesday night.

Revealing his doubts about the profession, he explained: "I didn't know if I wanted to join a field that was becoming as crowded and choked as law was."

But Baldwin, whose three younger brothers, Daniel, Billy and Stephen, all followed him into acting, admits being a lawyer could have helped his troubled Hollywood family.

He adds, "I'd probably be representing them (my brothers) right now. But I do think they saw me acting and thought, 'If he can do it, we can do it.' More accurately, maybe it would be, 'if s**thead can do it, we can do it.'"