Alec Baldwin to host MSNBC weekly talk show

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Alec Baldwin is joining MSNBC as the host of a weekly "current events and culture" talk show.

Alec Baldwin, the actor who manages to embrace much of the media while despising other parts of it, has signed up for a 10 p.m. weekly "current events and culture" talk show on MSNBC.

"Up Late w/Alec Baldwin" will begin in late October, said MSNBC President Phil Griffin.

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Baldwin, whose name has been floated for late-night TV talk shows on several occasions, said his podcast over the last two years for radio station WNYC had whetted his appetite to do this show.

"After two seasons of my WNYC podcast, I've developed a fondness for hosting a show that involved talking with smart, talented and engaging people in every imaginable field," Baldwin said in a statement. "I'm grateful to MSNBC for helping me bring a similar show to television."

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"I've been talking with Alec for a while and can't wait to bring his personality and eclectic interests to MSNBC," said Griffin. "He's got such passion for ideas and what's going on in the world."

Baldwin has carved a role as an activist in addition to an acting career where he has won two Emmys and numerous other awards.

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He was most recently known for his role on "30 Rock," though many viewers knew him almost as well for his self-referential Capitol One "What's in Your Wallet?" commercials.

He has also been a regular face in tabloids for his temperamental outbursts, some directed at paparazzi and reporters.