Alec Baldwin says that after the infamous voicemail to his daughter was leaked- the one where he called her a “rude, thoughtless pig,”- the actor was close to ending it all. He discusses the incident in his new autobiography.

ALEC BALDWIN contemplated suicide after an angry phone message to his daughter became public.

In a new autobiography he tells of his spiral into depression after the media revealed he had called 11-year-old Ireland a “thoughtless little pig” in a heated voicemail, left when she didn’t answer a pre-arranged call.

And the actor, who shared custody with ex-wife KIM BASINGER at the time, became suicidal when the Los Angeles County Superior Court commissioner suspended his visitation rights.

An insider who has read Baldwin’s soon-to-be published book, A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce, said: “He writes about how he was serious about suicide. He definitely put a lot of thought into the different ways he could accomplish it.”

Instead the actor decided to seek treatment.

“Alec writes in the book that a doctor told him he’d be no good to anyone – especially Ireland – if he destroyed himself,” added the source.

Baldwin’s book hits shelves at the end of the month.

[From The Sun]

Meanwhile, Alec is also complaining that his hit show, “30 Rock,” doesn’t get the attention or ratings it deserves and is treated by NBC executives as a “redheaded stepchild.” This caused Greg Garcia, creator and head writer for another hit NBC show, “My Name is Earl,” to fire back at Baldwin in a heated statement.

One man with little sympathy for Alec is Greg Garcia, creator of much-superior show ‘My Name Is Earl’ who has highlighted his divine writing skills by penning one of the better put downs to Baldwin since ‘Team America’.

“Maybe the reason enough people aren’t watching 30 Rock to make Mr. Baldwin happy is because Alec Baldwin is so unlikable as a person. 30 Rock is a really funny show. And Alec Baldwin is funny as long as someone else is writing his words. When left to his own devices, he sounds like a psychotic narcissist who whines about being rich.”

Ouch! To be fair, Alec has been quite uninspiring in some movies as well (‘The Shadow’ anyone?). Greg (who is fast becoming a personal favourite) wasn’t done yet though…

“Instead of blaming NBC, I think Alec should consider that some people in America may not want to watch a man who cusses out his own 11 year old daughter on a phone message, calling her a “rude thoughtless little pig.” It’s a shame that the people who produce such a funny show have to put up with such a distasteful man on a daily basis.”

Let’s see if Alec can come up with an equally scathing reply by himself or if he needs a team of writers to do it for him.

[From Holy Moly]

Oh, it’s ON. I doubt Alec will be able to stay silent on this. I do find it interesting that Alec only felt bad about verbally abusing his child after the tape leaked to the media. However, I have no idea what he’s had to deal with in ex-wife Kim Basinger- she’s always seemed a little unstable to me. Still, he does have a reputation for having a bad temper and a huge ego – which makes him so perfect for the character he plays on “30 Rock.” As for his claims about how the show is treated, I really can’t agree. NBC has been promoting the hell out of the show, especially after its numerous Emmy wins last year. And the show has made its creator, Tina Fey, a superstar. Maybe Alec’s just jealous because she’s getting all the attention.

Alec Baldwin is shown on he set of 30 Rock on 8/27/08. Credit: FPZ/Fame Pictures