Alec Baldwin has expressed his admiration for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s ability to “handle difficult circumstances in the press”.
The actor, who hosted the Robert F Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award ceremony in New York City on Tuesday night (6 December), added that there are “always going to be certain difficulties” that come with being in the public eye.
The royal couple accepted the Ripple of Hope Award, an accolade that honours exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment.
Harry and Meghan were recognised for their racial justice and mental health work, with the organisation’s president Kerry Kennedy describing the pair as being “incredibly brave” for addressing the issues.
Baldwin told reporters on the blue carpet before the event that the duke and duchess’ presence at the event “kind of shocked” him.
The Pixie star said: “They’ve obviously chosen a different path and good for them. Sometimes I think I want to choose a different path so we’ll see, maybe I can be their driver.
“They’re newly arrived in the states. They haven’t been here that long. I think it’s great they have agreed to support this cause which we’ve supported for years.”
During the awards ceremony, Harry and Meghan announced a new collaboration between their Archewell Foundation and the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) organisation.
The partnership, which is manifested in the Archewell Foundation Award for Gender Equity in Student Film, aims to “inspire a new generation of leadership in the arts”, the couple said in a statement.
“The values of RFK Foundation and The Archewell Foundation are aligned in our shared belief of courage over fear, and love over hate,” they continued.
“Together we know that a ripple of hope can turn into a wave of change.”
The Sussexes’ appearance at the prestigious awards in NYC comes just hours before their tell-all Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, is due to begin streaming on Thursday (8 December).
The full trailer for the six-part series, which promises to tell the “other side” of the couple’s story, was released on Monday (5 December) and showed Harry speaking of a “dirty game” within the royal family.
It is expected to rock the royal family with further bombshell revelations and widen the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the monarchy.
