Here’s a list of great characters, directors, and actors associated with Oregon-made movies (abridged): R.P. McMurphy, John Belushi, Sloth, the Ninja Turtles, Miranda July, Gus Van Sant, Benicio Del Toro, Edward Cullen. Guess what? It’s time for a new entry to that list, and holy cow if it isn’t a Baldwin. Yes, Portland, we’re getting a Baldwin. No, not Alec. Nope, not the one from Bio-Dome either. It’s Daniel Baldwin—formerly Detective Beau Felton on Homicide: Life on the Street; co-star of John Carpenter’s Vampires; the big cheese in the Christopher Moltisanti classic, Cleaver; not to mention a celeb well acquainted with the law-enforcement community, if we’re to believe the scandal sheets.

Weary of Los Angeles lunacy, Baldwin claims to be relocating to Portland soon, bringing a fledgling film and television production company with him. Curious, we rang up the second-eldest Baldwin and asked him about his move up I-5 to our fair metropolis. “Oregon was my choice because it had things that I found necessary in my life,” Baldwin says. “It’s by an ocean, it’s in the States [Baldwin has lived in British Columbia], it has everything Seattle has but still has that feel that you can know your neighbors’ names. I don’t want to raise my kids [in LA].”

For Baldwin, there’s more to Portland than the ease of a two-hour trek to Seaside. He appreciates that it’s a relatively untapped area, cinematically speaking—ready for commercial film projects but not overrun with them like Seattle or Vancouver, BC. Not only that, he plans on making a commitment to the state. “We don’t want to bring anyone from out of state [to work on the productions], with the exception of some name talent to act,” Baldwin says.

Like a lot of us, Baldwin is looking for a financial leg up. He’s been calling potential backers and production companies in the area for the past few months. “I’ll need someone to step up with $5 to $10 million to get this thing going with me,” he says. “It’s a great opportunity for everyone involved.” We’d love to help him, but we’re tapped at the moment.

Baldwin says he will start his move to the Rose City after his wife gives birth in a couple of weeks, and he plans on getting an office and starting preliminary production on a film by September or October. He’s cautiously optimistic about the enterprise: “We could see something really special happen here and make a mark in the state of Oregon and the city of Portland.” —Robert Runyon