30 Rock: 10 Projects The Cast Worked On Together Outside The Show

Most series finales strive to give viewers the feeling that the cast will miss one another. 30 Rock was a show where the audience didn’t just feel that feeling, they knew it to be the case. Tina Fey and her co-stars have proven that over and over as they continue to work together in projects that had nothing to do with Liz Lemon or The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan.

Some projects came before the series ever premiered, while at least one major project came after. Regardless, the group almost always shines when they share the screen.

10 Alec Baldwin & Matt Damon – The Departed (2006)

Jack Donaghy and Carol Burnett (the pilot, not the legendary comedienne) co-starred in an Oscar-winning film before they got involved in the life of Liz Lemon. Along with many other famous stars, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed featured both Alec Baldwin as well as Matt Damon. While Baldwin had a major role in 30 Rock, he played only a supporting role in Scorsese’s superb crime epic. Damon, who made four guest appearances on the series, is outstanding in one of The Departed‘s major performances.

The plot follows South Boston cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he goes undercover to get in close with crime boss Frank Costello. On the other side of the coin is Colin Sullivan (Damon), who is infiltrating the police department on behalf of Costello himself. Baldwin’s Captain Ellerby works with Sullivan.

9 Tina Fey & Will Forte – Baby Mama (2008)

Baby Mama was the first theatrical effort to feature both Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in lead roles. Their chemistry sells the whole thing, resulting in a movie that their fans will find easily rewatchable if they’re already on the wavelength of 30 Rock‘s best running gags.

The plot follows Kate (Fey), a work-addicted woman who decides that the time has never been better to have a baby. She outsources the duty to Angie (Poehler), an irresponsible woman who ends up being a headache, a compulsive liar, and, perhaps, a new friend. 30 Rock recurring guest star Will Forte (Jenna Maroney’s boyfriend, Paul, who later takes both her first and last name) portrayed Kate’s ex-boyfriend.

8 Tracy Morgan & James Marsden – Death At A Funeral (2010)

Before Liz and Criss Cross’ sometimes nonsensical relationship, Marsden costarred alongside Tracy Jordan himself. The Americanized remake of Death at a Funeral went a step further and featured an appearance by Peter Dinklage, who appeared on one episode as a love interest for Liz Lemon: Stewart LaGrange.

The film follows an ensemble cast as they prepare to bury a beloved family member. The crux of the narrative is focused on Aaron (Chris Rock), the son of the recently deceased. He has to put out fires all over, thanks to his bickering family (including Tracy Morgan), in order to ensure his father’s funeral goes off without a hitch. Marsden portrays the boyfriend to Zoe Saldana’s character, who has to tend to him after he is accidentally drugged.

7 Alec Baldwin, Will Forte, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Cranston & Paul Giamatti – Rock Of Ages (2012)

The Rock of Ages theatrical adaptation did not face the same well-regarded fate. It went mostly unseen and was one of the many box office bombs of 2012’s Summer movie season. It’s developing a cult following, though, and even features a slew of 30 Rock stars. Alec Baldwin has a major role in both projects, going from Jack Donaghy to a low-rent club owner. 30 Rock guest stars Bryan Cranston and Paul Giamatti play important supporting roles as Mayor Mike Whitmore and talent agent Lonny Barnett, respectively. Mary J. Blige even took some time off from hunting the Loch Ness Monster to turn in an appearance as a local club owner.

The plot follows a talented young woman hoping to make it to stardom. It may not be all she hopes for, and she may very well lose her new love in the process of attaining it.

6 Tina Fey & Michael Sheen – Admission (2013)

This low-key drama, featuring lead performances by Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, didn’t make much of an impression on audiences. The proceedings are milquetoast and the film exited theatres just as quickly as it exited memories. In a Sunday-afternoon-movie way, it works well enough and even features a supporting performance from Michael Sheen (who portrayed Wesley Snipes on 30 Rock).

The plot follows Princeton University admissions officer Portia Nathan (Fey). After visiting an unorthodox school at the request of its head, Ms. Nathan meets a candidate she never thought she’d consider. Michael Sheen portrays Portia’s disloyal boyfriend, Mark.

5 Alec Baldwin & Julianne Moore – Still Alice (2014)

Jack and Nancy’s relationship on 30 Rock was stressed, but it wasn’t much compared to the struggle endured by the titular character of Still Alice. This Oscar-nominated film is far from the breeziness present in the bizarre workplace comedy, though, as Still Alice is an intense and poignant look at Alzheimer’s disease.

The plot follows linguistics professor Alice Howland (one of Julianne Moore’s best) as she is diagnosed with familial Alzheimer’s disease at a relatively young age. Alec Baldwin turns in a sensitive performance as her husband, John.

4 Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Chris Parnell – Sisters (2015)

2015’s Sisters was Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s third major cinematic collaboration after Mean Girls and (their first co-lead film) Baby Mama. While audiences as a whole see it as inferior to those two, it still features a batch of 30 Rock mainstays.

The plot follows Kate (Fey) and Maura (Poehler), two sisters dead set on throwing an epic party at their childhood home before their parents sell it. There, perhaps the irresponsible Kate and the uptight Maura can develop as people and siblings. Chris Parnell (30 Rock‘s Dr. Spaceman) and Rachel Dratch (various guest appearances as different characters across 30 Rock‘s run) appear as old classmates of Kate and Maura.

3 Alec Baldwin & Salma Hayek – Drunk Parents (2019)

The actors who portrayed Jack Donaghy and Elisa (The Black Widow) were reunited as Drunk Parents in this 2019 film. The results couldn’t have been any more different, as the film holds a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Drunk Parents follows Frank and Nancy Teagarten, a white-collar couple facing financial difficulties. The narrative follows them as they try to hide this from their child and friends.

2 Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, Jon Hamm – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2019)

The closest thing 30 Rock will ever get to a sequel series came in the form of Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Tina Fey made seven guest appearances throughout the series’ first three seasons. Jane Krakowski (30 Rock‘s Jenna Maroney) took on the different (but still prominent) role of socialite Jacqueline Voorhees. However, Jon Hamm had the most interesting new role. He went from being one of Liz Lemon’s boyfriends to a doomsday cult leader impeccably named Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne.

The plot follows perpetual-optimist Kimmy Schmidt after she escapes the clutches of Reverend Wayne. She must adapt to life in the big city after having been cooped up in a bunker for 15 years.

1 Alec Baldwin & Tina Fey – Saturday Night Live (Various)

Alec Baldwin has gone on to become one of Saturday Night Live‘s most frequent guests. On top of hosting duties, he’s gone on to embody various political figures during cameo appearances. This extends back even to Tina Fey’s tenure on the iconic sketch comedy show.

Jack and Liz have one of sitcom history’s most interesting dynamics. It spits in the face of will-they-won’t-they convention while constantly strengthening their relationship. Fey and Baldwin’s chemistry is mostly to thank, and it’s easy for the viewer to imagine SNL having something to do with that.

About The Author

Ben Hathaway
(302 Articles Published)

Ben Hathaway is a Senior Writer (Lists) for Screen Rant. A former Therapeutic Day Treatment counselor, Ben is now a career writer. When not working, he is writing and self-publishing (on Amazon) novels under the name Scott Gray. In his spare time, he’s reading on the porch or watching every film under the sun. Ben can be contacted at [email protected].

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