Slick Billy

Vanities

Some of the best actors around will take a good role in a marginal film. But WILLIAM BALDWIN always looks for truly singular projects. He may have one in Sliver (Paramount), which he stars in with Sharon Stone, and describes as "a genre psychological thriller—high-suspense, technical. But certainly it's a very original story." Offscreen, Baldwin is on the board of the Creative Coalition, a group dedicated to studying social and political issues. Membership should be required for cause-conscious celebrities, making them safe for Oscar appearances, benefits, and open mikes everywhere. ''Don't wave your flag," Baldwin figures, ''unless you know what you're talking about."

GEORGE KALOGERAKIS