Fatal shot on the set
Interview with Alec Baldwin: “Somebody is responsible for the incident – I know it’s not me”
Alec Baldwin spoke on US TV about the fatal incident on the set of “Rust”
© Gonzalez / CITYPRESS24 // Picture Alliance
Six weeks after the death of a camerawoman on a film set in New Mexico, Hollywood star Alec Baldwin speaks out in an emotional TV interview. He denies pulling the trigger on the revolver.
Helene Laube
Alec Baldwin has asserted in a television interview that he was not to blame for the death of a camerawoman while filming in the US state of New Mexico. Someone loaded a live cartridge into the gun that fired a shot and killed Halyna Hutchins, the Hollywood star said. “Someone loaded a sharp bullet into a firearm, a bullet that should not have been on the premises,” said Baldwin in the interview broadcast on Thursday evening (local time). “Someone is responsible for what happened and I can’t tell who it is, but I know it’s not me.”
The 63-year-old actor spoke in the emotional interview with the US television station ABC for the first time in detail about the tragic incident on October 21 on the set of the western “Rust”. While filming at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, he was practicing pulling the prop gun during a rehearsal for a scene when it suddenly fired a shot. Baldwin had been told the antique Colt revolver did not contain live ammunition. Cinematographer Hutchins (42) was fatally injured, director Joel Souza (48) was hit in the shoulder.
Investigators are still examining the course of the accident. They are trying to clarify how it was possible that a live cartridge got into the weapon and why the responsible crew members overlooked the cartridge during the inspection. The FBI is investigating why the revolver fired the shot.
Alec Baldwin fights back tears
Although he doesn’t feel responsible for Hutchins’ death, the incident is the worst thing that has ever happened to him, Baldwin said. The “Rust” actor and producer fought back tears several times when he spoke about Hutchins during the interview. All colleagues would have liked and admired her very much, said Baldwin, adding that her death did not seem real to him. He did not know what to say to Hutchins husband Matthew Hutchins when they first met after the incident: “It went through my head that his little boy has no mother and that we cannot bring her back.”
He didn’t think the incident was sabotage, Baldwin said. It is “overwhelmingly likely” that it was an accident. “Rust” weapon master Hannah Gutierrez-Reed had made the sabotage charge, but Baldwin could see no reasons for such a scenario. That was a “tremendous charge,” he told ABC News presenter George Stephanopoulos. “Why would someone do this? To attack whom? To discredit whom? To harm me? The production? What would the motive be?” Baldwin said.
Baldwin said he did not pull the trigger on the movie gun: “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger.” After cocking the gun, he let go of the hammer and a shot went off, Baldwin said. “I never pulled the trigger,” he affirmed.
This statement, which Baldwin made in an interview excerpt released by ABC on Wednesday, was confirmed by “Rust” – assistant director David Halls. Halls’ attorney Lisa Torraco told ABC Thursday that Halls had been telling her this since the accident. According to Halls, Baldwin’s fingers were outside the trigger guard the whole time, parallel to the barrel.
It was Halls who handed Baldwin the film gun with the words “cold gun” – film jargon for a weapon that was unloaded or loaded with snap caps. “What happened there, and why he made this statement and what the actual circumstances were – I have no idea,” Baldwin said in an interview. Halls told investigators that he didn’t check all of the cartridges in the revolver before handing them to Baldwin.
Baldwin is not expecting any charges against him
Baldwin said he did not expect criminal charges to be brought against him. People familiar with the incident and officials told him that a charge was highly unlikely. However, he assumes that Hutchins’ husband will file a civil suit. “Personally, I think he’s entitled to something,” said Baldwin.
Two crew members have already filed civil suits against Baldwin and the other “Rust” producers. You accuse them of negligence.
According to Baldwin, he chose to interview ABC because there were a number of misconceptions he wanted to address. He doesn’t think he can wait until the police investigations are over in February or March.
