Alec Baldwin, a well known American actor as well as comedian, writer, film producer and political activist, known for his roles in 30 Rock, Beetlejuice and many other shows, has become tangled up in a mess of interviews and investigations after an incident on the set of Rust, a movie that he was producing and starring in. He worked alongside director Joel Souza and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who both ended up being victims of this unexpected incident.
On the 21st of October 2021, in Bonanza Creek Ranch, New Mexico, Alec Baldwin was filming a scene involving a prop gun. Unfortunately, a real bullet was loaded into the gun, resulting in real shots being fired by Alec Baldwin. Halyna Hutchins was killed and Joel Souza was seriously injured. When asked about the bullet, Baldwin has said, "I don't know what happened on that set. I don't know how that bullet arrived in that gun. I don't know." It was confirmed that a specialist by the name of Hannah Gutierrez came in and checked the gun. She said that there was no live ammunition inside. The assistant director David Halls was the last person to touch the gun before Baldwin. He confirmed it was “cold” before handing it to Baldwin. Halls’ attorney Lisa Torraco, said that checking the gun was "not the assistant director's job. If he chooses to check the firearm because he wants to make sure that everyone's safe, he can do that, but that's not his responsibility."
Halyna Hutchins was a beloved wife to her husband Matthew Hutchins, and mother to their son Andros. Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Hutchins met shortly after Mrs. Hutchins’ death. Baldwin stated, "[Matthew] hugged [me] and he goes 'I suppose you and I are going to go through this together' ... and I thought, '[w]ell, not as much as you are.'" It seems that Baldwin feels immensely emotionally scarred by the accident and that it haunts his dreams. "I go through my day, and I make it through the day. Then I collapse at the end of the day. Emotionally, I collapse." He admits that his career could be over and that he has accepted the unfortunate ending.
Alec Baldwin took part in the show Saturday Night Live, in which he performed his famous impressions of Donald Trump and hosted the show 17 times - the most times anyone has ever hosted SNL. His great jokes and cheerful demeanor brought a great light to the stage. No one could have expected him to face such a serious situation that would fill him with immense grief and trauma. Many people even said that he looked like he had aged 30 years after the accident. He also received quite a lot of backlash. Internet opinions split in half, some arguing whether it really was an accident, whether Baldwin is truly sincere, and whether or not he should be punished while others are supporting him throughout this situation.
A search warrant has been issued for Baldwin's phone by a Santa Fe Court in New Mexico. While being interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on ABC television, he broke down and began sobbing: "[w]ell the trigger wasn't pulled, I did not pull the trigger [...] no, no, no, no, no, I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them, never." It is still unclear about what exactly will happen to his career.