Alec Baldwin Puts Upcoming Film Projects On Hold As He Processes Pulling Trigger On Prop Gun That Killed Halyna Hutchins
Oct. 25 2021, Published 12:14 p.m. ET
Alec Baldwin decided he is too emotional to continue working at the moment and will be taking some time off of work following the tragic on-set shooting that killed his crew member Halyna Hutchins.
Over the weekend, sources close to the 63-year-old actor spoke out about where his head is at as police work to determine who is responsible.
A friend close to Baldwin revealed he is "absolutely devastated" and doing everything in his power to help Halyna's family. "He was hysterical and absolutely inconsolable for hours. Everyone knows this was an accident," a source spilled to People.
Another source told the outlet Baldwin is "canceling other projects to take some time to himself and re-center himself."
"This was pretty devastating. This is how he handles difficult times. Whenever something bad happens, in the short term, he removes himself from the public eye. He needs to take a while to himself, to be with his family," they added.
Baldwin has three projects in pre-production on his IMDB profile. He is set to cop thriller Blue Before Blood with director Wayne Kramer, star in a separate action film with Frank Grillo, and appear with Kelsey Grammer for an untitled television show.
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The actor has been dealing with the fallout from the shooting on the set of the western Rust on Thursday. The project was being filmed at an iconic ranch in Sante Fe, New Mexico.
Hours before the incident, most of the crew had walked off the set due to poor working conditions. They had raised concerns about safety procedures and were furious over not being paid and hotel accommodations.
The producers then decided to replace the union crew members with nonunion employees. On Thursday, Baldwin was practicing a “cross draw” which had him pointing the prop gun directly at the camera. It was at this point when the gun fired a “live round” that struck the director Joel Souza and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Hutchins was airlifted to a nearby hospital where she died from her injuries. Souza was released from the hospital and is still recovering.
Prior to the shooting, the crew members claim the pop gun had misfired twice.
"There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother, and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family," Baldwin said in his first statement after the incident.
No criminal charges have been brought but the situation is still being investigated.