Alec Baldwin on the difficult distancing of Rust after tragedy

Alec Baldwin on the difficult distancing of Rust after tragedy

The tragic incident on the set of the western film “Rust”, in which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died in 2021, has a profound impact on everyone involved, especially the leading actor Alec Baldwin. He describes the situation as the “most difficult thing” he has ever faced in his life. The film recently premiered at the Camerimage festival in Poland, but Baldwin has decided not to watch the final cut of the film for now. “Not at the moment,” he said in an interview with Variety magazine.

Hutchins was tragically struck during filming by a bullet from a revolver Baldwin was holding. Director Joel Souza was also injured in this incident. Baldwin was briefly in the crosshairs of the judiciary as a defendant in a manslaughter trial, but this was unexpectedly dropped in the summer. The gun master on set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, received an 18-month prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter.

Emotional distress and marital problems

The actor speaks openly about the emotional impact the incident had on his family. “Aside from the victims themselves, what hurts me most is what it did to my wife,” Baldwin said. His wife Hilaria, to whom he has been married since 2012, also carries a heavy burden and is “very, very traumatized.” Baldwin describes that although everything was going well in their marriage and they have seven children together, the incident ripped the rug out from under them. “It’s very scary and very disturbing,” he explains.

He and his wife are trying to distance themselves from the project because, due to the Hutchins tragedy, the film will always be associated with this painful incident for them. Baldwin confirms that they are doing everything they can to get the issue off their radar so they can focus more on their family: “Because the film doesn’t stand alone.” He feels drained and wants to devote himself to his role as a father instead.

A look back at the filming also shows that the initial joy on the set was abruptly ended by the tragic event. Baldwin remembers how happy everyone was before the incident and expresses the wish that he could undo the tragedy. However, he notes that despite the challenges, reshoots made the film better in many aspects.

Overall, Baldwin states that he wants to avoid anything related to "Rust" at the moment in order to be a better father to his family and children. The emotional pitfalls of the last few years have put a lot of strain on him and now he would rather concentrate on positive things in life.

The entire incident was not only a shocking event for the film industry, but also a profound human tragedy that has far-reaching consequences. Baldwin's decision to distance himself morally and emotionally from "Rust" illustrates the severe scars such incidents leave behind. You can find out more about this and the background to the filming in a detailed article www.n-tv.de read up.