Alec Baldwin to Give First In-Studio Interview After ‘Rust’ Shooting With ABC’s George Stephanopoulos
Actor Alec Baldwin has given his first in-studio interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos following the tragedy that occurred on the set of his movie “Rust” in October.
The actor sat down on Tuesday with Stephanopoulos, who described the one-hour-20-minute discussion as “raw” and “intense.”
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“I’ve done thousands of interviews in the last twenty years at ABC,” Stephanopoulos said during this morning’s “GMA.” “This was the most intense I’ve ever experienced.”
Stephanopoulos continued: “As you can imagine he’s devastated, but he was also very candid. He was very forthcoming. He answered every question, he talked about Halyna Hutchins, talked about meeting with her family as well. [He] went through in detail what happened on the set that day, and I have to tell you, I was surprised in many places over the course of that hour and 20 minutes we sat down yesterday.”
In a preview clip of the interview, a teary-eyed Baldwin recounts the events of the tragic day, saying, “I mean, even now, I find it hard to believe that. It just doesn’t seem real to me.”
He also claims that he did not pull the trigger on the gun, telling Stephanopoulos: “Well, the trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger.” Stephanopoulos confirms, “So you never pulled the trigger?” to which Baldwin replies, “No, no, no. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never.”
Stephanopoulos also asks Baldwin how a live bullet made its way onto the set, the very question at the center of the investigation into the shooting. “I have no idea,” Baldwin says. “Someone put a live bullet into a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
Stephanopoulos continues: “You say you’re not a victim, but is the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?”
“Yes. Yep… yep,” Baldwin says. “Because I think back, and I think of what could I have done?”
Asked by @GStephanopoulos how a real bullet got on the "Rust" set, Alec Baldwin says: “I have no idea. Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
Watch TOMORROW 8pm ET on ABC and stream later on @hulu. https://t.co/fJQly1za1T pic.twitter.com/OnpDuYERiC
— ABC News (@ABC) December 1, 2021
The interview will air Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT on ABC and will be available later on Hulu.
This will be the first time Baldwin has spoken out about the incident on camera, barring a brief interview he gave to TMZ in a bid to stop the paparazzi from following him and his family in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Hutchins was shot and killed as Baldwin rehearsed with what he believed to be an empty gun on the set of “Rust” in New Mexico in October. He was handed the weapon by assistant director Dave Halls, who had been given the gun by Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the 24-year-old armorer on the film. Halls reportedly called “cold gun” as he handed it over.
As Baldwin then practiced drawing and firing the weapon, a bullet discharged, injuring director Joel Souza and killing Hutchins.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting to determine how and why live bullets came to be in the gun.
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