Alec Baldwin has admitted it feels “strange” going back to work after the fatal Rust shooting.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of the film in New Mexico back in October, after a prop gun Alec was holding went off during a rehearsal.
The actor took to Instagram on Monday to reflect on the tragedy, as he prepares to film air disaster thriller ’97 Minutes’ in England.
The 63-year-old said: “It’s strange to go back to work. I haven’t worked since October 21 of last year when this horrible thing happened on the set of this film.”
“We had the accident and the death of our cinematographer Halyna Hutchins – I even still find that hard to say.”
“But I went back to work today for the first time in three and a half months… it was interesting… I miss my kids.”
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97 Minutes is directed by Timo Vuorensola, and follows a hijacked aircraft set to fall from the sky in 97 minutes when its fuel runs out.
Alec’s new film comes after he broke down in tears as he spoke about Halyna’s death for the first time during an ABC News Special in December.
During the televised interview, Alec insisted he “didn’t pull the trigger” of the gun that killed Halyna.
NOW STREAMING: Alec Baldwin. The first interview since the fatal accident on the set of the movie ‘Rust’. The emotional @ABC News Exclusive Special with @GStephanopoulos is now streaming on @Hulu. #BaldwinABC https://t.co/pLg0I1TQKU pic.twitter.com/nA1QyE2rVp
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) December 3, 2021
Recalling the day of the shooting, which occurred on set in New Mexico on October 21, Alec said he was rehearsing a scene with Halyna, who was directing his every move.
“She’s guiding me through how she wants me to hold the gun for this angle,” he said. “I’m holding the gun where she told me to hold it, which ended up being aimed right below her armpit.”
In order to get the shot, the actor said he needed to cock the gun – but not fire it.
“I cock the gun. I go, ‘Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?’ And then I let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off,” he recalled.
When asked if he pulled the trigger of the gun, Alec replied: “No, no, no, no, no. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them.”
The actor said he “would go to any lengths to undo what happened”, but insisted he doesn’t feel responsible for Halyna’s death.
“Honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might’ve killed myself if I thought that I was responsible. And I don’t say that lightly,” he confessed.
“I don’t know what happened on that set. Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
“I feel that… someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me,” he said.
Alec also said he doesn’t believe he will face criminal charges over the incident.
The 63-year-old said he was told the gun was “safe” by crew members in charge of checking weapons, and insisted he has “nothing to hide”
“I’ve been told by people in the know… that it is highly unlikely I would be charged with anything criminally,” he told viewers.
