Rust actor recalls 'scary' and 'life-threatening' experience on set


One of the actors who worked on the Alec Baldwin movie Rust is speaking out about his "scary" experience on set prior to the death of the film's cinematographer.
Actor Ian A. Hudson spoke with TMZ about working on the movie after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in an accidental shooting on set. Hudson recalled filming a scene in which his character is shot and killed, explaining "everyone on the camera crew was protected by shields" during it.
"That made me question me being in front of the camera and in between all of that fire," he said. "When the rounds were released — when they shot at me — I actually did feel the blanks hitting my face and my body, and I could feel the wind from the shotgun being discharged."
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Hudson said filming the scene felt "life-threatening" and that his fellow cast members agreed it was "intense" and "scary." He also explained that actor Brandon Lee's 1993 death in an accidental shooting on the set of The Crow "came up a couple of times" among the cast members.
Baldwin was practicing unholstering a revolver on the set of Rust when the gun discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza, an affidavit said this week. The weapon was reportedly identified as a "cold gun" before it was handed to Baldwin, which would mean it didn't have live rounds in it. The New York Times reports that detectives found "three revolvers, spent casings and ammunition — in boxes, loose and in a fanny pack" when they searched the film set, and The Wrap reports the gun that killed Hutchins was used earlier that morning for target practice.
Hudson told TMZ he "held my tongue" during the production because "as a new actor, I don't want to cause trouble." He added, though, that some more experienced cast members were "double and triple checking" all weapons they were given.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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