The entertainment world is still reeling from the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust last week. On October 21, 12 days into principal photography, star Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun that discharged a projectile that fatally wounded Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. As the investigation into this accident on the Western production continues, Baldwin’s daughter with Kim Basinger, Ireland, has shared a message of support sent to her in during this craziness.
Taking to her Instagram account, Ireland Basinger Baldwin (a fashion model who made her film debut in 2013’s Grudge Match) in the midst of being bombarded with “abhorrent” messages concerning her father’s role in Halyna Hutchins’ death, one positive message stood out to her concerning an encounter the poster had with Alec Baldwin over 20 years ago. Take a look:
In case any of you had forgotten, Alec Baldwin starred in 2000’s Thomas and the Magic Railroad as Mr. Conductor, and his costars included Peter Fonda and Mara Wilson. The movie shot from August 2 to October 15 of 1999, and Ireland Baldwin turned four years old a week after the cameras stopped rolling. So hearing that Baldwin was being attentive to his daughter’s cereal needs is all kinds of sweet, and no doubt reading this person’s recollection of their short time with the actor served as a beacon of light for Ireland in this dark time.
There are still a lot of questions surrounding Halyna Hutchins’ shooting on the Rust set, including whether or not criminal charges will be filed against Alec Baldwin. Among the newest pieces of information uncovered in the investigation is that the projectile fired from Baldwin’s prop gun contained a “suspected live round,” according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. The gun Baldwin fired was reportedly handed to him by assistant director Dave Halls, and was also handled by armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. In addition to playing Rust’s lead role, Baldwin is also a producer on the movie, though it’s unclear if that opens him up to more legal targeting going forward.
Rust sees Alec Baldwin playing Harland Rust, an outlaw in 1880s Kansas who rescues his estranged grandson Lucas (played by Good Boys’ Brady Noon) from being hanged for an accidental murder. Now fugitives, the two must outrun U.S. Marshal Wood Helm (played by Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles) and bounty hunter Fenton "Preacher" Lang (played by Vikings’ Travis Fimmel). Filming has been suspended on Rust indefinitely, and in a statement released the day after Halyna Hutchins died, Baldwin said his heart was “broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.” This tragedy has also resulted in the ABC series The Rookie banning live weapons.
We here at CinemaBlend once again express our condolences to Halyna Hutchins’ family and friends for their loss, and we’ll continue to share major updates on the Rust shooting case as they come in.
