SAG-AFTRA is standing by Alec Baldwin after he was charged Thursday with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust.”
The guild slammed the charges against him, calling it “wrong and uninformed.”
“The death of Halyna Hutchins is a tragedy, and all the more so because of its preventable nature. It is not a failure of duty or a criminal act on the part of any performer,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement.
“The prosecutor’s contention that an actor has a duty to ensure the functional and mechanical operation of a firearm on a production set is wrong and uninformed. An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert.”
The actors union’s comments come on the heels of the New Mexico first judicial district attorney announcing the charges against Baldwin and another crew member, more than a year after Hutchins’ tragic death.
On Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin allegedly shot and killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on the set of their movie “Rust.”
The 63-year-old was rehearsing a scene on the New Mexico set when the gun fired, hitting the two individuals.
“Firearms are provided for their use under the guidance of multiple expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate operation of that firearm. In addition, the employer is always responsible for providing a safe work environment at all times, including hiring and supervising the work of professionals trained in weapons,” SAG-AFTRA continued.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was the armorer on the film “Rust,” was also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
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Baldwin’s attorney called the charges a “terrible miscarriage of justice” in a statement to Fox News Digital.
If Baldwin is convicted, he could be facing up to 18 months in prison.
Assistant director Dave Halls signed a plea agreement for a charge of the negligent use of a deadly weapon. The terms of his agreement included a suspended sentence and six months of probation, the district attorney announced.
No charges were filed in the non-fatal shooting of director Souza.
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Entertainment attorney Tre Lovell provided some insight into New Mexico prosecutors’ charging of Baldwin, Gutierrez-Reed and Halls in the “Rust” shooting. He slammed the charges and said, “actors… are only supposed to act.”
“The world of a movie set is different from the real world… It’s not the same thing in Hollywood, where there are rules and protocols for who is responsible for what. If an actor is given a gun and told it’s cold, the actor has to be able to take that at full confidence,” Lovell told Fox News Digital.
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“… Actors… are not required to do wardrobe, check lighting and certainly not ensure prop safety. Hollywood is still going to and must have specialists with specific roles, and actors are not going to be expected to inspect equipment.”
Following the conclusion of the civil lawsuit, the filming of “Rust” is slated to continue in January 2023, but it will not return to New Mexico, where Hutchins’ death occurred.
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“The production of ‘Rust’ will not return to New Mexico,” Melina Spadone, attorney for Rust Movie Productions LLC, told Fox News Digital. “The production is considering other locations, including in California, but no decisions have been made.”
It has not been confirmed whether Baldwin will rejoin production.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report