'It ruined...': 'Rust' director's first comments on fatal on-set shooting
Joel Souza—the director of the movie Rust—has spoken publicly for the first time about the tragic on-set shooting incident that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured him. Speaking with Vanity Fair, Souza opened up about his emotional turmoil following the incident and shared his thoughts on the subsequent legal proceedings. The incident occurred in 2021, when a prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin discharged a live round during a rehearsal scene, resulting in Hutchins's death and Souza's injury.
'No one feels good about someone going to jail...'
When asked about the impact, Souza said, "When I tell someone it ruined me, I don't mean in the sense that people might generally think." He clarified, "I don't know what that even is anymore—I'll be very honest with you about that," Souza said. "No one feels good about someone going to jail," he said, adding, "I don't mean that it put my career in ruins. I mean, internally, the person I was just went away. That stopped."
Souza commented on legal proceedings
In the aftermath of the incident, prop armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison for loading a live round into Baldwin's prop gun. Assistant director Dave Halls accepted a plea bargain and was convicted of negligent use of a firearm. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the case was dismissed due to the prosecution's mishandling of evidence. Commenting on these verdicts, Souza said they made him feel "just awful in general."
Souza praised Hutchins's talent and dedication
Further, Souza spoke highly of Hutchins, describing her as a positive and supportive presence on set. He expressed his admiration for her talent, saying she should have been working on bigger projects. "She should have been doing big studio movies. She should have outgrown a movie the size of ours. She should have been doing $100M movies, not $7.5M movies," he said.
Souza on completing 'Rust' and working with Baldwin
Despite the tragedy, Souza and Baldwin returned to complete Rust, a decision Souza attributes to the desire to honor Hutchins's work. "Getting through it was tough," he said of working with Baldwin. "We got through it. I got the performance I wanted. We're not friends. We're not enemies. There's no relationship." He also refuted claims that the film's budget or schedule directly contributed to the accident.
'Everything that happened was born out of that sin...'
Souza seemed to agree with the interviewer's suggestion that the accident was caused by Gutierrez-Reed loading a live round into the prop gun. "The live bullet got put in the gun," he said. "It was a horrible mistake to make, and she's now living with the consequences of that mistake... Everything that happened was born out of that sin, out of that moment."
