Alec Baldwin killed the cinematographer in a freak accident on set, and the widower of the victim has revealed that Baldwin is being very supportive.
Halyna Houtchins, 42, was shot by Baldwin shortly after she died at Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico. This is near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Matthew Halyna, Halyna’s husband and lawyer, shared an eight-year old son with her. Matthew told DailyMail.com that he had spoken to Alec Baldwin, and that he was supportive.
Police have not provided any details on the shooting other than to say that a projectile was fired from a prop gun’. They are currently investigating. Baldwin’s spokesman last night said that only blanks had been used.
Baldwin tweeted two times on Friday: “There are no words to express my shock and sadness about the tragic accident that claimed the life of Halyna HUTCHINS, a wife and mother, and deeply admired colleague of mine.”
‘I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family.
“My heart breaks for her husband, their son and all who loved Halyna.”
Witnesses at the scene said that Baldwin was stunned by the death shot and asked why he was given a gun.
A photo taken in the aftermath showed Baldwin clearly distressed, bent in anguish at a side parking lot. In another picture, he looked distraught as the phone rang.
Halyna was born in Ukraine, raised on a Soviet military base “surrounded by reindeer, nuclear submarines”, and had previously been trained as a journalist. She spent time in Europe working for British documentaries before moving to Los Angeles, where her career had established itself and she had started a family.
Friends remember Halyna as a kind and loving soul. She lived in Venice Beach, California with Matthew, her husband, and their son Andros.
Alec Baldwin sobs after shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Utchins on Thursday at the set of Rust in Santa Fe (New Mexico).
The 68-year-old actor was also seen doubled over in a parking lot with his hands on the ground and his face seemingly distressed.
As the sun streams from above, Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer, smiles at the camera as she films herself riding her horse through the New Mexico desert. This was the last Instagram photo that the mother-of-one, a married mother-of-1, shared before Alec Baldwin accidentally shot a prop gun during a scene for Rust yesterday.
Friends recall Halyna as a ‘kind’ person and a ‘loving soul’. She lived in Venice Beach with Matthew and their son Andros.
“Halyna loved him so deeply and enjoyed watching him become the handsome boy that he is today,” one friend wrote in an emotional Instagram tribute. “I know she is looking after Matt in this horribly frightening time.
Halyna smiles brightens up social media photos, capturing a sense playfulness and adventure through Halloween costumes, road trips with friends, and days spent exploring.
She was highly respected by her peers and was regarded as a rising star by other cinematographers. Adam Mortimer, director, friend and colleague, stated that she was “absolutely dedicated to art, integrity, and her work.” “I could already tell she was going to be genius.
Baldwin, 62, was filming scenes for Rust, when the gun went off. Hutchins died, and Joel Souza (48), was left injured.
Hutchins was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital by an air ambulance, but was declared dead shortly afterwards.
Souza was transported by ambulance to the Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center. He was released, but his condition is not known.
Baldwin was then taken to Santa Fe’s detectives’ office to answer questions about the shooting. Although he was not arrested, he was released later without charges.
According to Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office the gun was fired while the scene was being filmed, or rehearsed. It is not known how the gun was used, either accidentally or purposefully. Detectives stated that the gun was ‘discharged’ but did not provide any further details.
Although fatal accidents with prop guns are rare, they do happen. Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee’s martial arts star, was shot and killed while filming The Crow in 1993. A part of a prop gun’s barrel got caught in his stomach and was then fired into Lee’s stomach.
It is a tragedy which has shaken the film industry. Friends, colleagues, and strangers have come together to pay tribute Hutchins, who was tragically taken from us.
Alec Baldwin was seen with fake blood on the set for Rust earlier Thursday, hours after he shot and killed Rust’s cinematographer. He posted this picture to Instagram with the caption “Back to in-person at the office.” Blimey…it’s exhausting.’ After the tragic incident at Santa Fe’s Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set, filming was stopped.
Baldwin and Hutchins (circled), are seen together on the set for Rust in an Instagram photo that she uploaded two days ago. It shows the crew supporting a strike by IATSE union.
Halyna, 42 years old, was killed in an incident at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Joel Souza (pictured) was also hurt.
Police tape the cordons surrounding a small church being used as a film set after a fatal accident at a Bonanza Creek Ranch movie location near Santa Fe.
Halyna Hutchins, who was born in 1979, was the daughter military parents. She grew up on a Soviet base “in the Arctic circle”. She recalled what it was like. They were surrounded by nuclear submarines and reindeer.
In a sign of her broad interests, Halyna, who was fluent in Russian and English, attended the National University of Kyiv, Ukraine’s most prestigious higher education institution, and graduated with a degree in International Journalism.
This was her ticket to work abroad. She worked as an investigative journalist in print and documentaries.
Another tragedy on set: Brandon Lee’s son died in a similar accident on The Crow.
Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, was a rising star, before one of the most tragic Hollywood death scenes cut his life short.
In the scene, Lee’s character walks into his apartment and discovers his fiancée being beaten and raped, before a thug fires a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum revolver at Lee’s character.
In the shooting of an earlier scene, the prop gun – which was a real Smith & Wesson revolver – had been loaded with improperly crafted dummy rounds, cartridges which have the powder charges removed so that in close-ups the revolver appears loaded with normal ammunition.
Actor Brandon Lee (above), was shot with a blank round and killed by a prop gun in 1993.
The crew failed to remove primer from the cartridges. One of the rounds was fired at the scene, just before the fatal incident.
Although there wasn’t a powder cartridge, the energy from an ignited primer was enough to separate and push the bullet from the casing into the gun barrel. It was then lodged in the gun barrel.
In the final scene, the gun was fired from 12ft away. The dummy cartridges were then replaced by blanks containing powder and primer, but no bullets.
However, the gun was not properly inspected and cleared before the blank shot was fired by the actor portraying the thug. Lee was then hit in the abdomen with the.44 bullet lodged within the weapon.
After six hours of unsuccessful emergency surgery, Lee succumbed to his injuries at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina at just 28.
Lee’s family took to Twitter on Thursday to mourn the loss of Baldwin’s movie.
“Our hearts go to the family Halyna Hutchins, Joel Souza, and all involved in Rust,” read a tweet sent by Shannon Lee, the account’s administrator. ‘No one should ever die from a gun on a set of film. No.
Richard Denton (producer of Shakespeare Uncovered) said today: “Halyna is the most wonderful, vital and lively person to work with. She was warm and generous.
‘She handled everything from translating interviews to making Leonid’s horse move in the right direction. She was unpretentious, yet extremely professional.
Hutchins eventually moved to the United States and settled in California. She married husband Matthew, a lawyer who worked as an associate with US firm Kirkland & Ellis until 2017. His current role is unknown.
Andros was born to the couple in 2012.
‘I remember when Halyna and I would talk about how much she wanted to have a child so many years ago,’ wrote her friend, Stephanie, ‘and being at the hospital the day he was born and seeing her so filled with happiness.’
Both of them shared photos of their loved ones on Facebook. These are treasured memories from family hikes or fun-filled days out.
Hutchins, who was already working on short films, began to take two-year courses at the American Film Institute Conservatory shortly after Andros’s birth. This allowed her to sharpen her skills and become a cinematographer. A cinematographer is also known as a director or photographer.
The AFI Conservatory is a well-respected institution in Hollywood. It was a launchpad for directors such as Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), and Patty Jenkins (“Wonder Woman”).
Hutchins would speak later about the role this experience played when she was developing her career. She said it made her rethink her artistic identity. She said, “One thing I learned was that cinematography doesn’t come from you.”
‘It’s an entire group [project]. While you can develop your vision, communication with your director (and your team) is key to making a film that’s successful.
Hutchins also worked as a fashion photographer to help her create the mood and feel in an image. A series of smaller projects, mainly in short films, followed.
In 2018 she was named as part of the inaugural class of the 21st Century Fox DP Lab, a networking cohort designed to expand opportunities for female cinematographers by connecting them with working professionals.
In American Cinematographer, a respected industry publication, she was named as one of the “rising stars” of cinematography in the following year.
She stated, “Right now I’m just really interest in finding fruitful collaborators,” in an interview with The Guardian. In a nod to Hong Kong director, she said, “I’m just hoping for my Wong Kar-wai.”
Hutchins was involved in two feature films. The first, Darlin’ was directed by Pollyanna McCIntosh (The Walking Dead).
Blindfire, a racially-charged police drama, was written and directed by Mike Nell. It starred Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker), TNT’s The Alienist, and Sharon Leal. Instinct won Best Crime Drama at Houston International Film Festival 2020.
According to Hutchins’ social media, Matthew (pictured together), is Hutchins’ husband. Matthew is a Los Angeles-based attorney. Although it is not clear when they married, it is believed that they had a son in the late 2012 or early 2013.
Halyna was born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military bases’surrounded by reindeer, submarines, and submarines’. She was about to embark on a project in Ireland but was set for a bright future in Hollywood after her tragic death. Pictured in 2018.
Photos capture a sense playfulness and adventure. Snaps of Halloween costumes parties, road trips with friends, and days out exploring are all captured by Halyna’s smile.
Hutchins, pictured in the centre as Harley Quinn. She is dressed up with friends at an costume party
Director Adam Egypt Mortimer, a collaborator with Hutchins in the 2020 superhero mystery thriller Archenemy, stated on GMB today that “She was somebody who was completely dedicated to art, and integrity.”
“She was Ukrainian, and she had an amazing European art sensibility. She would find it difficult or impossible to solve any of the problems on our set and would try to make it art.
“When I met her, I knew within five minutes that she would make a great partner and I was going to be a great partner.” She was a genius, and I could tell she was going to be an amazing partner. She was so determined to make movies seem real and true.
Joe Manganiello starred as Archenemy’s actor. He called her an ‘incredible talent’ and “a great person” on his Instagram account. He also said that he was fortunate to have Hutchins serve as director of photography.
The entrance to Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico on the outskirts Santa Fe where the movie will be filmed
A security guard stands close to Bonanza Creek Ranch, where Alec Baldwin, a Hollywood actor, fatally shot a cinematographer. He also wounded a director after he discharged a protruding gun on the Santa Fe movie set for “Rust”.
Filming was stopped and the ranch was abandoned Friday morning. Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department continues to interview “witnesses”.
Amy J. Berg, director of the film, also wrote a Deadline article about the incident. We lost a rising star, Halyna Hutchins, female cinematographer.
Halyna’s Instagram reels and website reels contain many stills and clips of short films and features that she has worked on. They range in genre and aesthetics.
She was recently in Ireland, where she enjoyed running in Dublin and sight-seeing during breaks from filming what is believed be a period drama.
Her social media profiles portray a clear picture of a friend who is free-spirited and much loved, which many have paid tribute to.
As her friend Stephanie said: ‘I don’t even have words, I have known Halyna for so many years and to find out that she is dead is beyond words I can even express. She was such an incredibly kind and loving soul…
‘I can’t even believe I am saying “had” it just doesn’t make any sense… I just can’t believe this is happening….Halyna was so full of life and way too young to die.’
Hutchins’ bereaved friends were too distraught not to talk to her, but Ariel Vida a production designer who worked on 2020 film Archenemy, confirmed her death to DailyMail.com. Vida added: “I’m sorry. I can’t speak about this right now.”
Although no criminal charges have been filed against Hutchins, police stated that they are currently conducting a criminal investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding his death.
Juan Rios, sheriff’s spokesman, said that investigators have determined that the scene was shot with a prop firearm. ‘Detectives will investigate how and what type projectile was discharged.
“The incident is still under investigation. He said that updates would be made as more information becomes available.
According to a New Mexico Film Office news release, filming for Rust was scheduled to continue through November. However, production has been stopped.