Jeffrey Wright, who has worked on projects including the James Bond franchise and the upcoming movie “Batman,” was acting a gun on the set of “Westworld” when news broke of the shooting Thursday on a New Mexico ranch. “We were all shocked. We were told what we did from that moment on,” he said in an interview Sunday at the Newport Beach Film Festival.
“I don’t remember being handed an unemptied weapon in front of me—meaning the chamber is open, the barrel is shown to me, and the light inside the barrel is flashing to make sure it has been cleaned,” Wright said.
“This was clearly a poorly managed group.”
A shooting on the set of “Rust” killed 42-year-old Helena Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza who was standing behind her, according to the Associated Press.
The gun Baldwin used was one of three that a firearms specialist, or “gunsmith,” placed on a cart outside the building where the scene was being rehearsed, according to court records. Court papers state that Assistant Director Dave Holes grabbed a pistol from a cart and handed it to Baldwin, stating that the gun was safe by shouting a “cold pistol.” But it was loaded with live ammunition, according to records.
Baldwin, 63, known for his roles in “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” and his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” described the killing as a “tragic accident.”
“It was a very bleak time” in recent days when he was filming the indie thriller “Detained,” said Justin Main, representative of “The Umbrella Academy,” who also attended the Newport Festival.
“Then – I mean we were obviously really careful, but it’s just another level of precaution,” Maine said.
The prop maker and licensed pyrotechnician who worked with Halls, the assistant director, on another production said it had raised safety concerns in the past.
Maggie Jules said in a statement that she filed an internal complaint with the executive producers of Hulu’s “Into the Dark” series in 2019 over concerns about Halls’ behavior on set. Jules said in a phone interview Sunday that Halls ignored safety protocols for guns and fireworks and tried to continue filming after the supervising pyrotechnician lost consciousness on the set.
Halls did not respond to phone calls and emails seeking comment. Rust Movie Productions did not respond to repeated emails seeking comment.
Jules said the fatal shooting and past experiences point to larger safety issues that need to be addressed, adding that the safety and welfare of crew members are among the most important issues in ongoing contract negotiations between a union representing film and television workers and a major producer group.
“This situation is not about Dave Halls. She said…it’s in no way the fault of one person.” “It’s a bigger conversation about safety on set and what we’re trying to achieve with this culture.”
A vigil was held for Hutchins on Sunday in Southern California, with attendees exchanged hugs and tears and speakers echoed calls for heightened safety standards.
Actress Rosanna Arquette has joined many in Hollywood in calling to stay away from the use of real guns, whether armed with blanks or bullets.
“I hope this wakes people up. Because there shouldn’t be anything alive in any movie at all. We’ve got enough CGI, we’ve had enough—it’s ridiculous,” she said. .”
Actor Ray Liotta agreed with Wright that inspections of firearms are usually extensive.
“They always—I know—check it out so you can see it,” Liotta said. “They give it to the person you’re aiming the gun at, they do it for the product, and they show whoever’s there that it doesn’t work.”
On Saturday, Baldwin, a producer on “Rust,” met Hutchins’ husband and 9-year-old son at a hotel in Santa Fe where the actor was staying during filming. Baldwin and Hutchins’ husband can be seen embracing in a photo published by the New York Post.
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