New Delhi

Rust director Joel Souza has opened up for the first time since he was shot by Alec Baldwin on the set in October 2021. Baldwin had accidently fired a prop gun which left Joel injured and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead.  

While speaking to Vanity Fair the director spoke about the incident and also gave his opinion on the actor's involuntary manslaughter charge. 

While recounting the incident, Joel also said that he had hoped he ‘didn’t wake up the next morning’ due to pain. The director described the pain as ‘being kicked by a horse’. 

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No relationship with Alec Baldwin

When Joel was asked if he had an opinion on Alec Baldwin being charged with involuntary manslaughter, the filmmaker said, “Does it matter if I think it’s fair or not? There is an argument that says, if he checks it and starts fiddling around with it, he’s creating a safety issue. And then there is another thing that says, it’s common sense, Jesus Christ. Be careful with this goddamn thing. So I don’t know anymore, to be honest with you. The charges were filed. That’s what they decided to do. Was he overcharged? I don’t know."

Despite his injury, Joel returned to the set of Rust to complete the rest of the film’s shoot. When asked if he shared a relationship with Alec then, he said, “Getting through it was tough. We got through it. I got the performance I wanted. We’re not friends. We’re not enemies. There’s no relationship.” Joel also said it was ‘bizarre’ to have been shot by Alec because he ‘remembered watching The Hunt For Red October (1990) in theatre’ as a kid. "It's like your older self whispers to your younger self, 'Hey, that guy…someday…'"

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Rust shooting case

The incident occurred on set in 2021 when Alec accidentally fired a prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and seriously injured Joel. The director was standing behind the cinematographer and directing a scene when the gun fired. It hit Halyna in the chest and struck Joel in the shoulder. Rust’s shooting was wrapped up in March 2024 and is yet to get a release date.