The firearm enhancement charge against Alec Baldwin was withdrawn in the Halyna Hutchins homicide case. Learn more about the cinematographer on this page.
On the set of Alec Baldwin’s film Rust, Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot and killed by a pretend gun, and her death generated national news. Before the catastrophe, the young Ukrainian cinematographer had worked on over thirty feature-length films.
Alec Baldwin claimed in interviews that he never pulled the trigger despite having the gun. Matt Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchin, initially filed a wrongful death claim against the Rust production team, including Alec, but has since abandoned the suit and is now serving as the film’s executive producer.
The District Attorney of Santa Fe has charged Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter. The D.A. dropped the gun enhancement case against Alec Baldwin.
On October 21, 2021, tragedy struck Hollywood when actor Alec Baldwin “discharged” a pretend gun that severely wounded a crew member working on his upcoming picture Rust.
Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography, died after the incident on set, while director Joel Souza, 42, was injured. Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies accused Alec and prop armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed with two charges of involuntary manslaughter on Thursday, January 19, 2023, more than a year after the accident. David Hall, the assistant director, entered a plea agreement for negligent use of a deadly weapon.
About a month after the initial charges were released, the district attorney said on Monday, February 20 that she would withdraw the gun enhancement allegation against Alec, according to ABC News.
Due to the dismissal of the accusation, the actor may only face up to 18 months in prison if found guilty. “The District Attorney and the special prosecutor have lifted the firearm enhancement from the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the ‘Rust’ set,” Carmack-Altwies said in a statement.
Alec has asserted that he is not responsible for Halyna’s death. Two months after the incident, he stated on ABC News that he never pulled the trigger despite having cocked the gun.
In response to the charges, the actor’s attorney, Luke Nikas, stated in a statement that they would fight the charges. “This ruling distorts the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins and represents a heinous miscarriage of justice.
Mr. Baldwin had no reason to suspect a live bullet was in the gun or anyplace else on the film set. He relied on the professionals with whom he collaborated, who informed him that the rifle contained no live ammunition,” he claimed.
In February, a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Halyna’s husband Matthew and their 9-year-old son Andros was filed in New Mexico.
According to the lawsuit, the Rust production team “committed severe violations of industry regulations” that “led to Halyna’s senseless and sad death.”
Nevertheless, on October 5, Matthew disclosed that he had abandoned the complaint after reaching a deal that included his continuing as executive producer of the picture.
These are five facts about Halyna, the cinematographer who perished in a horrific accident.
Halyna was a cinematographer located in Los Angeles
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Halyna listed herself in the “about” section of her official website as a “Los Angeles-based union cinematographer.” In addition to graduating from the AFI conservatory in 2015, she has since worked on a number of narrative shorts and movies.
The 42-year-old was also one of the 8 Female Cinematographers for the 21st Century Fox DP Lab and was listed in American Cinematographer as one of the “Rising Stars of Cinematography 2019.”
Halyna told the magazine that her time at AFI caused her to “reconsider” who she was as an artist and how she wanted to operate in the profession.
“One thing I’ve learned is that cinematography is not a solo activity. It’s a joint effort. You must build your own vision, but communication with your director and team is the key to a successful picture.”
Haylna was a Ukrainian native who knew both Russian and English
Halyna states that she was born in Ukraine and raised on “a Soviet military outpost in the Arctic Circle” – what a strange upbringing!
Before settling on cinematography, the late artist held a master’s degree in journalism from Kyiv National University in Ukraine and experimented with investigative journalism “with British documentary films in Europe.”
She also spoke Russian and English, distinguishing her from employment in the United States.
Halyna told American Cinematographer that she worked in fashion photography to study the “aesthetics of lighting — how to create the mood, the vibe” while working as a production assistant in America.
Her husband and son
As previously stated, her husband Matthew had launched a wrongful death complaint against Alec and the film’s producers. At the time of her passing, he wrote, “Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is indescribably significant.
Our loss is immeasurable, and we respectfully request that the media respect the privacy of my family as we grieve. We appreciate everyone’s sharing of photographs and anecdotes about her life.”
After dropping the lawsuit, Matt issued the following statement: “I have no desire to engage in recriminations or assign blame” (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin).
We all agree that Halyna’s death was a tragic accident. I am grateful that the entertainment industry and producers have joined together to honor Halyna’s final work.” Matt will continue to raise the couple’s lone kid, Andros.
Her career has garnered attention
Many genres- and style-specific stills and clips from short films and features on which Halyna has worked may be found on her Instagram and website.
She has finished two films, Snowbound in Colorado and Darlin, since completing her graduate studies at AFI in 2015. “For now, I’m primarily interested in forming beneficial partnerships,” she told American Cinematographer regarding her pursuit of additional experience.
From my perspective, it is the combined effort of creative minds that elevates the work of each other.
She continued,
“I’m simply hoping to find my Wong Kar-wai,” citing her inspiration from the famed Hong Kong filmmaker who specializes in works that are daring, immersive, and atmospheric.
Given her extensive body of work over the years, it’s not surprising that Halyna was hired for a major motion picture starring an A-lister like Baldwin.
In an Oct. 2020 tweet, the director of photography (DP) released a poster for a film she photographed, Sunday’s Child, which was accepted to a few film festivals when the horror picture Darlin’ opened at the SXSW film festival in 2019.
The film, directed by Pollyanna McIntosh (The Walking Dead), has screened at international film festivals such as Edinburgh, Fantasia, and London FrightFest.
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