LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Alec Baldwin stated that the shooting incident on the 'Rust' set, which resulted in the killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injury of director Joel Souza, "could be" the end of his 40-year acting career. Baldwin added that he didn't care about giving up his career over the fatal 'Rust' shooting. However, there was a time when Baldwin was ready for his career to be ruined while filming the 1980s cult classic 'Beetlejuice.'
In 1988, when 'Beetlejuice' first appeared in theaters, many weren't quite sure what they were going to get of it. It was a box office hit and earned largely favorable reviews from reviewers. It has now taken on a life of its own, and fans have been pleading for a sequel. Even a new Broadway production is based on the film, yet nearly 35 years ago, Baldwin did not possess a crystal ball for the movie.
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'We're all going to be dead'
While Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, and Baldwin are three well-known 'Beetlejuice' actors who can all claim success now, nothing was certain when they first worked together on the 1988 dark comedy. Baldwin said that he thought taking the lead role in the offbeat film carried some risk. He said, "When we did Beetlejuice, I had no idea what it was about. I thought my, all of our, careers are going to end with the release of this film. Maybe we're all going to be dead," as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Baldwin only recalled one particular instruction from Tim Burton, "to make his Adam Maitland character more sophisticated, like actor Robert Cummings." Other than that, it appeared that the cast was given the freedom to express themselves. On the 'Beetlejuice' set, Burton appeared to be at ease. Baldwin elucidated at the time, "He would sit at a desk and draw the characters... and he would never look up at me."
The actor continued, "He would look up and go, 'No. Don't do that.' And then go back to the paper and draw. But, when you're around Tim, he was just such a crazy professor. That's one of the earliest movies I made, and you see everything that's brought to bear in making movies in a movie like that."
Baldwin was intrigued by Keaton in the main role, who also inspired him to believe that the movie may succeed. "Michael came and knew the secret," Baldwin said. "Because I would act and then I would have some doubts. I was much more neurotic about what I would do, and I was very young starting out in films. And Keaton just came out and he was like the comedy Annie Oakley. He was so self-assured. He just tore it up," the 65-year-old actor added.
Alec Baldwin 'couldn't give a s**t' about his career
Following the shooting on the 'Rust' set, in October 2021, that claimed the lives of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, Baldwin stated that his 40-year acting career "could be" coming to an end. During an extended and emotive interview on US television with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Baldwin stated that he "couldn't give a s**t" about his career, as reported by The Guardian.
On October 21, 2021, 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed after a phony gun that Baldwin was holding turned out to have real ammunition detonated. Joel Souza, the director, was also hurt in the event, though Baldwin insists he did not fire the shot. Halyna's widower, Matthew Hutchins, sued Baldwin and other 'Rust' producers for Halyna's unjust death in October 2022.
The actor claimed that he did not fire the gun that injured Souza, 48, and killed Hutchins. During the western's dress rehearsals, the gun Baldwin was holding went off. This incident stunned Hollywood and led to a discussion over production safety and the usage of guns on set.