Actor Alec Baldwin claimed in an interview that will air Thursday night that he did not pull the trigger on a prop gun during the fatal shooting on the set of “Rust” that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October.
“The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger. No, no, no, no, no,” Baldwin told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in a clip from “Alec Baldwin Unscripted.” “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.”
It is the first full interview Baldwin, 63, has given since the Oct. 21 shooting on the set of the film, which was shot in New Mexico. Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set, and director Joel Souza was wounded.
Baldwin gave a brief roadside interview to photographers on Oct. 30 in a bid to stop them from following him and his family after the shooting.
The interview is part of an hourlong special on ABC at 8 p.m. EST and will stream on Hulu later that evening, according to The Associated Press.
In the clip, Stephanopoulos notes “it wasn’t in the script for the trigger to be pulled,” Rolling Stone reported.
>> Alec Baldwin shooting: Actor gives on-camera interview about tragedy
“The trigger wasn’t pulled,” Baldwin tells Stephanopoulos, adding that he did not know how a live bullet was on the set.
“Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin broke down in tears during the interview, including when he talked about Hutchins, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“Even now I find it hard to believe. It just doesn’t seem real to me,” Baldwin said.
>> Who was cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, killed by Alec Baldwin’s ‘prop gun’?
According to search warrants, witness interviews have claimed armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed handed the Colt revolver in question to assistant director Dave Halls, who said the weapon was “cold” (not loaded), before handing it to Baldwin, Rolling Stone reported.
On Tuesday, investigators issued a new search warrant to find out how a live round found its way into Baldwin’s gun, according to the magazine.
Baldwin has been named as a defendant in lawsuits filed by crew members Serge Svetnoy and Mamie Mitchell, according to Rolling Stone. Both crew members were in a small wooden church on the set when the gun was discharged.
>> Alec Baldwin shooting: ‘Rust’ crew members had safety concerns before incident
Both claim in their lawsuits that Baldwin bears responsibility for the shooting because he pulled the trigger when it was not called for in the script, according to the magazine.
“I’ve done thousands of interviews in the last 20 years at ABC,” Stephanopoulos said Wednesday on “Good Morning America.” ”This was the most intense I’ve ever experienced. So raw. As you can imagine, he’s devastated.
>> Alec Baldwin shooting: Brandon Lee’s sister speaks out
“But he was also very candid, he was very forthcoming. He answered every question. He talked about Halyna Hutchins, talked about meeting with her family as well. Went through in detail what happened on the set that day, and I have to tell you I was surprised in many places over the course of that hour and 20 minutes.”
Here are some memorable photos of actor Alec Baldwin through the years.
1985: Author Gore Vidal poses with actors that will appear in the NBC-TV miniseries "Dress Gray" on Dec. 16, 1985. Actor Alec Baldwin is at left.
1988: Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, right, react in horror when they first encounter the demonic Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) in the supernatural comedy "Beetlejuice," 1988.
1990: Actor Alec Baldwin, left, is shown during rehearsals at NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," with musical guests the B-52s, Keith Strickland, second from left, Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider, partially obscured, in New York on April 19, 1990.
1991: Composer John Barry stands between presenters Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin as he holds his Oscar for best original score for the film "Dances With Wolves" backstage at the 63rd annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 25, 1991.
1992: Actors Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin appear at a special industry screening of "Final Analysis," in which she stars, in Los Angeles on Feb. 7, 1992.
1993: Actress Julie Harris, right, poses with actor Alec Baldwin, center, and actress Joan Van Ark at the gala benefit for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Sunday evening, Feb. 7, 1993.
1994: Actress Kim Basinger is shown in a June 26, 1994, photo with her husband, actor Alec Baldwin.
1995: Actor Alec Baldwin arrives for the 1995 Tony Awards at Broadway’s Minskoff Theater in New York on June 4, 1995.
1996: Al Pacino and Alec Baldwin star in "Looking for Richard."
1998: Married American actors Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger sit at a table during the Golden Globe Awards ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California, on January 18, 1998.
1999: American actor Alec Baldwin and wife Kim Basinger.
2000: Actor Alec Baldwin and wife Kim Basinger arrive for the world premiere of "I Dreamed of Africa" on April 18, 2000, at Sony Theatres Lincoln Square in New York City.
2001: Actor Alec Baldwin arrives at the world premiere of Disney’s "Pearl Harbor" on May 21, 2001, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
2002: Actor Alec Baldwin speaks to delegates having dinner at the Florida Democratic Party State Conference on April 13, 2002, in Lake Buena Vista, near Orlando, Florida.
2004: Best supporting actor winner Alec Baldwin attends the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures 2003 annual Awards Gala at Tavern on the Green January 13, 2004, in New York City.
2004: Alec Baldwin and his date attend the American Theater Wing luncheon honoring Isabelle Stevenson at the Pierre Hotel on April 19, 2004, in New York City.
2005: Actor Alec Baldwin and daughter Ireland Eliesse Baldwin arrive at PETA’s 15th Anniversary Gala and Humanitarian Awards at Paramount Studios on September 10, 2005, in Hollywood, California.
2006: Actor Alec Baldwin speaks during a segment of "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" at CBS Television Studios on November 3, 2006, in Los Angeles.
2007: The cast of "30 Rock" poses in the pressroom with their Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series during the 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on September 16, 2007, in Los Angeles.
2008: Actors Tina Fey (left) and Alec Baldwin pose in the press room with their Emmys for Best Actor for "30 Rock" during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008, in Los Angeles.
2009: Actor Alec Baldwin (left) and his daughter, Ireland, pose with his award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for "30 Rock" in the press room at the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009, in Los Angeles.
2010: Co-hosts Steve Martin (left) and Alec Baldwin onstage during the 82nd annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on March 7, 2010, in Hollywood, California.
2011: Hilaria Thomas (left) and Alec Baldwin attend Tony Bennett’s 85th Birthday Gala Benefit for Exploring the Arts at the Metropolitan Opera House on September 18, 2011, in New York City.
2012: Alec Baldwin (left) and Hilaria Thomas attend the 2012 Ripple of Hope Gala at the New York Marriott Marquis on December 3, 2012, in New York City.
2013: Actor Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria Thomas arrive at the 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2013, in Los Angeles.
2014: Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Baldwin attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 13th annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street on October 28, 2014, in New York City.
2015: Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas attend OCRF’s 18th annual Super Saturday NY Hosted by Donna Karan and Kelly Ripa on July 25, 2015, in Water Mill City.
2016: Alec Baldwin as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Kate McKinnon as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the "Debate Cold Open" sketch on "Saturday Night Live" on October 1, 2016.
2017: Alec Baldwin speaks onstage during the We Stand United NYC Rally outside Trump International Hotel & Tower on January 19, 2017, in New York City.
2018: Board of Directors Co-Chair Alec Baldwin, Hilaria Baldwin and their children attend the red carpet and chairman’s reception at Suna Residence during the Hamptons International Film Festival 2018 on October 6, 2018, in East Hampton, New York.
2019: Ireland Baldwin and Alec Baldwin attend the Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin at Saban Theatre on September 7, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California.
2020: Alec Baldwin, Hilaria Baldwin and Carmen Baldwin pose backstage at the Badgley Mischka show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Gallery I at Spring Studios on February 8, 2020, in New York City.
2021: Alec Baldwin, Hilaria Baldwin and their kids attend as DreamWorks Animation presents "The Boss Baby: Family Business" world premiere at SVA Theatre on June 22, 2021, in New York City.