"Really didn't help the situation at all": George Clooney's comments on Alec Baldwin evoke sharp response from latter

On Thursday, December 2, Alec Baldwin gave an exclusive interview following the accidental shooting incident on the set of his film, Rust, which ended up killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In the interview, Baldwin talked about the series of events that caused the untimely demise of 42-year-old Hutchins. The Boss Baby star Alec Baldwin (63) also spoke about the crew's criticisms, which he received after the tragedy.

Alec Baldwin also addressed George Clooney's remarks about Rust's production and handling of prop firearms on set.

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Explaining the controversy between George Clooney and Alec Baldwin over the comments on Rust's tragedy

On November 15, George Clooney talked about the 'Rust' tragedy in an episode of Marc Maron's WTF podcast. He said,

"...that is insane. It's insane. It's infuriating."

The 60-year-old actor also added,

"Every single time I'm handed a gun on a set — every time — they hand me a gun, I look at it, I open it, I show it to the person I'm pointing it to, we show it to the crew."

George Clooney also mentioned the tighter implementation of firearms on sets after Brandon Lee's death in a similar accidental shooting while filming 1993's The Crow.

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Alec's reply to George Clooney:

Alec Baldwin hit back at George Clooney and said,

"There were a lot of people who felt it necessary to contribute some comment to the situation, which really didn't help the situation at all."

While directly addressing Clooney's remarks, Baldwin stated,

"If your protocol is you check the gun every time - well good for you, good for you."

Baldwin also discussed his protocol regarding handling prop weapons in previous movies. He said,

"I've probably handled weapons as much as any other actor in films, with an average career, again shooting or being shot by someone. In that time, I had a protocol, and it never let me down."

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Alec Baldwin remains suspicious over the appearance of a live round in the 'Cold Gun'

Alec Baldwin further added that he had no reason to suspect a live bullet in the barrel, as the firearm was verbally labeled as a 'cold gun' on the set. He added that he had suspicions about the origin of the live round in the first place.

As per previous reports, several loose bullets were lying around the location where props were stored. Furthermore, it was reportedly stated that there had even been another misfire of a prop weapon a few days before the accident.