Alec Baldwin has been dealing with health struggles since the fatal “Rust” shooting.
The “30 Rock” actor, 67, gave an update on his mental state during the Dec. 19 episode of the “Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction” podcast. The star was charged for involuntary manslaughter after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ death in the 2021 incident.
“The people I was most concerned about, the people I had the deepest pain for, were my wife and my kids,” the father of eight said.
“My kids would see me sitting in a corner, I couldn’t even move,” Baldwin shared. “There was a point in time where I took a nap every day for a year, right after they announced they were going to raise the charges again.”
Baldwin fired a real gun mistakenly loaded with a live round in October 2021 on the set of “Rust” in New Mexico, killing Hutchins, 42, and wounding director Joel Souza.
The “SNL” alum was charged with involuntary manslaughter. He faced a maximum of 18 months behind bars, but the judge tossed out the case during the July 2024 trial over prosecutors withholding evidence.
“I don’t want to dwell on this, I just want to say that this was very painful for my wife and my family, my sisters and brothers and so forth, my colleagues,” Baldwin said on the podcast.
“And I can tell you, it broke every nerve in my body, spiritually, financially, work-wise, my career, my wife, my kids, my friends, my health,” he added.
Baldwin acknowledged that his health has been impacted in the four years since the tragedy.
“What it’s done to my health. I mean, if I told you what my health conditions have been since October 21st of 2021 — it’s taken 10 years off my life,” he stated. “It’s taken at least 10 years off my life.”
Baldwin also insisted that the New Mexico prosecutors in the case “wanted to get their names in the paper.”
“That’s what they wanted,” he said. “And I mean, thank God for this judge who called in on them and said, you know, what you’re doing is reprehensible.”
The “Beetlejuice” actor revealed that he experienced suicidal thoughts after he was charged in the fatal shooting.
“It’s really kind of unappealing to me because to talk about killing yourself and to actually kill yourself are two so profoundly distinctive things. I think a lot of people — I think countless people think about killing themselves and ending their life, and then very few do,” he said.
“And for me, I remember, I used to lay there in bed and go, ‘Oh God, I can’t wake up another day and have it be the same. It’s the same every day. And I can’t do it,’” Baldwin continued. “But somehow I found the faith in God to, you know, not kill myself tomorrow. Let’s wait one more day.”
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged in the case. She was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and was released from a New Mexico prison in May after serving an 18-month sentence.
“Rust” was released to lukewarm reception and grossed only $26,000. It cost $8 million to make.
