George Clooney Alec Baldwin
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It’s been one month since Hollywood star Alec Baldwin accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza after he fired a gun that had been loaded with a live round on the set of the movie Rust. Now, Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney is sharing his thoughts on Alec Baldwin’s accidental shooting from the perspective as a fellow actor saying that “a lot of stupid mistakes” were made on the set of Rust.

George Clooney Comments On ‘Rust’ Alec Baldwin Shooting

“Every single time I’m handed a gun on the 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, I show it to the crew,” Clooney said while appearing on the “WTF” podcast with host Marc Maron. “Every single take.”

The veteran actor says he personally makes sure any six shooter he’s handed on set is safe. When given a gun like the one Baldwin was handling, Clooney always points it at the ground before pulling the trigger six times. He does this to ensure any weapon he’s handling is in fact safe.

The Ocean’s Eleven star also made a point of saying he doesn’t know Baldwin very well personally so he doesn’t want to put specific blame on the actor.

Related: Alec Baldwin’s Brother Claims Star’s Liberal Political Views Have Made Him A ‘Target’ For ‘Rust’ Fatal Shooting

‘Maybe Alec Did That…’

“Maybe Alec did that — hopefully he did do that,” Clooney said of his typical on-set protocol. “But the problem is dummies are tricky because they look like real [rounds]. They got a little tiny hole in the back [from which] somebody’s [removed] the gunpowder.” 

Clooney expressed frustration that the film did not hire a more experienced armorer. Noting, “They had live ammo with dummies in her [Hutchins] pack. That is insane, it’s insane and it’s infuriating.”

Police warrant reports show that Dave Halls, the assistant director on the set of Rust, called the weapon a “cold gun” before handing it to Alec Baldwin, a term George Clooney is unfamiliar with.

“I’ve never heard the term ‘cold gun,'” Clooney said after working in film for forty years. “I’ve never heard that term. Literally. They’re just talking about stuff I’ve never heard of. It’s just infuriating.”

George Clooney Was Friends With Bruce Lee’s Son, The Crow Actor, Brandon Lee

Sixty-year-old George Clooney also shared that he was close friends with Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee who was tragically killed on the set of The Crow back in 1993 in a shooting incident.

Clooney said that they played basketball together three times a week at the Y in Hollywood when they were younger, and that his cousin Miguel Ferrer was set to be the best man at Lee’s wedding a week after The Crow was to wrap.

“After Brandon died, it really became a very clear thing of: Open the gun. Look down the barrel. Look in the cylinder. Make sure,” Clooney said on-set gun safety. “It’s harder with dummy bullets, I have to say, because if you stuck six dummy bullets in your hand, you would think they’re real bullets.”

Backstory: Alec Baldwin’s Prop Gun Tragedy Reminds Bruce Lee’s Daughter Of Losing Her Brother On ‘The Crow’

The investigation into the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust is still ongoing, with police saying that charges against Alec Baldwin are not off the table.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Hollywood actor will ultimately face charges for the tragic on-set shooting. 

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