- Baldwin back on SNL after trial
- Parodies Kamala Harris interview
- Rust trial controversy resolved
Alec Baldwin made his much-anticipated return to “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) this week, marking his first appearance since the dismissal of his involuntary manslaughter trial related to the tragic shooting on the set of the film “Rust.”
In a statement reflecting on his career, Baldwin previously remarked that it might be over after a prop gun he was holding during rehearsals accidentally fired a live round, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. Baldwin had faced charges of involuntary manslaughter, which he denied.
During his return to SNL, Baldwin hosted the show for a record 17th time. He opened the episode portraying Fox News host Bret Baier in a parody of his recent interview with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. In the skit, alongside Maya Rudolph, who played Harris, Baldwin’s Baier humorously noted he could not hear his interviewee’s responses “because I’m talking,” highlighting their tendency to interrupt each other.
After a comical handshake, Rudolph’s Harris quipped, “The pleasure is neither of ours.”
Baldwin previously won an Emmy Award in 2017 for his portrayal of Donald Trump on SNL, further cementing his legacy with the show.
Following the dismissal of the case against him in July, Baldwin will not face another trial regarding charges linked to Hutchins’ death. He has consistently denied pulling the trigger during the filming of the western, stating he was unaware of how live rounds ended up in the prop gun. He referred to the incident as a “one in a trillion episode.”
The case was dismissed after Baldwin’s legal team argued that police and prosecutors had concealed evidence specifically a batch of bullets that could have been relevant to the shooting. While prosecutors contended that the bullets were not pertinent, the judge in New Mexico ruled they should have been disclosed to Baldwin’s defense.
Earlier this year, the production’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was sentenced to jail time after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors indicated she failed to recognize that live ammunition had been mixed with dummy rounds in a box on set, one of which was in the firearm handled by Baldwin.
