Rust actor says scene where he was shot at felt ‘life-threatening’

Ian A. Hudson says the cast discussed Brandon Lee’s death in 1993 amid safety concerns on the set of Rust

A principal actor on Rust says a scene where he was shot at in the movie felt “life-threatening”.

Ian A. Hudson played an outlaw in the film and told TMZ about a “terrifying” experience on set when he was exposed to gunfire while the camera and crew were protected by a shield.

“That made me question me being in front of the camera and being between all of that fire. When the rounds were released I did feel the blanks hitting my face and my body,” Mr Hudson told TMZ.

Safety practices on the set of Rust are being investigated by authorities in New Mexico after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on the set on Thursday.

Alec Baldwin, an actor and producer on Rust, had been practising a “cross-draw” weapons firing technique and was aiming at a camera when a prop gun went off, killing Ms Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Court documents released by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department show Mr Baldwin had been told the weapon was “cold”, an industry term meaning it was not carrying live rounds.

Mr Hudson said the crew had felt so concerned that they discussed the fatal shooting of Brandon Lee on the set of The Crow in 1993,

“I would talk to my fellow cast members afterward and we all agreed how intense that was and how scary and real that was,” he told TMZ.

“Brandon Lee having died in ’93 – that conversation came up a couple times between my fellow cast members and I.”

People attend candlelight vigil for cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in Burbank, California (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Hudson said as a new actor he didn’t want to “make an issue about things”, and kept quiet about his concerns.

“But some of the other actors who have worked on a lot more sets than I have as principal characters, they were double and triple checking our weapons after the armourer gave them to us whether they were cold or hot.”

He told TMZ the risks that led to Ms Hutchins’ death were “pointless” because they were just trying to make a movie.

Mr Hudson added that the armourer Hannah Gutierrez had been under pressure due to the fast-paced filming schedule and had done a good job under the circumstances.

His character was killed in a shootout with lead actor Jensen Ackles.