Fury as Alec Baldwin makes his SNL comeback after fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer: ‘So out of touch’
Alec Baldwin returned to Saturday Night Live this week months after wrapping up his manslaughter trial — and the backlash against it was swift.
Baldwin, 66, burst into tears when the case surrounding the fatal shooting of cameraman Halyna Hutchins in Santa Fe was dismissed two months ago.
However, he seemed cheerful as he took on the character of Fox News host Bret Baier who recently interviewed Kamala Harris, played by Maya Rudolph.
The seventeen-time presenter was even allowed to say the proverbial punchline of the show: ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday evening!’.
Many seemed to take issue with the appearance, which seemed to portray the returning star in a favorable light. Others rushed to his defense — despite the fact that the case against him was dismissed solely because of prosecutors’ mishandling of evidence.
Scroll down for video:
Alec Baldwin returned to Saturday Night Live last night – and the reaction was swift as manslaughter charges were recently dropped
Baldwin, 66, broke down in tears as the case surrounding the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins in Santa Fe in July was dismissed
Why is Alec Baldwin allowed on SNL? He shot someone dead on a movie set,” one X user wrote, citing “safety compromises” that led to Hutchins’ fatal shooting on the set of Baldwin’s film Rust in October 2021.
“Omg, a real murderer jokingly talking about murder on #snl,” someone else snapped.
“Thank you for convincing the world how idiotic and out of touch you are.”
“We know Alec Baldwin shot someone, right?” added another, years after the 30 Rock actor came under scrutiny for being the one who fired the gun.
After a sketch in which Baldwin and Rudolph mercilessly mocked Harris’ 27-minute interview, others similarly called the performance insensitive.
In the past, Baldwin has been criticized for his over-the-top portrayal of Donald Trump, which he chose to neglect during this outing.
Instead, the Republican was played by cast member James Austin Johnson, who wanted to poke fun at a recent town hall by the former president that turned into an impromptu music festival on Monday after two attendees fell ill.
He seemed cheerful, however, as he took on the character of a Fox News host who recently interviewed Kamala Harris, played by Maya Rudolph.
The pair got to deliver the proverbial punch line of the show: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
Baldwin, meanwhile, was the first face to appear on fans’ screens as the show kicked off – with the live audience letting out a scream to express their shock.
Baldwin, as Baier, moved to a seemingly rude critique of Rudolph’s version of the vice president, echoing the criticism of the interview that aired on Fox News a few days earlier.
The skit also mocked a moment that Baier would later admit was a mistake: a transition to the wrong clip of a response from Trump.
This allowed ‘SNL’ to bring in several minis, such as Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden before returning to Baldwin and Rudolph.
The pair then introduced the episode with the famous catchphrase and Baldwin made no further appearances during the show.
Baldwin returned to the show for the first time after last year’s fatal shooting alongside then-host Timothée Chalamet in a surprise appearance for the show’s customary close.
As was the case this time, he did not comment on the lawsuit surrounding Hutchins’ death.
Halyna Hutchins, 42, was a mother of one and rising cinematographer when she was fatally shot on the set of ‘Rust’
Film set gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed poses for a mugshot after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter
Baldwin holds his wife Hilaria as he leaves the courthouse in July, shortly after a judge dismissed his manslaughter case
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, the gunsmith on the set of Rust, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year and sentenced to 18 months in prison, a sentence Baldwin would have received if found guilty.
Baldwin’s case, meanwhile, was dismissed with prejudice, meaning prosecutors could not bring the same charges against him in the case, and the trial was dismissed outright.
Prosecutors in New Mexico had tried to prove that the actor’s behavior on the tragic set contributed to “safety compromises” that led to the incident, but were unable to do so after errors in their handling of evidence that a judge said ” affected the film’s fundamental honesty’. case’.
However, Hutchins’ widow and the father of her son Matthew Hutchins have stated that he hopes Baldwin will still be held accountable for his actions.
Baldwin and Rudolph parodied the vice president’s Fox News interview that aired earlier this week (photo)
Baldwin, meanwhile, is by far SNL’s most prolific host, having filled the role 17 times.
He first appeared on the show in 1990 and went on to steal scenes in iconic sketches such as those involving Schweddy Balls and Bill Brasky.
He holds the record for most episodes hosted, with his last job coming in 2017, several years before the Rust shooting.