Halyna Hutchins

Halyna Hutchins was a Ukrainian-American cinematographer.

Her last work was on the Western film “Rust.” She lost her life on set after a gun held by actor Alec Baldwin discharged, killing her and injuring director Joel Souza.

Halyna Hutchins was born on April 10, 1979, in Horodets, Ukraine, and grew up in the Russian city of Murmansk. She studied international journalism at Kyiv National University and worked as an investigative journalist in Eastern Europe before moving to the United States in 2010.

Hutchins began her career as a cinematographer in 2013, working on short films and documentaries. She made her feature film debut in 2015 with the film Blindfire. Her other credits include the films Darlin' (2019) and Archenemy (2020).

On October 21, 2021, Halyna Hutchins was with Joel Souza, Alec Baldwin, and several others rehearsing a scene inside a church in New Mexico for the Western film “Rust.” The gun went off, striking and killing her.

In January 2023, Alec Baldwin and Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in collection with her death. The charges against Alec Baldwin were dropped without prejudice pending further investigation. The case against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed continues.

Halyna Hutchins is survived by her husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their son, Andros, who is a minor. Matthew Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and other Rust producers. The lawsuit was settled in October 2022. As part of the settlement, Matthew Hutchins became an executive producer on the film, which has been completed to honor Hutchins’ memory.

Halyna Hutchins was a talented and passionate cinematographer who was loved by all who worked with her. Her death was a tragic loss to the film industry, and her work will be remembered for years to come.