Alec Baldwin is reportedly working on making his return to the spotlight in his first role since the tragic shooting on the set of Rust in October 2021. The 64-year-old actor has been tapped to star in a revival of Tony-winning play Art by Yasmina Reza, expected to open next year, a source revealed to The New York Post. The actor has not appeared in any projects since the shooting in New Mexico, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.
The source revealed that the show is expected to open at the Shubert Theater, and it will also reportedly star a number of Broadway stars including John Leguizamo and Tony Shalhoub. Tony-winning director Matthew Warchus, who directed the show’s original English-language premiere, is also expected to work on the project.
Yasmina, 63, who wrote Art, also penned the Tony-winning play God Of Carnage, which she won the Best Play award for and Matthew took home the Best Director award for in 2009. Art originally premiered in Paris in 1994, and it hit the Great White Way four years later, with a cast that featured Alan Alda, Alfred Molina, and Victor Garber.
The October shooting on the Rust set is still being investigated. Halyna’s family has filed a lawsuit against Alec for wrongful death. While the 30 Rock actor has not taken on any roles since the shooting, he has done some interviews where he’s spoken about his emotions since the shooting. Alec denied pulling the trigger while the gun was pointed at the cinematographer in his first interview with George Stephanopoulos for ABC News in December. “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never,” he said.
At another point in that same interview, Alec mourned Halyna’s tragic death, not only reflecting on the tragic accident, where she was killed but also how close he was with her. “I would go to any lengths to undo what happened,” he explained. “She was someone who was loved by everyone who worked with and liked by everyone.”