Alec Baldwin made a controversial return to “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) this past weekend after recently evading manslaughter charges for the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust.
His reappearance on the show sparked intense backlash, with many viewers questioning why he was allowed back on the iconic stage given the severity of the incident.
During his guest appearance, Baldwin portrayed Fox News host Bret Baier in a skit that parodied an interview Baier conducted with Vice President Kamala Harris, played by SNL alum Maya Rudolph.
Baldwin’s return to the show, however, was met with strong reactions online, as many felt it was inappropriate for him to resume his comedy work so soon after the high-profile legal case.
“Why is Alec Baldwin being allowed on SNL? He shot and killed someone on a movie set,” one viewer commented on social media. Another critic voiced their outrage, stating, “Even if it was an accident, that person is dead. Her family and friends will never see her alive EVER again. Alec Baldwin should show some respect by not showing his face on TV let alone #SNL ever again.”
Despite the criticism, Baldwin’s return to SNL was strategically low-key. Known for his portrayal of former President Donald Trump in previous seasons, he avoided revisiting that role in this episode. Instead, SNL cast member James Austin Johnson took over the Trump role in a different skit, leaving Baldwin to focus solely on his role as Baier.
The skit itself poked fun at a recent Fox News interview in which Baier mistakenly introduced the wrong clip during the broadcast, providing SNL an opportunity to bring in another familiar face—Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden.
Baldwin’s appearance, which opened the show, garnered audible gasps from the live audience, signaling that his return was as shocking to those in the studio as it was to viewers at home. After his opening bit as Baier, Baldwin did not make any further appearances in the episode.
The controversy surrounding Baldwin’s return stems from the Rust shooting incident in October 2021, in which Baldwin accidentally discharged a prop gun that killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Baldwin was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the case against him was dismissed in April 2023, following legal complications related to evidence handling.
Prosecutors in New Mexico alleged that Baldwin’s actions on the set contributed to the unsafe conditions that led to the fatal shooting. However, errors in the investigation and evidence collection ultimately impacted the fairness of the trial, according to the judge overseeing the case.
While Baldwin’s charges were dropped, other key figures involved in the incident did not escape legal consequences. Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the 26-year-old armorer responsible for weapons safety on the Rust set, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Despite the dismissal of Baldwin’s charges, the family of Halyna Hutchins continues to seek justice. Her widower, Matthew Hutchins, expressed hope that Baldwin would one day be held accountable for his role in the tragedy, although Baldwin maintains that he was unaware the gun was loaded and has consistently called the incident a “tragic accident.”
The SNL appearance marks Baldwin’s tentative step back into the public spotlight following the legal proceedings, but the backlash suggests that many are still uncomfortable with the actor resuming his career in the wake of such a devastating event.
Whether this will impact Baldwin’s future work in entertainment remains to be seen, but the SNL episode has certainly reignited public debate over his accountability and the ethics of his return to the spotlight so soon after the incident.