Succession's Brian Cox shares his thoughts on 'unbelievable' Alec Baldwin shooting

Brian Cox has shared his thoughts on the Alec Baldwin shooting, calling the fatal misfiring accident on the Rust film set 'unbelievable'. 

The Succession Season 3 star spoke candidly about the high-profile tragedy during his appearance on BBC Breakfast on Thursday, touching on his own experiences of gun safety measures throughout his career. 

Alec, who is friends with Brian, killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, after shooting a loaded prop gun whilst rehearsing a scene on October 21. 

The weapon had been wrongfully declared 'cold' by assistant director Dave Halls, who then handed it to the 63-year-old actor. Hutchins was airlifted to hospital after the bullet struck her chest, only to be pronounced dead by medics on arrival. 

Director Joel Souza was injured in the shooting and brought to a nearby hospital, before being discharged later that day. The devastating accident has left the international film and TV industry stunned, prompting heated questions on the safety protocol for firearms on live sets. 

Brian, who has used guns throughout his career in Hollywood, was quick to offer his take on the horrific case. 

"This was just unbelievable," Cox told BBC Breakfast hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt. "Unbelievable." 

The 75-year-old went on to share his perspective on "what went wrong", detailing how the Western film's financial limitations could have compromised safety measures. 

"It was a low-budget film, so it was probably low staff," he speculated. "And I know they had problems with the staff...some of the staff went off, they left and they got in a lot of non-union people." 

After clarifying that the walkouts did not include any staff from the "armory side", Brian admitted he's privy to inside information about what went wrong. 

"There was something that went on with that gun," he said. "I don't know what it was. I've been told what it was but I can't tell you here." 

Brian went on to recount his own experiences of using guns on set, revealing that the weapon specialists usually follow strict protocol when handling the dangerous devices. 

“They are so particular about weapons. The armorers are really excellent," he added. 

“I’ve never had any problems and I’ve fired a lot of guns in my time, and I’ve never had a problem." 

An investigation into the tragedy is currently being conducted by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, and the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.