LOS ANGELES - Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial over a fatal shooting on the set of Western movie "Rust" began on Tuesday with the selection of a jury who will now decide if a crew member's death was his fault.
The Hollywood A-lister was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal in 2021 when it fired a live round, killing her and wounding the movie's director.
Baldwin says he did not know the gun was loaded and did not pull the trigger. Prosecutors say he broke basic gun safety rules and acted recklessly on set.
Dressed in a dark suit and tie, and wearing thick-rimmed glasses, Baldwin arrived at the courthouse Tuesday with his wife Hilaria, and one of their seven young children.
His brother Stephen, another Hollywood actor, also attended. The family did not speak to media, assembled from around the world outside the courthouse in the southwestern state of New Mexico.
Baldwin is world-famous for roles including hit comedy "30 Rock," as well as his scathing impersonations of Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live."
His case has garnered global attention, while sharply polarizing public opinion.
Sympathetic observers view Baldwin as a victim who has been pursued by prosecutors in part due to his status as a celebrity and liberal darling.
Others see the death as the easily avoidable result of a movie star's allegedly unpredictable behavior during filming.