Alec Baldwin says he doesn?t care if career is over after shooting incident

Alec Baldwin said his 40-year acting career "could be" over after the shooting incident on the set of the western Rust that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

In a lengthy and emotional interview on US TV with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Baldwin added that he "couldn't give a shit" about his career.

The actor said he did not pull the trigger on the gun that killed Hutchins, 42, and injured Souza, 48. The gun he was holding, which Baldwin believed to be safe, went off during rehearsals for the western, in an incident that shocked Hollywood and prompted a reckoning over production safety and the use of weapons on set.

Baldwin responded to comments by fellow actors, such as George Clooney, who said they checked guns themselves, saying: "There were a lot of people who felt it necessary to contribute some comment to the situation, which really didn't help the situation at all. If your protocol is you checking the gun every time, well, good for you. Good for you."

He added: "My protocol was to trust the person that had the job."

Baldwin, who was also credited as a producer on the film, questioned how a live bullet ended up in a gun.

"There's only one question to be resolved, and that's where did the live round come from?" Baldwin said the interview with Stephanopoulos that aired Thursday night. The interview was first time the actor has spoken in-depth on camera about the 21 October shooting.