Sean Kanan Says Rust Shooting Increased Gun Safety On Bold and the Beautiful

The tragedy on the set of Rust has reverberated throughout Hollywood, and new safety protocols have been put in place. The Bold and the Beautiful star Sean Kanan explained how those new rules of conduct affect the soap’s production.

Personally Inspects On-Set Weapons

Tragedy occurred on the set of the film Rust in 2021 when a gun was given to star Alec Baldwin, who allegedly fired it, killing Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer, and seriously injuring the director, Joel Souza. The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, received 18 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter, while similar charges against Baldwin were eventually dropped due to alleged impropriety with the evidence against him (via West Island Community News).

The subsequent adoption of stricter gun safety protocols has resonated across Hollywood, which includes the sets of soap operas. (Find out more about the Rust tragedy.)

B&B’s Sean Kanan (Deacon) appeared on a recent episode of the Domenick Nati Show and was asked how the tragedy could have happened on the ill-fated production and who he thought should be held accountable. Kanan responded, “Maintenance of the chain of possession of a firearm on a set starts and stops with the armorer. Anytime that I’ve used a weapon on set, you know, production has stopped. Everyone is alerted that there’s a weapon on set. I will personally inspect it myself.”

He couldn’t speak to what happened on the set of Rust, as he wasn’t there. However, he was aware of dummy rounds that look exactly like live ones and stated that if he was shown a bullet and told it was a fake round, “At that point, I would have to take the armorer’s word on it.”

Industry Changes Felt Across the Board

Kanan couldn’t respond about Alec Baldwin’s actions but explained that if someone was given a gun on a set with two bullets, they could theoretically ask the armorer to fire one off to illustrate whether it was a dummy round or not, adding,  “But they don’t normally do that.”

Speaking about his experience on B&B, Kanan stated, “I do know that subsequent to that happening, I noticed a marked increase in the level of attention and seriousness anytime I was on a set that was even using a real or a fake gun, and that’s exactly how it should be.” He further remarked, “I know we’re always very careful on Bold and the Beautiful, but, you know, we never use live guns. But occasionally, we’ll have somebody playing a police officer or detective, and they’ll have a fake gun, and it’ll be treated the same.”

He explained that production stops so that cast and crew can participate in a safety meeting where the armorer informs everyone about the weapon on set, and anyone who wants to examine it is allowed to. The entire situation is treated very seriously he said, noting, “Nobody is making any kinds of quips or jokes. I mean it’s treated with the gravity that it deserves.” Kanan then explained that everyone along the chain of command involved in using a firearm on a set should be held culpable.

Deacon’s Not Going Anywhere

Fans will be happy to know that when the host addressed rumors that Deacon may be killed off on B&B, Kanan grinned and replied, “I don’t even entertain that kind of negative energy. No. Deacon’s alive and well and a very popular character. Next year will be my 25th year on the Bold and the Beautiful off-and-on, and I don’t think I’m getting taken out.” (Learn how Kanan helps people lose weight!)