The explosive finale of 'One of Us Is Lying' featured a gun in 2 pivotal scenes. The cast told us how the props department worked to ensure everyone felt safe.
- Two scenes in the "One of Us Is Lying" finale feature a character pointing a gun at people.
- Insider spoke to several "One of Us Is Lying" castmembers about gun safety in Hollywood.
During the climactic final scenes of the first season of "One of Us Is Lying," a new teen drama from Peacock, the true villain of the show is finally revealed.
The psychological thriller, based on a book of the same name by Karen M. McManus, begins very innocently when five teens get detention. But "The Breakfast Club" vibes vanish when an allergic reaction kills Simon (Mark McKenna), the mind behind Bayview High's gossip app, About That.
Simon doesn't hide the fact that he runs the scandalous app, so plenty of people have motives to kill him. The kids in detention are obvious suspects, so they have to stick together to clear their names and expose the true mastermind of Simon's murder.
Two of the most pivotal moments in the finale episode titled "One of Us Is Dead," featured the true murderer, Jake (Barrett Carnahan), brandishing a gun. First, he points one at Nate (Cooper van Grootel), Cooper (Chibuikem Uche), and Janae (Jessica McLeod) so they'll let him into his room at the Halloween party.
Insider spoke to Carnahan, Cochrane, and Uche on October 22, just a day after the fatal shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin's move "Rust" that caused the death of the director of photography Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. The trio spoke about gun safety on their set and the changes they want to see in Hollywood moving forward.
The cast got to hold the prop gun every time it was on set for a scene
Precautions were taken on set to make sure the gun was safe to handle, the actors said — even though Carnahan was the primary person handling the gun.
Carnahan said that the props department "was constantly reminding us that this was not a real firearm."
"The hammer couldn't even go back. The barrel was not a real barrel," he continued. "There was no chamber. There was nothing inside. It was a completely fake gun. For most of the scenes, we had a fake rubber gun as well."
The actors also got the chance to hold the prop gun every time it was on set. Carnahan said the props department was "very open" to letting the actors pass the prop around so they were comfortable with it during the scene, "just so that everybody was aware" of what was being used.
Uche told Insider that he appreciated that every actor was given the chance to hold it and see it for themselves.
"Not just once, but before each time the gun was brought on set, you could see it so that it wasn't, 'Oh, well, when we did it yesterday, it was empty,'" he said. "No, we had that assurance every single time the gun was brought on set for the scene."
'One little mistake' can cause a tragedy, said Cochrane, calling for more conversations about safety on sets
Though the "One of Us Is Lying" cast felt safe every time a gun appeared on set, they acknowledged that the entertainment industry has to continue having conversations about conditions on set.
"Safety is paramount," Uche said.
Carnahan added "that there definitely needs to be more of a conversation, moving forward when it comes to using actual firearms on set. Whether it's rubber, whether it's a prop, whether it's a real gun, no matter what it should never ever be taken lightly."
Cochrane pointed out that because the entertainment industry has been following certain practices for so many years, it's possible that many sets "skip over" safety checks because "you think you have it figured out."
"But one little mistake or one kind of lax effort, because nothing has happened in a while, causes this horrible, horrible accident," she said, referring to the October shooting on the "Rust" set.
Cochrane also referenced the recent strike threat by a union that represents Hollywood's crew members as evidence that safety conditions on set need to be improved.
As reported by Insider's senior reporter Elaine Low and fellow Francis Agustin, the union was working to improve "problematic working conditions in the industry," including issues with wages, time off, and enacting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
An agreement was reached between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and IATSE on October 16, but Cochrane said discussions need to continue.
"They were just fighting for basic safety procedures and rules, so that you can go home at night ... after a 19-hour day on set [and] you [won't] fall asleep at the wheel," she said. "How are we not placing human life above all else? Why does money come above human life?"
The first season of "One of Us Is Lying" is available to stream now on Peacock.