In many ways, “Breaking Bad” is a show about watching the hero become the villain. While Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) goal of earning enough money for his family by cooking and selling crystal meth is morally dubious from the start, his motivation is pure and relatable enough that viewers still get behind him as a protagonist.
Of course, it helps that his opponents happen to be so malevolent. Few TV bad guys are as scary as Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) in “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad.” Cold, calculating, and perpetually stone-faced, Gus is a force to be reckoned with, and that makes Walter’s Season 4 chess match with the kingpin all the more intense and riveting to watch.
Naturally, being the main character, Walter does come out on top in the end. Still, Esposito told Time that he wasn’t just satisfied with how Gus went out on “Breaking Bad,” he was actually honored. The actor recalled learning about what would happen to Gus from Vince Gilligan himself long before it came to pass. “I was honored that he let me know 11 episodes in advance. I’m eternally grateful to Vince for that.”
Giancarlo Esposito got a say in how Gus went out
Giancarlo Esposito explained how he met with “Breaking Bad” creator and showrunner Vince Gilligan after Gus’ pivotal moment in Season 4, Episode 1 — “Box Cutter.” “I got called to Vince’s office, and he had me sit down for our conversation. That’s never good,” the actor said. “So I went in and started talking about directing, and we talked with the door open, but then he got up to close the door to the office.”
It’s a common professional courtesy to let an actor know that their character is going to be killed off of a show. Still, considering Esposito’s towering performance as Gus Fring, Gilligan gave him some say in how Gus would spend his last moments on “Breaking Bad.”
“We came to [an] agreement that allowed me to be particular,” Esposito recalled. “We both thought it would be like Gus to survive an explosion for a few seconds and that in those few seconds, he would button his jacket and straighten his tie — then just keel over and die.”
While the shock is certainly palpable when Gus comes walking out of that room, it’s ultimately the perfect sendoff for the iconic “Breaking Bad” character. All the same, this death scene could have looked a lot different without Esposito’s input and what automatic mannerisms he thought Gus might slip into during his final moments.
