Giancarlo Esposito enjoys playing the “bad guy” on AMC’s hit “Breaking Bad.”
Esposito’s character, Gustavo “Gus” Fring, is the polar opposite of Esposito’s everyday laid-back and soft demeanor.
“I’ve wanted to play Gus with grace and love behind it,” he says during a recent phone interview from California. “Yes, he’s dark, but he’s a dark person because of his business.”
| ‘Breaking Bad’ season 4 premiere 8 p.m. Sunday on AMC channel 254 on DirecTV; channel 130 on Dish Network. Check local Comcast listings. |
Tonight, things will start to get bad again – in a good way.
AMC’s “Breaking Bad” returns for its fourth season and is chock-full of surprises.
Over the course of 33 episodes and three seasons, “Breaking Bad” has become a critics’ darling – and it’s filmed entirely in and around the Duke City.
The show has received six Emmys – three consecutive for Bryan Cranston’s role as Walter White, one for Aaron Paul’s work as Jesse Pinkman, and two for single camera editing.
Entertainment Weekly has named the show the “best show on TV,” while Rolling Stone recently covered the show’s success in a feature.
Rolling Stone said, “There are elements of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Sopranos’ in ‘Breaking Bad’ but we’ve never seen anything quite like this mixture of the mundane and monstrous before. And that’s on purpose.”
(Side note: “Breaking Bad” is the No. 1 show in Australia, which runs one season behind the United States. The season 3 premiere had 2 million viewers, which was a record for the show in 2010.)
So how did a small show set in Albuquerque become one of the most highly anticipated shows on TV?
“We credit all the success to the team behind the show,” Cranston says during a phone interview. “We have great writing, great actors and a great crew. Having all of that really helps move along a production.”
Set and produced in Albuquerque, “Breaking Bad” is the story of Walter H. White, a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series.
He turns to a life of crime, producing and selling methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman, with the aim of securing his family’s financial future before he dies.
During its three seasons, audiences have followed various twists in the drug world drama and at the end of the past season, writers left audiences hanging to see if Pinkman had shot Gale Boetticher, played by David Costabile, per White’s instructions. Boetticher is a chemist hired by Fring to help set up the new laboratory and serve as White’s lab assistant.
“There are a lot of twists and turns in this season,” Esposito says. “In this season, I’ve had a chance to have great moments on screen with Aaron Paul.”
Esposito says there are monumental events in the season premiere that shook him up.
“It came down to whether I could do it and not hurt myself. That’s how intense the season is going to be.”
Esposito says he developed an expressive and minimal way to express himself when in character.
“With all the pressure of capturing the spectacular writing, it’s easy to overact,” he says.
While Esposito plays the villain in the series, it’s White’s character that audiences are enthralled with.
“When I first signed on for the show, I didn’t know what it was going to be like,” Cranston says. “As the show grew, I saw Walter growing as well. He’s a complex character and has his own perspective on life. I enjoy that I get to play that.”
RJ Mitte, who plays Walter White Jr., also says there is going to be a lot going on this season.
For one, Mitte’s character is finally 16 years old and gets his driver’s license.
“It’s going to be rough for a while for the White family,” he says. “The cartel is involved. It’s going to get pretty interesting as Walt and Hank (played by Dean Norris) get closer to each other in the kingpin’s world.”
Mitte does give one thing away about the show.
“There might be several people that lose their lives,” he says. “That’s all I’m allowed to say.”
Esposito says he’s excited for the season to progress because a lot of the plots move along faster.
“Stephen King had reviewed the show and mentioned that we need to get to the point faster,” he says. “The writers took note and we’re starting to see the point through Walter’s eyes.”
Duke City life
Cranston says he enjoys the fact that Albuquerque, as well as the world, has embraced “Breaking Bad.”
“There’s a sense of community that I really enjoy,” he says. “When we are filming, I’m always involved in community events and just trying to help out with organizations. It’s a good way to keep me busy.”
For six months out of the year, most of the cast lives in Albuquerque while “Breaking Bad” shoots in the city.
Cranston is the most visible because he volunteers with Youth Development Inc. and organized a charity softball game in May to benefit the organization.
“It’s important for me to give back to where I’m living,” he says. “The organizations that I work with are amazing and I’ll help out in any way.”
Esposito adds to Cranston’s love for the area.
“There’s something very wonderful to be surrounded by the mountains and good air,” he says. “It’s a wonderful place to work and it feels like home.”
For Mitte, living in Albuquerque for that time is becoming part of his teenage years.
The 18-year-old actor says he usually doesn’t leave the Duke City while filming because he’s so busy.
“I love going to the mountains,” he says. “I’ve even went to some dances at La Cueva (High School) and made a lot of good friends in the city.”
Series producer Vince Gilligan has said in recent interviews that he plans to run “Breaking Bad” through a fifth season.
“I’ll work on this series as long as they’ll have me,” Mitte says. “I’ve learned so much from all the actors that this has been the best experience.”
— This article appeared on page E1 of the Albuquerque Journal
Reprint story -- Email the reporter at agomez@abqjournal.com. Call the reporter at 505-823-3921
