One of pop culture’s most terrifying characters would be Gustavo Fring ofBreaking BadandBetter Call Saul, the drug kingpin who masquerades as a fried chicken restaurant chain owner to hide his illegal deeds. For the public, Gus always has a smile on his face, allowing the more dastardly person that he really is to essentially hide in plain sight. Of course, those who’ve seen the other side of Gus behind closed doors would know how frightening he can be, able to brutally murder someone without showing a hint of emotion.
Portrayed byGiancarlo Esposito, the Gus character may not have ever been so well-received with fans had it been any other actor in the role. Along withBreaking Badcreator Vince Gilligan, Esposito helped create Gus upon getting cast, and how he approached the part was instrumental in creating that distinct vibe the character brings. As Esposito explains in a new interview (viaMr Feelgood), the actor recalls how crafting Gus started with finding the right voice, but it didn’t end there.
“As I was creating the role, I thought that this guy’s rhythm is different. So I started by whispering his lines, and then having his voice come to me, but there was still something else that I wanted.”
Esposito says he embraced meditation and yoga, regularly practicing both on the set ofBreaking Badevery day. That halped Esposito stay grounded with the “stillness” that makes Gus who he is. The actor also explains how he further made Gus different by focusing on how the Los Pollos Hermanos owner would react to silence.
“It was the awkwardness of the uncomfortable moment, and that needs space. I realized something about myself, that’s probably true for many others, that we’re uncomfortable with space so we fill it with a laugh, or whatever it is. I decided not to do that with Gus, and to fill that awkward space with a breath and an investigation. So I used that every day on the set, and my life changed.”
Related:Better Call Saul Star Giancarlo Esposito Is Still Hoping For a Rise of Gus Prequel
Have We Seen the Last of Gus Fring?
The final season ofBetter Call Sauljust recently premiered on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada, though it aired live on AMC last year. This marks the end of Esposito’s run in the role of Gus Fring, as there are no more spinoffs set in theBreaking Baduniverse that are planned. Of course, plans could change in the future, and Esposito has said many times he’d love to see aRise of Gusspinoff series.
“I’ve always kept these [Breaking Bad] pillars in my head, as much as I’ve wanted so much as an actor to explore Gus’s previous life — Gus' life in Chile, all these things,” Esposito previously toldEntertainment Weekly. “There is a yearning inside me, and I keep coming back to the Rise of Gus. It fits the puzzle, and we could see where he had come from and maybe explore more of who he really is underneath the mask.”
