Giancarlo Esposito on Why He Initially Turned Down the role of Gus Fring

Gus Fring we are not the same Giancarlo Esposito breaking bad

Actor Giancarlo Esposito is now well-known and adored for his unsettling portrayal of Gus Fring. A terrifying and alluring character who first appeared in Breaking Bad and later in Better Call Saul. Giancarlo Esposito, however, initially Turned Down the role of Gus Fring because he didn’t want to be merely a guest and worried that Gus would be killed off too quickly.

I didn’t know the show at the time, said a host of Toronto Comicon in 2014. I was impressed with the quality and script when I asked to see an episode. By then, I had done so many commercials in my life that I wanted to be part of a family. 

I was not looking for another place as a guest. And, because I’m more experienced, my attitude was to explain that I could be dedicated to the show and add something. Still, they also had to show me dedication. And they have responded to this request.

Fortunately, Giancarlo Esposito, who has evolved into one of the best villains not only of Breaking Bad but also of television history in general, was retained by Gilligan and his associates on a long-term basis.

Giancarlo Esposito still wants a Rise of Gus prequel series.

I was falling apart during the last few days on the Better Call Saul set. I turn around, look over my shoulder and hear Vince Gilligan say, “You never know,” Esposito said of the potential for Fring’s story to continue another possible spinoff. 

I have always wished and thought there was room for the material for the rise of Gus. It would be interesting to know where it comes from; Something is fascinating about this. He came from a wealthy family and had the opportunity to lead not just the family but the government in another country. He had that kind of brain, that charisma, that stature.

I have the whole plot in my head linked to the fact that it comes from political reality. Gus comes from a world dominated by order. And that his order has arrived. He was a soldier. Outside the army, he has acquired the ability to observe. You can only be a leader if you can follow others.

In my brain, he held a high-ranking position in a military government. He could have stayed there and run the country. He was offered this possibility. But he chose a different path to be himself and find his power, regardless of what was offered. This is what he decided. 

Author: Yash Sahu