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A multiple-times Emmy nominee, Giancarlo Esposito is known for perfectly depicting his versatility as one of the most emotionally complex actors across multiple genres. Holding acting credits to his name for innumerable projects, he is especially famous for his renditions in the comedy-dramaDo the Right Thing, the dramaMalcolm X, and the musical romanceMo’ Better Blues.
Then came the 2000s, and he scored the role of Gus Fring inBreaking Bad, and that was that. Not only did this series quite literally take his‘acting virginity’but it also established him in a whole other kind of role overnight. And while it must have been truly challenging to embody such a different role, he still couldn’t be more thankful for it for shaping his career to perfection.
Breaking BadShowed Giancarlo Esposito in a Whole Other Light
InBreaking Bad,Giancarlo Espositobrought Gustavo “Gus” Fring to life who was, in simple words, not what you would see of him at first impression. While he was the Chicken Man restaurant entrepreneur in the light, he also worked as a major narcotics distributor in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serving as the primary antagonist of the series to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.
Giancarlo Esposito Admits Living on “Breadcrumbs” after Having “Too many kids, too fast”
But while this role wasn’t his first gig,Esposito still had new territory to discoveras Gus. This was because Gus was quite literally a different breed. While he may initially not seem like it, it doesn’t take long for one to find out he’s a reserved, nefarious individual who prefers to stay calm, composed, and observant, thinking methodically instead of acting in haste.
This very element was what amused the actor the most about his character as well. As he shared in an interview withPeopleabout playing Gus in the series:
What I enjoyed the most was being able to create a character that was calm. I didn’t quite know how to do that, so the most enjoyable was to figure out how to drop my spirit, be calm, be observant to everyone else, take time before I spoke, and develop a very methodical way of speaking.
To say the least, this role managed to shape the 66-year-old actor’s career perfectly in ways more than one. This is as very few actors get to playsuch a calm, plotting character – and as tremendously as him – for the first time, at that – for it paved the way for him to play multiple other similar roles. Like that of Stan Edgar inThe Boysand Moff Gideon inThe Mandalorian.
Giancarlo Esposito Shared How “Breathing” Helped Him Play Gus
Of course, looking at his performance in the series, no one would be able to say that it was Esposito’s first time playing such a reserved character. This is all because, even though he had never embodied even a remotely similar character before, theBetter Call Saulactor still gave his best andused his yogic skills to help him bring the character to life.
Continuing during the same interview, he admitted to the same while revealing how he was unsure of how to tackle such a differently built character in the first place, saying:
I didn’t know how to do it, but I’m a practicing Yogi, so breathing. Breathing really helped.
As it turns out, breathing deeply – just like Gus can often be seen doing in the series – seemed to have helped Giancarlo Esposito tremendously in bringing the formidable, spine-chilling villain to life. And, of course, justifying his performance are all the innumerable accolades he won and got nominated for after embodying Gus to the best of his ability.
Breaking Bad can currently be streamed on Netflix.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
