Before Better Call Saul started, Giancarlo Esposito had already executed a masterful performance when he portrayed the genius, calculating, and mellow restaurant owner/drug kingpin Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad. Now, Esposito has spoken about his time as Gus Fring on Better Call Saul and what he was able to bring to the role on his second go-around.
Esposito went into detail about what it was like to add to the lure of Gus Fring in Better Call Saul. While Esposito didn't add anything that was completely out of character for the Fring Breaking Bad fans knew, he brought some new dimensions to Gus that were all too believable nonetheless.
"[The writers] were able to see the crack in my veneer, in terms of how I controlled the chaos and led my organization, and were able to write to a certain vulnerability or fear of Lalo Salamanca," Esposito told Entertainment Weekly. Esposito added that the saga with Salamanca helped him bring out a whole new side of Gus. "Then I was able to be more vulnerable, and a little more frustrated in my performance that Lalo was a worthy opponent, and I couldn't figure out where he was, how to get him, how to be ahead of him. And that kernel allowed me to explore a different part of Gus Fring than I had ever explored before."
Esposito has expressed his desire to play Gus Fring again in a possible prequel multiple times, and for good reason. Fring is one of the most iconic villains to ever grace television, and Esposito's ability to capture how Gus functions is the reason why. What makes his villainy so terrifying is how well he can capture such a welcoming face and persona while being so diabolical on the inside, and become someone who knows how to make revenge a dish best served cold. But to see him be frightened of Lalo towards the end of Better Call Saul truly was a breath of fresh air regarding a character who audiences thought they already knew more than enough about. Not even Walter White managed to make Fring scared.
Fring's such a compelling character that it makes sense why Esposito would want to play him again. Even though Better Call Saul brought out a new side of Fring, the show did not reveal much about his backstory before immigrating to America, which is what fans wanted to see when he first returned to the role in 2017. Even though that didn't take away from the experience, the fans share a mutual desire with Esposito to see Fring's true backstory. Gilligan has not ruled out expanding on the Breaking Bad universe, but at the time being, he wants to focus on new projects instead.
It's also important not to potentially mess up such an iconic character. Remember when The Sopranos had that prequel, The Many Saints of Newark? That wasn't well-received by fans despite it giving more of Tony Soprano's backstory. While it would be great to see what Fring was like growing up, there is always the chance a prequel like that could screw up his character. Remember how fans didn't unanimously praise El Camino? That's the risk they'd be taking if they did something like that with Gus.
Better Call Saul can currently be streamed on Netflix.
Source: Entertainment Weekly