– Readers beware: spoilers ahead. –
Giancarlo Esposito is an accomplished actor recognised for his excellent performances in a string of Spike Lee productions, namely, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Mo’ Better Blues.
The 54 year old thesp has put in year after year of impressive acting performances over the course of a three decade long career; turning heads with his considerable acting talents in several major motion pictures like Michael Mann‘s Ali, benchmark thriller The Usual Suspects and cult-classic, The King of New York.
Esposito’s most distinguished work however, has been on the small screen; his chilling portrayal of Breaking Bad’s Gustavo Fring cold, scientific and, quite simply, incredible.
Esposito’s performance as Fring adds even more weight to the quality of Vince Gilligan’s crystal meth crime-drama, Breaking Bad. Esposito plays “Gus” - the ultimate villain; a duplicitous drug lord with enough chicanery to rival Keyser Söze. He is calm, calculated, meticulous and lethal with the number crunching, meth dealing and gang running. He’s the dude that doesn’t have to say a word, but still manages to strike fear into the hearts of those who come in his way; by sheer virtue of his eyes’ steely gaze. He is also very polite. He is the one they call the Chicken Man; owner of the fast food chain – Los Pollos Hermanos.
Catching up with Vulture, Esposito discusses Breaking Bad, his Emmy nod and the legacy of Gustavo Fring.
The respected actor reveals how he found out he was up for an Emmy, explaining: “I found out from my publicist Lee Wallman. Then my children at the same moment were calling, so I knew something was going on. All four of my girls got me on speakerphone to yell, ‘Congratulations, Papa, we knew you could do it!’ None of them watch the show except my eldest, of course.”
Esposito also opens up about his hopes for the fifth season of BB, outlining his preferred narrative trajectory for characters like Bryan Cranston’s Walt.
“I think Walt has gone all the way to the other side, and I’d love to see him become far more sinister than Gus. I’d like Gus to be present in his nightmares and struggles and that he becomes so Gus-like that it haunts his every pore. I curse him with that!”
Read Esposito’s full interview at Vulture.
