Breaking Bad: Giancarlo Esposito Didn't Want Anyone To See Him Before Filming Gus' Death
While the series as a whole is incredible, there are certain moments throughout "Breaking Bad" that stand out from the pack. One of the most shocking was the death of the "Miami Vice"-inspired Gustavo "Gus" Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), who met his end courtesy of Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis). He rigged his wheelchair to explode during a meeting with Fring, and though he could stand up and straighten his tie in the aftermath, Fring's wounds proved too severe for him to survive. This scene endures among the most iconic from the show, and Esposito was very particular about how he wanted to prepare for it.
As he explained during a behind-the-scenes interview (via Movies Breaker on YouTube), he wanted to avoid the cast and crew as much as he could prior to filming the scene. Not only did he want to avoid reactions to the incredible burn prosthetics put on him for the scene, but he wanted to be in the proper headspace once the cameras started rolling. "I wanted to be in the moment of the reality and truth of what I had to do," Esposito explained. Suffice to say, the moment couldn't have come together any better.
Of course, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Gus Fring's death is one of the best "Breaking Bad" moments of them all. Right up until the end, Giancarlo Esposito never turned in underwhelming performances as the character, likely thanks to his strategies for bringing him to life.
Esposito worked hard to get his take on Fring just right
The thing that makes Gus Fring such an intimidating presence on "Breaking Bad" is his unnerving sense of calm. He can certainly tap into extreme levels of rage and aggression, but for the most part, he always gives off the impression that he's relaxed and collected. That delicate balance isn't an easy one for an actor to strike, but for someone with the skill of Giancarlo Esposito, perfecting that portrayal became second nature in due time. All it took was crafting the right strategy for finding Fring's demeanor.
"The thing that does it for me is to sit in silence and to be quiet. In the beginning, my yoga practice pulled me in because it allowed my mind to still and not think about anything but a one-pointed thought," Esposito told Vulture of his pre-filming ritual to slip into the Gus Fring character. He goes on to explain that in his mind, Fring is a man who has very much been formed by the trauma and otherwise dangerous situations he found himself in prior to the events of "Breaking Bad." Thus, he knows how to operate under pressure and doesn't trust a soul.
Gus Fring is arguably one of the greatest television villains of all time and, coupled with excellent writing, Giancarlo Esposito's performances made it possible for him to reach that status.