The Breaking Bad Role That Was Written For Philip Seymour Hoffman

Crime dramas have been one of the most popular genres on television for decades. Still, even in the esteemed company of "The Wire," "The Sopranos," and "The Shield," "Breaking Bad" more than made its mark. While the AMC series was generally firing on all cylinders throughout its five-season run, few would argue that one of its strongest assets was its impeccable cast of talented performers.

From Bryan Cranston as Walter White to Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, there was no shortage of inspired choices when casting the show. In fact, even the series' side characters were played by heavy hitters like Jim Beaver and Robert Forster. And, according to one of the show's writers, one such side character was initially written with Phillip Seymour Hoffman in mind.

As noted on the Breaking Bad Insider podcast, Gale Boetticher (David Costabile) was originally written with Hoffman in mind. "We had heard that Philip Seymour Hoffman might be interested in being on Breaking Bad," said series writer Tom Schnauz. "We came up with the role of Gale thinking, 'Oh, maybe we'll offer this to him.' "I don't know if he wasn't interested or was busy, but that's the reason we got Gale in the first place," he explained of the character's genesis.

Unfortunately, as "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan revealed, despite allegedly liking the series, for one reason or another, Phillip Seymour Hoffman wasn't interested in joining the crime drama's cast. "That's right, we'd heard he liked the show," Gilligan said. "Little did we realize that does not equate in any way, shape, or form to wanting to be on the show."

A brilliant character actor, Hoffman was well-known for playing likable geeks and socially awkward outcasts. Since Gale fits both of these categories on "Breaking Bad," it definitely makes sense that the character was written with the late actor in mind. In the end, David Costabile went on to nab the role instead of Hoffman and made Gale a memorable supporting character in Season 3. All the same, it's hard not to wonder about how great Phillip Seymour Hoffman would have been in the role. The Oscar-winner was a force to be reckoned with, and would have almost certainly brought his own unique spin to the character.