What The Breaking Bad Cast Is Doing Today

"Breaking Bad" is unquestionably one of the most successful television shows in modern history. It boasts an intriguing narrative, brilliant writing, and even manages to end on a high note — something that other high profile television series should learn from (here's looking at you, "Game of Thrones"). A large reason why the AMC drama became such a hit with critics and fans was because of the compelling characters and the masterful performances of the actors who portrayed them.

Over the course of its five seasons, the "Breaking Bad" story saw these figures evolve, morphing in front of viewers due to their choices and actions. This made household names of the likes of Aaron Paul and Jesse Plemons while also catapulting stars such as Bryan Cranston to new heights. Having been part of the cast of such a huge show, it shouldn't be that surprising that many of the actors from "Breaking Bad" have gone on to have successful careers in movies and television. Here's everything that the cast has been up to since the show ended.

Despite appearing in all five seasons of "Breaking Bad," Badger — real name Brandon Mayhew — is not one of the main cast members. However, he still plays an important role in the series as one of Jesse Pinkman's closest friends. When he first appears in the series, Badger is working as a walking billboard but takes little persuading to take part in Jesse's criminal machinations. Over the course of the next few seasons, Badger helps Jesse make meth and works as a dealer for the Heisenberg enterprise. In his final appearance in "Breaking Bad," Badger helps Walter White trick Elliott and Gretchen Schwartz into thinking they are being watched by hitmen.

Actor Matt Jones reprised his role as Badger in the "Breaking Bad" sequel movie "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" in 2019, where the character helped Jesse evade the authorities following the massacre that happened at the end of the AMC series. He has also been a regular cast member on the sitcom "Mom" as Baxter and portrayed Douglas Wheeler as part of the main cast of "Bob Hearts Abishola." More recently, Jones has voiced a character in the animated superhero comedy series "Hamster & Gretel" and played Wedge in several "Final Fantasy VII" games.

Scottish actor Laura Fraser was something of a late arrival to the '"Breaking Bad" franchise. She first appears during the fifth season of the show as an associate of Gus Fring and part of his extensive drug empire. Lydia Rodarte-Quayle is an employee at Madrigal Electromotive, where she uses her position to supply methylamine to Walter, Jesse, and Mike Ehrmantraut. Calculating and ruthless, she is willing to sacrifice anyone to ensure her own safety, but this proves to be her undoing in the end. Walt fatally poisons Lydia after returning to Albuquerque with ricin.

Like some of the other characters who returned for "Better Call Saul," Lydia plays a part in the prequel series where she works with Gus in establishing his drug business. Outside of her roles in the "Breaking Bad" franchise, Fraser appeared in 13 episodes of "Black Box" in addition to making guest appearances in the likes of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Houdini and Doyle." Back in her native U.K., the actor portrayed Eve Stone in eight episodes of the 2016 drama series "The Missing" and was involved in an episode of "Doctor Who" in 2020. In recent years, she's had recurring roles in "The Pact," "Crime," and "Traces."

Jesse Plemons is the actor behind Todd Alquist in "Breaking Bad," a character fans consider beyond redemption. Todd meets Walt, Jesse, and Mike through his job at Vamonos Pest and works with the trio by setting up makeshift meth labs in unsuspecting homes. He later joins the drug enterprise largely thanks to his association with his uncle Jack Welker's white supremacist gang. Todd goes on to imprison Jesse and take over the job of cooking Walter's signature blue meth before his death at the hands of Jesse and Walt.

Plemons returned to the franchise in 2019 for the film "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," with his character appearing in a series of flashbacks. You may have also seen Plemons in the likes of "Bridge of Spies," "The Irishman," and "Killers of the Flower Moon." He was nominated for an Oscar for his turn in 2022's "The Power of the Dog." On television, Plemons played protagonist Ed Blumquist during the second season of "Fargo," a performance that earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination. His second Emmy nomination came for the "USS Callister" episode of "Black Mirror" in 2018, with a third nomination for his part in 2023's "Love & Death," the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries.

Like Badger and Saul Goodman, Skinny Pete is a character in "Breaking Bad" who provides a fair amount of comedy moments in addition to some great dramatic scenes. A friend of Jesse, Skinny Pete (played by Charles Baker) works with him and Walter at various points during the show, appearing in every season while managing to stay out of trouble for the most part. Usually showing up with Badger, the supporting character does everything from pedaling meth to pretending to be an assassin.

If you've been wondering what happened to Skinny Pete from "Breaking Bad," we've got you covered. On top of reprising his "Breaking Bad" role in the film "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," Baker went on to have a recurring role in "The Blacklist" and subsequently popped up in "Perry Mason," "Mayor of Kingstown," and "The Mandalorian." The actor has also had roles in a number of movies, including "Approaching the Unknown" and "Alterscape." Baker is set to appear in Kevin Costner's "Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2."

Giancarlo Esposito joined "Breaking Bad" near the end of the second season as Gustavo Fring. The character emerges as the main antagonist of the series up until his demise at the hands of Walter. On the surface, Fring is a calm figure and respected businessman. However, he uses his apparently legitimate businesses, such as Los Pollos Hermanos, as a front for his criminal drug empire. Initially, he works alongside the Mexican cartel but instigates a bloody coup to take over the drug trade in the Southwestern United States and cement himself as the most powerful kingpin in the series.

Esposito returned to the world of "Breaking Bad" for the prequel series "Better Call Saul," which charts his rise in prominence and gives more backstory for the villain. His performances in the show earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Critics Choice Award win. The actor was again nominated for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Moff Gideon in "The Mandalorian" on two occasions and has since appeared in the shows "Parish," "The Boys," and "The Gentlemen." Esposito will appear in "Captain America: Brave New World" in 2025. He's rumored to be playing the veteran mercenary George Washington Bridge.

Mike Ehrmantraut, played by Jonathan Banks, debuts right at the end of Season 2 of "Breaking Bad" during the episode "ABQ." He appears to be something of a fixer for the criminal underworld and is sent to clean Jesse's apartment by Saul Goodman after Jane choked to death on her own vomit. It is later revealed that Mike is actually the right hand man of Gustavo Fring and works as head of security for his criminal operation in Albuquerque. Before his death in Season 5, Mike goes on to work with Jesse and Walt after the death of Gus.

Banks returned for both "Better Call Saul" and "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," winning praise for his performances in both. He was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for "Better Call Saul," adding to the earlier nomination he had for "Breaking Bad." Since saying goodbye to Mike, Banks has voiced characters in "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" and "Kite Man: Hell Yeah!" In 2024, he played the characters Bud and Henry Caldera in the Apple TV+ science fiction series "Constellation," starring alongside Noomi Rapace and James D'Arcy.

Steven Michael Quezada is an actor who appears regularly throughout the run of "Breaking Bad," playing the DEA agent Steve Gomez. The character is a close associate of Hank Schrader, acting as his partner at the DEA, and he works directly with him on the Heisenberg case. Steve has an important role to play as he battles against the Mexican cartel and starts to uncover Gustavo Fring's secret drug operation. He is killed during the events of "Ozymandias" in a shootout with Jack Welker's gang.

Unlike some other "Better Call Saul" characters who appear in almost every episode, Quezada returned only briefly for two episodes of the prequel series, interrogating Krazy-8 in the fifth season. He has since gone on to appear in television series such as "Roswell, New Mexico" and "Magnum P.I." as well as movies including "3 from Hell," "Wish Man," and the 2023 erotic thriller "Strange Darling." Quezada also has a comedy special on Amazon Prime and has worked in politics as the Chair of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Bob Odenkirk joined "Breaking Bad" as instant fan favorite Saul Goodman (whose real name is Jimmy McGill, we later discover) during its second season. The character is a lawyer who is more than willing to work with criminals to help conceal their actions and evade authorities. After joining forces with Walter and Jesse, Saul takes up an important role in their drug business by advising them on how to navigate the criminal underworld and launder their money. When the DEA starts closing in on Walter and his allies, Saul goes into hiding and disappears to Omaha, Nebraska.

Odenkirk took up a starring role in the "Breaking Bad" prequel "Better Call Saul," which charts Jimmy's rise from a small-time scammer to the unscrupulous Albuquerque criminal lawyer. The actor and comedian was nominated for over a dozen Primetime Emmy Awards for his work in "Better Call Saul," and he won a Critics Choice Award for the show. Odenkirk suffered a serious heart attack while filming "Better Call Saul" in 2021 that required surgery to save his life. He starred in the hit action film "Nobody" that same year, and in 2023, he took on the lead role in the dark comedy series "Lucky Hank." He also made a guest appearance in "The Bear" in 2023, which led to another Primetime Emmy nomination.

Walter White Jr. is the only son of Walter White and Skyler White. Portrayed by RJ Mitte, the character has cerebral palsy, making it difficult for him to speak and walk. During early episodes of the show, he shows some indifference towards his parents but is deeply affected when his father is diagnosed with cancer. Walter Jr. goes out of his way to help his dad and persuades him to seek treatment, although he later sides with his mother after learning of his father's criminal activities and the role he played in Hank's death.

Mitte continued to work in television and movies after "Breaking Bad" concluded. This includes portraying Mind Master in several episodes of the Netflix series "The Guardians of Justice" and a regular role in 2024's "HCBS Final Rule: The Animated Series," playing the character Lorenzo. He has also put his efforts into projects off screen, acting as an ambassador for charities focused on cerebral palsy, which he was diagnosed with as a child. Mitte has also appeared in an ad campaign for GAP and worked as a model for Vivienne Westwood. In 2016, he helped present the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro as part of British broadcaster Channel 4's coverage.

Dean Norris' Hank Schrader is a DEA agent and the brother-in-law of Walter White. He is present in the series from the very first episode and plays a significant role in inadvertently reuniting Walter with Jesse after he takes him on a ride-along to a drug bust. Although he seems brave and cocky, Hank actually has several insecurities and goes on to suffer from PTSD after witnessing some brutal deaths. During his stint on "Breaking Bad," which lasts until the Season 5 episode "Ozymandias," Hank investigates Heisenberg and eventually discovers his genuine identity, a realization that ultimately costs him his life.

After his stint in "Breaking Bad" came to an end, Norris was involved in the CBS sci-fi horror series "Under the Dome," adapted from the Stephen King novel of the same name. He played town councilman and used-car dealer Big Jim across all three seasons of the show. He then went on to have a main role in the TNT comedy series "Claws" as Clay Husser and played Art Dugan in "United States of Al" on CBS. In film, Norris has appeared in "The Book of Henry," "Death Wish," and "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."

Marie Schrader, portrayed by Betsy Brandt, is Hank's wife and the sister of Skyler, putting her in the middle of the White family disorder as Walter's actions slowly unravel all their personal lives. A somewhat stuck-up and shallow person, Marie works as a radiologic technologist and is a kleptomaniac who compulsively shoplifts. Yet, she deeply loves her family and cares for Hank when he is seriously injured.

Brandt returned briefly for a cameo in the "Better Call Saul" finale, marking her final appearance as Marie. Prior to this, she was due to portray a main character in the ABC series "Members Only," but the show was dropped before it made it to air. She later joined the cast of the comedy "Life in Pieces" on CBS, starring alongside the likes of Colin Hanks and Zoe Lister-Jones. She appeared in 79 episodes of the show as Heather Hughes, the wife of Dan Bakkedahl's Dr. Tim Hughes. Other notable credits include the show "Love, Victor" and the films "Run Sweetheart Run" and "The Valet."

Anna Gunn's Skyler White may have been the most hated "Breaking Bad" character, but that didn't stop the actor from picking up numerous major award nominations and wins for her performances. Skyler is the wife of Walter, though she's unaware of her husband's criminal activities for much of the show. Although disgusted by his behavior when she finally discovers the truth, she ends up staying with him for the sake of her two children. She survives through to the conclusion of the series, living a new life after making a deal with federal prosecutors.

After "Breaking Bad," Gunn appeared in a number of movies, including "Equity" and "Sully." In 2019, she had a role in the film "Deadwood" — reprising her role as Martha Bullock from the TV series — and has more recently starred in both "Land of Dreams" and "The Apology." On television, Gunn has held recurring and guest roles in the likes of "Shades of Blue," "Most Dangerous Game," and the Colin Farrell-starring Apple TV+ series "Sugar."

Out of Aaron Paul's many memorable roles, he will always be best known for portraying Jesse Pinkman in "Breaking Bad." Walt's former student and a habitual small-time drug user and dealer, it is Jesse that inspires "Mr. White" to start cooking meth. The pair form an unstable and haphazard partnership that is ultimately profitable and Jesse eventually takes the process more seriously, becoming just as good a cook as his mentor by the end of the show. However, he suffers greatly and loses several people who are close to him as a result of his criminal actions and drug use.

Paul reprised his part in the film "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," which focuses on his attempts to evade authorities and escape to Alaska following the events of the "Breaking Bad" series finale. He also voiced the character Todd Chavez in the Netflix animated series "Bojack Horseman" and appeared in films such as "Need for Speed," "Central Intelligence," and "American Woman." More recently, Paul played Caleb Nichols in "Westworld" and had a starring role in the "Black Mirror" episode "Beyond the Sea" in 2023. Paul also has his own range of mezcal called Dos Hombres, which he created with his former co-star Bryan Cranston.

Bryan Cranston may have been known mainly as a comedy actor for his roles in shows like "Malcolm in the Middle" before he landed the role of Walter White, but he quickly established himself as a dramatic force with his performances in "Breaking Bad." The chemistry teacher turns to cooking and selling meth following a cancer diagnosis, a decision that leads to him becoming one of the most feared drug kingpins in the United States. Initially appearing as a timid and quiet man, Walter shows a ruthless and conniving streak as he commits murder and violently cements his position as the mysterious Heisenberg. The character dies at the conclusion of the final episode in an ending that Cranston felt was perfect.

Cranston's acclaim from the crime drama has allowed him to work on a variety of television series and movies since. The actor received an Oscar nomination after appearing in "Trumbo" in 2016 and subsequently was cast in "The Infiltrator," "The Upside," and Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City." He co-developed the series "Sneaky Pete" alongside David Shore and he had a lead role in the show "Your Honor," which ran from 2020 to 2023. As a voice actor, he has lent his vocal talents to characters in "Isle of Dogs" and the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise. Cranston also won several awards, including a Tony Award, for his performance in the play "Network."