Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito Reveals How Miami Vice Affected Gus Fring

[RedDragon86]

Giancarlo Esposito's Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul character Gus Fring is one of the most acclaimed villains of modern television, so it may be surprising to hear Esposito's inspiration for the character came from a classic television series. Esposito revealed his time on the cop drama Miami Vice certainly played a factor in creating Gus Fring, but it wasn't one of the characters he played on the former series that inspired him. Instead, Esposito said his inspiration came from a cop, specifically Edward James Olmos' Lt. Castillo:

"He wasn't a guy that seemed like a stereotypical police captain who runs around yelling orders, telling people what to do. He was very laid back and very, very relaxed. And I wanted to take it even further. I wanted to make Gus more of an observer than anything else and I wanted to make him completely unreadable.... Only a little bit of twinkle in his eye or fear or 'What is this guy thinking?' from the audience standpoint, so that they were not really knowing what decision Gus might make"

[Robbie C.]

Funny...I don't know that I'd call Castillo relaxed. Or laid back. I'd use words more like deliberate and intense. I suppose if you weren't paying attention he might look laid back or relaxed...like an alligator just before it takes your leg off.

[RedDragon86]

21 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

Funny...I don't know that I'd call Castillo relaxed. Or laid back. I'd use words more like deliberate and intense. I suppose if you weren't paying attention he might look laid back or relaxed...like an alligator just before it takes your leg off.

I think that's what he wants you to see him as, but as you say behind that he is intense.

That's his trick, and with Gus too, its a facade. When I first watched Breaking Bad Gus came across as respectful man that didn't say much but then you finally saw what he was all about later on and that was the same with Marty, especially in the Golden Triangle episodes.

Edited June 1, 2019 by RedDragon86