When did you know that Gus Fring was not going to make it through this season of 'Breaking Bad'?
Giancarlo Esposito: Well, I had done the first episode [of the season], which was so profound in its writing and in the actions I had to take -- I had assumed that after doing that reprehensible act in ['Box Cutter'] that maybe the audience couldn't handle seeing Gus for a little while, and I was correct because he wasn't in the second and third episodes. The third episode, I came in and Vince was singing my praises and he hugged me in the hallway of the studio in Albuquerque and said, "Oh gosh, your work in ['Box Cutter'] is so stellar."
I think it was at the end of that third episode where he said, "Hey, can we talk?" I went to his office and we were having a conversation where I was asking him to please remember me in terms of directing [the show] because I am a director, and we were talking about some creative things.
He said, "Hold on a second, let me close the door," and I said "No, you're not closing the door." He said "No, I should close the door," and I said "No, I'm not going to let you close the door." He started laughing and I started laughing and of course, he closed the door and he said "You know, we're going to kill Gus," and I said "Yeah, I figured as much." He explained... all the reasons why it was really good for the show to do this, all the while singing my praises at the wonderful work that he thought I had done. He was saying that it is going to be a wild ride for Gus and for Walter this season.
And so he was very respectful and very lovely. I knew very early on, so I did not have to worry about Gus' ultimate demise, but just focus on, episode by episode, what I wanted to create along with the wonderful writing that was given to me.
It took the pressure off. I could just await every episode and be spontaneous and be without forethought of what that episode might be, knowing that in the end something fantastic was going to happen. We still didn't know then how [Gus' death] would happen, so I give full and complete credit to Vince and his writing team for being so creative in their ideas surrounding the characters and how they bring those ideas forth and present them to the actors on the show. It certainly allowed me to do some of the best work I have ever done.
Source: Full interview @ AOL TV
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