How Giancarlo Esposito's Real-Life Story Inspired Gus From Breaking Bad
By Emily Bell
Giancarlo Esposito sat down with the "Back to One" podcast to discuss playing Gus Fring and the many other performances over his extensive career as an actor. Talking about Fring, Esposito said he found aspects of the character through his own history. "The clip-on tie, which was so special for me because I went to military school," Esposito said of the Los Pollos Hermanos outfit. "I used that clip-on tie, so here's my memory draw."
It's interesting to think that such a small element could be the key to a character early on for Esposito. The performer also spoke about keeping Gus' posture "ramrod straight" and always thinking of the character as "hiding in plain sight," two elements that are nearly always present in Gustavo Fring. However, Esposito found even more of who Gus is once he got out of his uniform.
"So for me, once Gus got out of that particular clothing, I realized all of my particular nature came out," the actor elaborated. "Now he's wearing a tie and a sport coat and when I'm wearing a tie and a sport coat, I feel differently; I feel good about myself." They say the clothes make the man, and this certainly seems to hold true with how Esposito connected with the character.
