'It unnerves people': Giancarlo Esposito reveals secret behind his menacing performance in 'Breaking Bad'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'I hide in plain sight' is one of the menacing lines and moments from Netflix's 'Breaking Bad' and it was uttered by none other than the show's primary Big Bad Gus. 'Breaking Bad' is one of the most celebrated TV shows of modern times, and Giancarlo Esposito plays Gustavo "Gus" Fring.
Esposito has managed to deliver an outstanding performance as a primary threat. He became one the integral parts of the show since its first appearance. Esposito went on to reprise his role in the prequel spin-off 'Better Call Saul'. For his role as Gustavo "Gus" Fring in "Breaking Bad', Esposito has garnered several nominations and wins, including winning Critics Choice Awards and Critics Choice Television Awards for 'Better Call Saul'.
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The Pinter Pause
During his recent appearance in GQ, Giancarlo Esposito, broke down his iconic characters, including his role in 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul'. While speaking about the threatening Big Bad in the aforementioned series, Esposito recalled the first time he got the role in 'Breaking Bad'. He went on to recall when he was cast as a series regular in 'Breaking Bad' and shared how he wanted to portray the formidable villain of the series. And to make his role more unnerving, Esposito used a simple technique called 'Pinter Pause' to make him more menacing and threatening. He acknowledged that the words were already good and made his character atypical. So he used the technique of slowing down the timing, which would make the atmosphere mysterious.
"I realized you can’t mess with the words. They were good… How do I slow the timing down? How do I slow my timing down, so I can hear more, so I can be contemplative, so I can allow space to affect me? And so when someone would say something to me, I wouldn’t answer right away. I would really hear them. Study them. And it unnerves people."
The silent treatment
Esposito gave the example that if his character were asked a question, he would keenly listen and not answer right away. And this would make the person opposite him rethink and examine the whole question in their head, which results in making his character, Gus, a more threatening figure. The ominous pause is the key to intimidation. Esposito noted that he used it, along with his yoga breathing practice to create the character trait.
"I mean, I realize if I don’t answer, I just look at you, what’s going on in your head may be, ‘Did I say something wrong? Am I stupid? Oh my God, is he gonna kill me? What’s happening with him right now? Does he have a pulse?"
Gus Fring, the drug lord
Gus Fring first appeared in season 2 of 'Breaking Bad'. While posing as a Chilean-American restaurant entrepreneur, Gus operates one of the most successful drug distributors in New Mexico. He rose to become the owner of the largest drug operation in US history. Gus has managed to strike the perfect balance between a pleasant appearance to the outside world and asserting his dominance in the drug world.
All the seasons of 'Breaking Bad' and all the seasons of 'Better Call Saul' are currently available to stream on Netflix.
