But in AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” Esposito is a man of few words, letting his cold eyes and taut expressions speak for him as Gus Fring, the deceptively mild-mannered owner of a fast-food chicken chain who is actually the mastermind of a meth distribution ring. Esposito’s complex portrayal of Gus has been a breakthrough role for the actor while bringing renewed acclaim to one of TV’s elite dramas.
During the fourth season of “Breaking Bad,” which reached an explosive conclusion Sunday, Gus’ increasingly tense alliance with employee Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an ailing chemistry teacher who has turned to making meth for Gus to make ends meet, shattered.
Even in an ensemble packed with Emmy winners (Cranston has landed three, and Aaron Paul, who plays troubled drug deal dealer Jesse Pinkman, has scored one), Esposito has been singled out. Although the finale was a brutal one for Gus, Esposito’s career has sparked fresh industry interest and new opportunities for the veteran character actor.
Walt, already unsuccessful in his most recent attempt to assassinate Gus by way of a car bomb, adopted the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" philosophy and joined forces with the physically invalid Hector "Tio" Salamanca (Mark Margolis), Gus Fring's sworn nemesis. With revenge in his heart and Walt's plan in his mind, Tio successfully lured Gus out of hiding and tricked him into a one-on-one encounter, one that Gus was certain would end in his longtime rival's demise ... except that Walt rigged his explosive device to the underside of Tio's chair, and after a few frantic rings of his infamous communication bell, the deal was sealed and the bomb went off.
With his final act, Gus took a few steps away from the explosion, adjusted his tie as was his wont, and fell to his knees with half of his face completely missing. In a show that's seen severed heads on the backs of turtles and fully liquefied bodies leaking through ceilings, Gus' death was perhaps the most gruesome moment "Breaking Bad" has ever seen ... so much so that it even shocked series lead Bryan Cranston.
“It’s like a symphony when every note is where it’s supposed to be,” said the 53-year-old actor recently of his role. “It’s not a little sharp to the right or the left. It’s right on key. That’s when the magic happens, and ‘Breaking Bad’ has been that magic.”
Attired in a sharp black suit, black T-shirt and dapper derby, Esposito, a divorced father of four daughters who lives in Ridgefield, Conn., was very un-Gus like as he relaxed on the patio of a Century City café. He is much closer in personality to Gus’ alter ego — the pleasant proprietor of the Pollos Hermanos chain. His hair was longer and curlier than the short-cropped, straight hairstyle favored by his “Breaking Bad” character.
“I needed to shake Gus off,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted to look a little softer.”
With this season wrapped, he’s already moved to a recurring role on ABC’s new fairy-tale series “Once Upon A Time” and will appear in the film “I, Alex Cross” with Tyler Perry. He’s also developing his own projects — he directed his first film, “Gospel Hill,” in 2007 and is working on another film, “This Is Your Death,” about the impact of reality TV.
Before “Breaking Bad,” Esposito said Hollywood perceived him primarily as “someone who plays characters who are over the top. I made a choice with ‘Breaking Bad’ to be more calm, polite, graceful and sensitive but ruthless underneath. I wanted to do less than ever before. What I found is that it has allowed me to do my best work because I wasn’t pushing.”
His approach was notable in one of the most chilling scenes of the fourth-season opener when Gus slowly slashes the throat of one of his accomplices with a box cutter in front of a horrified White and Pinkman. Esposito’s subtlety has contributed to the fascination with Gus — brushing dust off his shirt or gently smoothing out his jacket on a bathroom sink after instigating acts of mayhem and violence.
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