Giancarlo Esposito Considered Getting Killed So His Kids Could Collect Life Insurance Before Landing BREAKING BAD Role

Giancarlo Esposito is a staple of big TV shows these days, with an impressive resume and many projects in development at any given time. But his work hasn’t always been so consistent or so high-profile.

In fact, before he landed the iconic role of Gus Fring breaking Badhis one-off roles and appearances in films and TV were so unaffordable for his family’s support that he was close to bankruptcy and close to making some desperate decisions.

In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s Jim & Sam show while promoting his new AMC drama series ParishEsposito revealed that he was so broke before signing breaking Bad that he had once considered arranging his own murder so that his children could have some financial protection thanks to his life insurance money.

The actor thought about it around 2008, a year before the hit series inextricably changed his career and opened the door to roles in The Mandalorian, The Boysand more.

When asked how he managed to get out of bankruptcy around 2008, Esposito said, “My way out in my mind was, ‘Hey, do you get life insurance if someone commits suicide? Do they get bread?’ My wife had no idea why I was asking these things. I started making plans.

“If I found someone to do away with me, death by misadventure, [my kids] would get insurance. I had four children. I wanted them to have a life. It was a difficult moment in time. I literally thought about self-annihilation so that they could survive. That’s how low I was. That was the first inkling that there was a way out, but I wouldn’t be here to be there for my children.

“Then I started thinking it wasn’t feasible because the pain I would cause them would last a lifetime, and there would be lifelong trauma that would only extend the generational trauma I’m trying to move away from. The light at the end of the tunnel was ‘Breaking Bad.’”

Esposito appeared as Gus Fring in 26 episodes of breaking Badthen reprized the role in the prequel series Better call Saulo for 34 episodes. Earlier this year he told British GQ that he was very interested in playing Gus for a third time in a prequel series about the villain.

He said, “Yes, I would love to. My backstory is that he was a military man who worked his way up through the ranks and could have become president, maybe even dictator, and taken power. But he wanted to do something that couldn’t be controlled by others, and he wanted to control his own destiny.

“And so he left to create a new life in America and become a meth dealer, a businessman. I think, as a young man, he was someone who could have been more Tony Montana. But he worked his way up to becoming balanced enough to listen, hear and see through his emotional state. Hopefully it can be ‘The Rise of Gus.'”

I think tons of fans would tune in to watch it. Esposito was incredible in that role! I’m so happy that he never took his idea of ​​suicide seriously, and I’m sure his family is happy too. Esposito is a nice guy and a great actor. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

via: Variety