Thankfully, Giancarlo Esposito found a way to reconcile his past with "Breaking Bad" and Gus Fring, returning to the role with a renewed vigor on the "Better Call Saul" set. Though Esposito freely admitted to Vanity Fair how difficult that decision was, he explained he signed on for creator Vince Gilligan after realizing he'd be playing a very different version of Gus.
After all, the series begins several years before the events of "Breaking Bad." While Esposito noted that detail changed his initial thinking about Gus, he still struggled with the decision. "I went, 'No, don't choose that [not returning because he'd already played the role]. Choose to surpass that." Choosing as much entailed Esposito removing obstacles that might prevent his return. Those obstacles cleared when he recognized that the time shift allowed him to explore an alternate version of the terrifyingly cool and collected Gus seen in "Breaking Bad."
Esposito further stated his passion for the character was reinvigorated by the idea of playing a version of Fring that hasn't yet developed his signature, bone-chilling sense of self-control. "Okay, so he's more volatile; he's less controlled," he said in talking out his process, acknowledging the possibilities that came with creating a whole new Gus ultimately enabled his return. If you've seen "Better Call Saul," you know Esposito pushed hard to show fans a whole new side of Gus. You also know it made the iconic character all the more compelling.
