AMC’s neo-Western crime drama “Breaking Bad” has been widely regarded by critics and viewers alike as one of the most important American TV shows in history. The show ran from January 2008 to September 2013 and stars now-famous actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul in the leading roles of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. The storyline is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico and revolves around underemployed high school chemistry teacher Walter White, who has recently been diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer. Walter then enlists the help of former student Jesse Pinkman and together they turn to crime, running a drug empire selling crystal meth.
Although it had a declining viewership in its first few seasons, the show soon picked up a significant number of fans during its fourth and fifth seasons when it was released on Netflix. Here, we take a look at 15 behind the scenes facts about Vince Gilligan’s “Breaking Bad” even the biggest fans may not have known about.
15 The Network Originally Wanted Matthew Broderick In The Lead Role
Can you imagine anyone else in the role of Walter White? Originally, AMC wanted a well-known star to take on the part and they were particularly interested in Matthew Broderick or John Cusack. The only thing the AMC executives had seen Bryan Cranston in was “Malcolm in the Middle” and they were not convinced. Luckily, they watched his “The X-Files” episode and realized he was right for the part.
14 Jesse Pinkman Was Supposed To Be Killed Off In Season One
Although the show is primarily based around Walter White and Jesse Pinkman’s partnership, Pinkman wasn’t supposed to make it past season one. According to Buzzfeed, the Writers Guild of America strike saved the character from an early death in episode nine as they believed he brought something special to the show.
13 Many Famous Networks Rejected The Show
Despite its eventual popularity, many famous networks rejected the premise of the show when it was pitched to them at the start. This includes HBO, Showtime, TNT, and FX. Vince Gilligan, the creator of the show, revealed in a 2011 interview that the HBO pitching interview was ‘the worst meeting I’ve ever had.’
12 The SaveWalterWhite Website Is Real
According to Insider, the website that Walter Jr. created for his dad in the show is real and now links to the AMC website. Walter Jr. originally made the website as a fundraiser to find a way to pay for his dad’s cancer treatment, but Walter Sr. eventually used it as a method to launder money.
11 A Writers’ Strike Changed The Plot Of The Show
The massive writers’ strike during season one of the show ended up changing a lot of plot points and character arcs. It forced Gilligan to eliminate two episodes that revolved around Walter’s more rapid and violent transformation into Heisenberg. Gilligan was glad about the change however, as he believed it kept the structure of the story interesting.
10 The DEA Taught The Actors How To Cook Meth
The cast and crew took the research for the show very seriously. They decided to inform the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) about the story’s subject matter and asked for their professional help. The DEA thought it was best to do things correctly so they sent in chemists to teach Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul how to make crystal meth.
9 The Show Boosted Albuquerque’s Tourism Business
New Mexico saw benefits from the show’s decision to shoot in Albuquerque. Many shooting locations have become a major tourist attraction for the city and their economy and businesses have definitely experienced a boost. The store Rebel Donuts even created a line of donuts called Blue Sky which is modelled after the blue meth.
8 The Blue Meth Is Actually Rock Candy
According to Mental Floss, the iconic blue meth used for the show is actually just rock candy. The candy was made by the boutique store The Candy Lady, based in Albuquerque. After the show aired, they decided to make an entire line of “Breaking Bad” inspired sweets, which was named The Bad Candy Lady line.
7 Gus Fring Was Supposed To Be A Short-Term Character
The role of arch enemy Gus Fring was supposed to be much smaller than how it turned out on the show. Originally, actor Giancarlo Esposito was not too keen on playing the role of Gus as he had not even seen a single episode of the show. However, he decided to stay on as he liked the idea of being part of a large filmmaking family.
6 “The Walking Dead” Crew Helped With The Show’s Visual Effects
Fring’s death remains one of the most visually shocking moments in TV history. The aesthetic effects were incredibly hard to achieve and Gilligan had to resort to enlisting the help of the prosthetic effects crew from “The Walking Dead”. The talent of the team created an impressive final look where you can see into and through Gus’s head.
5 Heisenberg’s Hat Was Included Because Bryan Cranston Was Cold
Heisenberg’s signature hat actually came from a practical decision. Cranston asked the show’s costume designer, Kathleen Detoro, for something to cover his bald head as he was getting cold from long hours of shooting. At first, the crew did not agree to give him a hat, but eventually they found a place for it in the story.
4 Many Pizzas Have Been Thrown On The Whites’ Real Life House
The house featured on the show as the Whites’ house has become a major real life tourist attraction. Many fans, in the spirit of replicating the show’s iconic scene, have attempted to hurl pizzas onto the roof of the house. Gilligan has since pleaded the fan base not to do this as the homeowner was understandably upset.
3 Aaron Paul Found It Difficult To Shoot Jane’s Death
Despite the violent nature of the action-thriller part of the show, the scene that Aaron Paul found hardest to shoot was Jane’s death. During a Reddit AMA, Paul revealed that ‘looking at Jane through Jesse’s eyes that day was very hard and emotional for all of us’. Cranston too, was still crying fifteen minutes after filming was complete.
2 The Sixty-Two Episode Number Has A Deeper Meaning
The show’s episodes total up to the number sixty-two. This is no coincidence as the sixty-second element on the periodic table is Samarium and it is widely used to treat a range of cancers, including lung cancer which Walter White suffers from throughout the storyline of the show.
1 Vince Gilligan Regretted How Clean Jesse’s Teeth Looked
After rewatching the show several times, Gilligan reveals that he still regrets not making Jesse’s teeth look more realistic. According to Gilligan, ‘Jesse's teeth were a little too perfect. There were all the beatings he took, and, of course, he was using meth, which is brutal on your teeth. He'd probably have terrible teeth in real life’.