Let the fuss about Gus begin.
What kind of Gus canBetter Call Saulfans expect in season 3?
How much of the mystery and mystique of the Chilean export will be unpacked in upcoming episodes?
Credit: Michele K. Short/AMC
Here, the actor goes deep on one of the most anticipated arrivals of the TV season.
I knew that Saul was conceived as a comedy and then got to be a dramedy.
Loved the show, loved what Bob does, didnt know how Gus would fit into it.
So I heard, like the public, rumors that Gus might come to the show.
And I got a phone call of inquiry: Would I be willing?
And I said, Vince, you created the character, I interpreted it and brought it to life.
I breathed life into Gus.
It had to be for more than one episode.
Im imagining what Vince was thinking is to take it up to where we begin inBreaking Bad possibly.
Its not about you!
What excited me specifically was my own imagination about who Gus was six years prior to us meeting him.
Who is that guy?
I want to chart his rise in a specific way.
He has a very big brain.
Its the big brain that creates the business, or several businesses like this.
Hes younger, hes more brash.
How serious were you aboutThe Rise of Gus?
Maybe Vince or Peter havent seen it or maybe AMC and Sony havent seen it.
I certainly have mentioned it to my people, its out there.
A reporter said to me the other day, Lets face it, were in the third season ofSaul.
Two more seasons and then you have your bookends in a way.
That comes up very, very quickly.
I think its a fascinating moment for the audience and for Gus.
(Laughs) Pretty brilliant to me.
Im hoping that season 4 will be the time to really dive into that.
You certainly feel his danger, but he has a more close-to-the-vest respect for the cartel.
But hes getting the job done with a better product and a better timing of delivery.
So, to me, thatintegrityof Gus has a two-fold, double-edged sword.
One side of that integrity is he really wants you to have that integrity becausehehas that integrity.
Youre gaining trust for this guy because hes laying it down and showing you how it should be done.
Now he has other reasons, but thats wonderful exploration.
Thats what Im hoping to show and I think theyre going to move in that direction.
The guy is taking control, hes taking power.
I know youre a series regular.
Why did you not want to come back for just an episode or two?
Would that have felt too much like a nostalgia run?Yeah, it was a nostalgia run.
It was a tease and I didnt want to tease myself, I didnt want to tease the audience.
Im hoping it getsthatinteresting.
What can you say about how much we learn about his past?
Do we dip into that mystery a little bit more?Its my complete desire to.
But I think it can be a really, really beautiful touch to find out.
My back story for Gus is very specific.
The guy was raised with privilege.
He took advantage of that privilege.
But he chose something else because he was better at it and it was also more feasible economically.
Id like to get intothatand to figure out whoa!
where that left turn came, and how it brought him so much success.
Vince has said that its a likely conclusion that their relationship might have also been romantic.
Do we see any illuminations on that side of Gus?
Ive always felt like Max was like a brother, a friend.
I liked playing it ambiguous because I felt like it was more interesting than deciding.
I dont think its a bad thing to point to the possibility that Max and Gus were involved.
I think its interesting to point to that.
You see the guy with his family, you see the yearning his wife has.
So whether hes bisexual or not, it doesnt matter.
Now, these are pretty smart guys, you know what I mean?
I brought it to them and they flipped out!
Ive always wanted to make a cheesy commercial.
I thought this was a great way.
And I thought thats the way to do it.
It was fun to do that, and thenwe made some [employee] training videos.
So that kind of stuff is fun.
It plays against some of the menace and edge that were going to have in seasons to come.
Its the moment where were going to find out: Who is the boss?
And what will you do if youre being offered something?
Gus could take it or leave it because he could squash Mike like a bug.
Im excited for that particular meeting because thats the world in which I really live.
Thats the world where the chess pieces get moved and I want those chess pieces to move around.
If these guys came up with that, Id be truly impressed.
Because right now we have Jimmy McGill.
WhenBetter Call Saulfirst came out, were you watching as a casual fan?
Id watched a few episodes.
So I had to wait.
I jumped into the second season and then I went back to the first.
I didnt see Gus in there at all.
I thought, This guys iconic.
I dont want to do anything thats going to f that up!
I dont want to sound like I didnt want to go back but I didnt have any mind to.
I did everything I could do with that character.
Is this a happy gift?
I will kill your infant daughter.
Say it like Gus!
It felt like no time had passed because of the relationship between me and Jonathan Banks.
I love Jonathan, and we have a really good rhythm.
But [there was] nervousness that I had made the right decision about having a little longer hair.
Nervousness about whether or not you cant play the power, you have tobeit.
I cant be tough, its either I am tough or Im not, you know what I mean?
And that comes from having to feel those emotions in that moment.
I want to preserve that because thats a standalone.
I dont want to destroy the integrity of him.
Whats the analogy that youd use to describe working onBetter Call SaulversusBreaking Bad?
How different of an animal isSaul?Breaking Badwas the lion.
It was the total lion that was fierce and complicated and smart and unflinching.
But theres another animal that I would probably imagineSaulto be and I think it would be the jaguar.
With a lion, you know exactly what youre going to get.
Lets talk about the cocktail of influences on Gus.
When we talked before,you mentioned the concept of the yogi and meditation.
And within that space is where Gus lives.
Thats up to you to figure out.
I know what Im putting out.
But this guy is very different than anyone youve ever met because he really is conscious.
How do you do that?
I take deep breaths which leaves space.
So, after that space is created, then I have the ability to create a pace.
Whats the pace within his pace?
Hes not pushed around by the world, its a different pace that hes allowing himself.
No matter what another character, a scene partner says.
He can take it in, he can digest it and put it back out there.
For me running is endurance, its strength, and Gus has some endurance.
Many people weigh strength by how much it’s possible for you to lift, carry, or throw.
But strength is really measured by how long you canendure.
So I like to hit the road and do road work.
How hard was it to leaveBreakingBadbehind?
You immediately found lots of work and have done different things.
I had no problems [leaving Gus].
Im ready to move on.
I thought it was done…. Ive done two TV shows since then, three movies.
Im always yearning to get to a new character.
Because thats what an actors life is.
You got to let it go.
You catch and release, and catch and release.Yoga helps me a lot.
It helps me to have non-attachment.
Part of the deal is not to be attached.
It pisses me off.
Im not even joking.
But how many times are you going to get an iconic character in your life?
Im not even afraid this second time around because Ive laid it down, man.
Now were getting a chance to just put a little icing on the cake.
To read whatSaulcreators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould had to say about the return of Gus,click here.
Better Call Saulairs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
