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In a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Breaking Bad, creator Vince Gilligan and lead actor Bryan Cranston share insights into a memorable scene from season 3. While Bryan Cranston, the actor behind the show's central character, didn’t suffer hand burns during the filming, he was still, quite literally, on fire.
The intensity of Walter White's journey into the criminal underworld is palpable on-screen, but what other unseen challenges did Cranston face in bringing this character to life?
Breaking Bad season 3: The idea
The scene in question is the very first episode of the season, titled No Más, which revolved around Bryan Cranston's character, Walter White, setting fire to the considerable amount of cash he earned from selling crystal meth.
The writers humorously contemplated the idea of Walt accidentally setting himself on fire while attempting to extinguish the burning cash. To execute this daring scene, Cranston wore a protective body suit, covered his arm in fire retardant gel, and donned special gloves made of silicone rubber.
In one instance, Cranston found himself contending with oversized protective gloves that became unwieldy when wet. Despite the challenges, the scene authentically portrays Cranston setting himself on fire, showcasing the actor's commitment to his role and the series.
Breaking Bad season 3: The scene
In the week since the Wayfarer 515 tragedy, Donald Margolis had been identified as the air traffic controller who, distracted by despair over his daughter's recent death, caused the aircraft to collide with a charter jet in midair.
A repentant Walter White, fully aware of his role in the disaster, pours his drug money onto an outside grill and sets it aflame. Seconds later, he regrets what he had done and throws the blazing grill into the pool. He, too, dives in after his robe sleeve caught fire.
The girl in question, Jane, was with and in Jesse's apartment when Walter had come. Walter realized she was choking on her vomit and would die as a result, but chose not to wake Jesse up or help for fear of getting involved.
Breaking Bad’s legacy
Breaking Bad, an American crime drama television series crafted by Vince Gilligan for AMC, unfolds in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The narrative orbits around Walter White, an underappreciated high-school chemistry teacher grappling with a dire diagnosis of stage-three lung cancer.
Motivated by an earnest desire to secure his family's financial future before his impending demise, White embarks on a criminal path, partnering with former student Jesse Pinkman to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine.
Facing a myriad of adversaries, including family strife, the DEA, local gangs, and Mexican drug cartels, White adopts the alias Heisenberg to shield his identity.
The series captivates audiences with its intense depiction of White's evolution within the drug trade, placing his and his family's lives in constant jeopardy.
The show debuted on AMC on January 20, 2008, and concluded on September 29, 2013, encompassing five seasons and 62 episodes. The ensemble cast features Bryan Cranston as Walter White, Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, Anna Gunn as Skyler White, RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr., Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader, and Dean Norris as DEA agent Hank Schrader.
Noteworthy characters include Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman, Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, and Giancarlo Esposito as drug kingpin Gus Fring. The series spawned an expansive Breaking Bad franchise.
Better Call Saul, a prequel featuring Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, and Giancarlo Esposito reprising their roles, ran from February 8, 2015, to August 15, 2022.
Additionally, the sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, starring Aaron Paul, premiered on Netflix and in theaters on October 11, 2019.
Breaking Bad left an indelible mark on television history, entering the Guinness World Records in 2013 as the most critically acclaimed TV show of all time.
In 2023, critics hailed it as the best TV series in the last 25 years in a Rotten Tomatoes poll.
The show is available on Netflix.
