Breaking Bad is one of the greatest TV shows ever to have been made. Not only did it raise the standard for the film industry worldwide, but it also propelled several of its star-studded cast to new heights of success. While it was Bryan Cranston who received the most attention for his incredible portrayal, another famous star stood out for his portrayal, Giancarlo Esposito.
Starring as Gus Fring in the series, the actor was once on the threshold of poverty, struggling to make ends meet. Compared to his co-star Cranston, who is accused of being a nepo baby by some fans, Esposito’s living situation was so tragic that he couldn’t even get to join the Screen Actors Guild.
Breaking Bad Star Giancarlo Esposito Struggeled to Join SAG
Giancarlo Esposito is an incredible actor, writer, and director, known best for Breaking Bad. Yet the actor has been a part of several incredible movies and TV shows, receiving innumerable awards for his brilliant acting and talent. Just like most celebrities in the film industry, the actor had a hard start in life.
His parents separated at an early age, and the star often found himself often bordering poverty. in an interview with WTF with Marc Maron, he got candid about his family struggling with insecurity and instability, eventually leading to his parent’s divorce.
However, things did not improve even when he started as an actor from an early age. In an appearance on the Jim and Sam show recently, he got candid about thinking of ending his life so that his family could get an insurance payout. Despite being part of several well-known projects, the actor once remarked to Backstage about how he struggled to even get into the Screen Actors Guild.
I did Taft-Hartley two or three times, because I never could afford to get into SAG. I did all my extra work in movies, and after you do so many you have to join, and I remember being really poor and borrowing the money to get into the union.
Looking back at it now, the actor is definitely proud of what he has accomplished, but he still has to give himself back the things he lost during his tumultuous life (via The New Yorker). Meanwhile, his Breaking Bad costar, Bryan Cranston, who some alleged to be a nepo baby, faced similar struggles in his life and career. However, Esposito had it worse given his biracial identity of being half-Black and half-Italian (via Vanity Fair).
Bryan Cranston Too Faced Similar Struggles in His Life
While no struggle is greater or smaller, there is no denying Giancarlo Esposito suffered terribly while growing up. Yet, while his Breaking Bad co-star’s struggling days might not have been as bad as his, Bryan Cranston nonetheless faced a lot of challenges and hurdles to get where he is now.
Son of an actor, producer, and aspiring screenwriter, Joseph Cranston, some misinformed individuals have even alleged him to be a product of nepotism. While he might have had certain connections or a path to follow, it was his own determination and persistence that carried him through to where he stands today.
Cranston’s father left him stranded with his mother when he was just 11, and soon his mother passed away due to Alzheimer’s and struggled with alcoholism (via Fox News). From then on, the star did a number of odd jobs which involved security guard to farmhand. While Malcolm in the Middle and Breaking Bad helped propel him to fame, his father’s magazine, Star’s Homes was also said to be instrumental in making him paparazzi relevant (via Esquire).
Breaking Bad can be streamed on Netflix.
