Alex Carson
Breaking Bad is one of the most-watched television series of all time. It is also one of the most critically acclaimed shows. During its five-year run, Breaking Bad won 16 Emmy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, and 6 Critic’s Choice Awards. However, creating the show wasn’t easy, especially with a meager budget of $3 million per episode. In an interview, Vince Gilligan revealed at one point, they considered not going ahead with the show. Breaking Bad broke many records and ran into many problems. In this video, we tell you some secrets related to Breaking Bad and its cast.
Walter H. White is a Caltech graduate and a chemistry genius who gives up his life in the city to work as a chemistry teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Walter’s life turns upside down when he is diagnosed with stage III lung cancer. He ensures sufficient financial support to his pregnant wife and handicapped son after his demise. Walter uses his knowledge of chemistry to produce the world’s finest methamphetamine called Blue Meth. Walter then partners with one of his former students, Jesse Pinkman, to market the drug. As their business picks up, they start rolling in cash but also attract the attention of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Facts Verse Presents 16 Breaking Bad Secrets Even Fans Don’t Know. Before we go ahead, let us remind you to like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated about all the latest Facts Verse Presents videos.
The Character of Walter White Is Based on a Real Person
When the show released, there was a lot of conjecture around who had served as inspiration for the character of Walter White. Some rumors claimed that the real-life Walter White was a Texas-based Chemistry teacher who sold meth to students. Other rumors claimed that Vince’s protagonist was based on a Massachusetts-based teacher who was, like Walter, diagnosed with Cancer and thereafter, took to selling meth.
We do not know where Vince got his inspiration from, but there was a famous Walter White in 2008. This Walter White was on Alabama’s most-wanted list. However, unlike the on-screen Walter, he was neither a teacher nor was he suffering from cancer. The real-life Walter White was arrested in 2013 for selling 32.5 pounds of methamphetamine.
Bryan Cranston Wasn’t the First Choice for the Role
It is hard to imagine anyone else play Walter White as good as Bryan Cranston did. After all, Cranston won four Emmys for his portrayal of the character. It may, therefore, seem surprising that Cranston wasn’t the first choice for the role. AMC executives wanted to cast either John Cusack or Mathew Broderick in the role. However, Vince had worked with Cranston during The X-Files and was convinced that he was the right choice for Walter White. AMC executives agreed after Vince insisted on casting only Cranston in the role.
Before we tell you another fun secret about Cranston, we want to remind you to like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated about all our latest videos.
Bryan Cranston Was Once Arrested by the Police
During his early 20s, Cranston and his brother decided to do a cross-country motorbike trip. During the trip, they stayed in Florida for a small time, working at a restaurant whose head chef was called Peter Wong. Peter was a notorious man with a bad reputation. The staff members, including Cranston and his brother, would therefore often joke about killing him. Things turned serious when Peter was found dead one day — a police inquiry was launched. However, by the time police launched an investigation, Cranston and his brother were already on the road. Police, therefore, thought they were absconding. The two were arrested but eventually let go.
Cranston Learned to Cook Meth from DEA Chemists
Walter White may have excelled at cooking meth but Bryan Cranston had no idea about any of it when he started filming the show. In an interview, Cranston told his audiences that it was actually DEA chemists who taught him how the drug was made. Well, the actors were taught the entire process. However, for obvious reasons, no meth was ever cooked on the sets and Cranston denied ever having tried the procedure in his personal space.
However, DEA Also Ensured That the Science Shown in the Show Was Inaccurate
The DEA did not only teach Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul but also made sure that the show depicted wrong science on how to make meth. Donna Nelson, one of the show’s science advisors, said in an interview that the science shown was deliberately made flawed so that the audience could not use the show’s material to produce their own meth.
Jesse Was Supposed to Get Killed in the First Season
Vince Gilligan managed to create a memorable show. The show owes its popularity to the many plots and twists that Vince Gilligan often introduced into the show. However, sometimes these ideas were far-fetched and the writing team had to butt in and pull back Vince. One such idea that Vince had and which he eventually dropped was killing Jesse Pinkman in the first season itself. Gilligan had planned to kill Jesse and have Walter kidnap Jesse’s killer. He would then made Walter keep Jesse’s killer in the basement and slowly torture him to death. Phew! We already feel grateful that Jesse survived.
Aaron Paul Landed in ER While Shooting a Specific Scene
There was a lot of violence in the show and thus, the show wasn’t easy to shoot. Aaron Paul actually ended up in the ER while shooting for the show. In an interview, Aaron told the story of how he got a concussion while shooting Breaking Bad. This happened during a scene where Tuco was supposed to throw Jesse out a screen door.
The Coordinates on Walter’s Lottery Ticket Won’t Take You to His Treasure
Walter’s meth business gets him so much money that at one point, he does not know where to hide it. He, therefore, decides to bury it in the New Mexico desert. He records the location of his treasure, i.e. $80 million, with a lottery ticket. However, in real life, the location on the ticket does not lead to a point in the New Mexico desert but to Q Studios where the show was shot. Q Studio is a popular studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has provided sets for famous films including The Avengers and Logan.
And Obviously Drug Dealers Started Manufacturing Blue Meth After the Show
After Breaking Bad aired in 2008, more and more drug dealers around the world starting putting in hours to replicate Heisenberg’s blue meth. However, most of the drug dealers were unable to replicate the formula except in 2013 when 5 men were arrested for replicating the drug. The drug being shipped overseas was being manufactured in North Korea and it was close to 99% pure.
The Cousins Were Real Gang Members
Daniel and Luis Moncada who played Leonel and Marco Salamanca, better remembered as the cousins by the Breaking Bad fans, were actually real-life gang members and had served time in jail for their activities. In an interview, Luis Moncada spoke about how life was difficult for them, which is why he and his brother ended up being in a gang. However, Luis did his jail time and used the experience to turn his life around positively. He has now become a motivational speaker and often talks about his life to young students in schools and prison camps.
The Pizza Scene Created Quite a Ruckus
The Pizza on the Roof Scene is one of the most famous scenes from the show. In the scene, Walter attempts to get over familial tension by throwing a pizza over the roof. The day the scene was to be shot, the prop department of the series had stored hundreds of pizzas. However, Cranston nailed the scene in the first shot itself. There is no denying that the scene was pretty hilarious, but it also created quite a ruckus. After the episode aired, Breaking Bad fans, in an attempt to recreate the scene, traveled to the house where the show was shot and threw pizzas on the roof, much to the irritation of the owner. When the fans did not stop, Gilligan himself had to request fans to stop harassing the homeowner
Gus’s Death Was Inspired by the Story of Jack Parsons
Gilligan got the idea of Gus’ death from the death of Jack Parsons in 1952. Parsons was a rocket scientist who died in an explosion. The explosion completely destroyed his laboratory and amputated his right forearm, broke his left arm and legs and he also suffered a hole in his face. Despite all this, Parson tried to communicate with his responders for almost 37 minutes, before succumbing to his injuries.
Raymond Cruz, Who Played Tuco, Asked the Show’s Writers to Kill His Character
Tuco Salamanca made quite an impression on the audiences and was one of the most memorable villains from the show. Tuco was supposed to be the show’s main antagonist. However, his character was written off at the beginning of season two. In an interview, Raymond Cruz, who played Tuco, confessed that he asked the show’s writers to kill his character as Tuco was a very difficult role to pull off.
Both HBO and FX passed on the show
Before entering into a contract with AMC Networks, Gilligan had actually tried to pitch the show to both FX and HBO. While FX did not accept the show because it was quite similar to some of the other shows the network was carrying, HBO simply did not show any interest. In fact, Gilligan called his meeting with the HBO representative the worst meeting of his life. Well, given HBO has passed many super successful shows in the past, including The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy, it is not very surprising that the network let go of another good show.
Breaking Bad is an iconic show in every way and has fans around the world. This video was a treat to Breaking Bad fans from Facts Verse Presents. So, did you enjoy the video? More importantly, did you know these fun secrets about the show and its cast members? Do let us know in the comments section. Before you hit the play button on the next video, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated about all our latest videos.
