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Improvisation is one of the most hilarious and breathtaking moments while creating a movie or a show. These lines can often be the difference between a good actor and a great actor, and slapping Aaron Paul… might just be the right step forward.
Not really, but that’s how one iconic actor landed a pivotal role in Vince Gilligan and Bryan Cranston’sBreaking Bad.It all started with an improvised slap that resonated with the creator quite well.
Jonathan Banks landed the role by slapping Aaron Paul
Well, it wasn’t a case of threatening or physical violence but, that’s just how the character of Mike Ehrmantraut is (or was). Or there is the other theory that Jonathan Banks built the character of Ehrmantraut from the ground up and both are equally true.
Starring inBreaking Badas the hitman and cleaner who works for Gus Fring and Saul Goodman, the world fell in love with this old man who wanted nothing more than money and to get his work done.
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Jonathan Banks portrayed the iconic role of Mike Ehrmantraut and the character even reappeared in the spin-off show Better Call Saul. Back in 2020 during an interview with Decider, Banks revealed that during his audition, he slapped Aaron Paul on the head during one of the improvisation scenes.
I went in, and I just thought I was going in to be the guest star. I had no idea what the show was. In the scene, I reached out, and I slapped Aaron in the head.
He further continued,
And that wasn’t in the script. He whines about it to this day.
During the series finale of season 2 titled“ABQ”, Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkmanis shell-shocked to see the body of Jane (his lover) overdosed beside him. Jonathan Banks’ Mike Ehrmantraut makes an entrance and states that he has been sent by Saul Goodman.
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When Pinkman is unable to grasp reality, Ehrmantraut is left with no choice but to slap him on his head causing him to wake up from his thoughts. This little slap was completely improvised byJonathan Banks, and it helped him land the iconic role.
How Jonathan Banks’ character came to be
If Mike Ehrmantraut exists in theBreaking Baduniverse, it is thanks to Bob Odenkirk’s busy schedule. You see, Odenkirk had committed to a second project while working on the AMC show. When Jesse Pinkman’s girlfriend ODs, it was supposed to be Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman coming to clean up the mess.
As revealed by Jonathan Banks in his interview, Odenkirk was busy. That’s when Vince Gilligan and Tom Schnauz decided to bring in another character inspired by shows from the ’80s.
I think Mike is a great character, but it’s the writing. Here’s what happened–they brought me in the last show of the second season in Breaking Bad. Bobby Odenkirk was new to the show, too, and he had committed to another job.
Banks further continued,
In the episode, Jesse’s [Aaron Paul] girlfriend ODs, and somebody had to clean it up and that was supposed to be Bobby. He had already committed to another job, so he couldn’t do it.
Inspired by shows from the ’80s, the character of Mike Ehrmantraut was created to slap some sense intoAaron Paul’sJesse Pinkman. Suffice it to say that the treatment worked.
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Having Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in the lead roles,Breaking Badcurrently stands at a rating of 9.5/10 on IMDb and a whopping 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The iconic show is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
Visarg Acharya
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3262
Visarg Acharya is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 3000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past three years and a copywriter at a corporation. Visarg usually covers news and theories on the MCU and the DCU, with an emphasis on Avengers and Superman; Game of Thrones, and more.A Tarantino fan, Visarg, spends his time critiquing various directors’ filmographies and watching them with curiosity. Medieval fantasy like The Lord of the Rings or sci-fi movies like Interstellar, watching the latest horror movies, and listening to Hans Zimmer become his comfort zone. When idle, he can be found reading fantasy novels with a terrible cup of coffee in hand.
