Even if they’re not the first state to immortalize fictional characters, it’s nice to see New Mexico pay tribute to the twoBreaking Badcharacters that played a role in giving the state its most national exposure ever. The state recently unveiled statues of iconicBreaking BadcharactersWalter White and Jesse Pinkman, all while having various actors from bothBreaking BadandBetter Call Saulattend the unveiling.
Among those who attended the event were Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul for obvious reasons. Alongside them were Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader, Vince Gilligan, the show’s creator, and Peter Gould, who produced and wrote his fair share of the show. TheBetter Call Saulalumni included Rhea Seehorn, who played Kim Wexler, Michael Mando, who played Nacho Varga, andPatrick Fabian, who played Howard Hamlin.
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Photos of the event were shared on Twitter by longtimeBreaking BadandBetter Call Saulwriter Thomas Schnauz. At the ceremony, Paul expressed his appreciation for all thatBreaking Baddid for him. “I auditioned forBreaking Bad, and it completely changed my life,” he said, according to a report fromEntertainment Weekly. “So thank you so much, thank you to Albuquerque — my God, we were here for seven years on and off. It was such a huge part of my life; it still is.” Cranston on the other hand made jokes at the ceremony. “We’re humbled by this,” Cranston began. “We’re delighted, slightly embarrassed to have statues of you. And when they first came to me and said we want to make two statues of you, and I thought, ‘Wow, fantastic, Heisenberg and Walter White!'”
Pennsylvania was the first state to make a statue out of a fictional character when they made a statue out of the fictional boxer Rocky in Philadelphia. Even though the boxer is not real, it was abundantly clear how impactful the character was not just in the city of Philadelphia but worldwide because of his story as an underdog who went on to fight professionally. When people think of underdogs who rose to the top, they think of Rocky. It’s the same case withBreaking Bad.
Will New Mexico stop there with just Walt and Jesse? By all accounts,Better Call Saulhas provided just as riveting characters asBreaking Baddid with Saul Goodman, Mike Ehrmantraut, andGus Fring, among others. Both shows brought New Mexico into the limelight. There aren’t that many television shows or movies that very openly take place in New Mexico likeBreaking BadandBetter Call Sauldo. Doing so truly put the state on the map because both shows celebrate the state’s culture, which is useful to New Mexico since both shows are popular and well-received.
It also demonstrates just how riveting both Walter White and Jesse Pinkman were as characters. Even though they are currently who people think of when they think of fictional drug dealers, both of their characters were compelling in completely opposite ways. Despite both being in the criminal world, White’s story was about him letting go of his morals in his quest to become king while Pinkman’s story was about the fact that he was clearly never meant for the life of a gangster. Now, they will forever be memorialized both for their impact on New Mexico, and for what they’ve done for the television period.
