Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul starred ‘Breaking Bad’ might be a series about meth dealers and criminals, but that did not stop the popular series to get some special recognition. The series was shot in Albuquerque in New Mexico and the city honored the two fictional characters, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman on Friday with two statues. Cranston and Paul were in attendance at the event. Cranston, Paul, and ‘Breaking Bad’ series creator Vince Gilligan unveiled statues of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in a ceremony.
Breaking Bad statues stand in downtown Albuquerque
The statues stand in downtown Albuquerque and were donated by Gilligan and Sony Pictures Television, the studio behind Breaking Bad. They were sculpted by Trever Grove, reports Deadline. Actors Dean Norris, Rhea Seehorn, Michael Mando, and Patrick Fabian also attended. Peter Gould, who co-created the acclaimed prequel series Better Call Saul with Gilligan, was also there.
It has been noted that the idea for the bronze statues came to Gilligan after he saw Grove’s tiny wax statue of Walter White. “It was so amazing that it just got me to thinking,” the writer-director said. “What if Trevor could sculpt a life-sized version of Walter White in bronze, a medium new to him, and what if he could toss in Jesse Pinkman to boot, and then we donate the two statues to the city of Albuquerque as a thank-you for your hospitality?”
Gilligan also admitted that some Albuquerque residents might find it strange to celebrate fictional drug dealers, especially in a city and state that has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. “In all seriousness, some folks are going to say, ‘Wow, just what our city needed.’ I get that,” Gilligan said. “But let me tell you what I see when I look at these two works of art: I see two of the finest actors America has ever produced. I see them in character as two larger-than-life tragic figures, cautionary tales, world-famous ones at that.”
