While the world has watched Giancarlo Esposito transform into countless villains over the years, it turns out he nearly hired a real life outlaw for a very sticky situation he was once in.
During a recent episode of SiriusXM’s Jim & Sam, Esposito revealed why he considered hiring a hitman in 2008 just a year before he landed his iconic role as Gus Fring on “Breaking Bad.”
Esposito, 65, said at the time he was bankrupt, and his home was in foreclosure. At his lowest point, he made a masterplan to orchestrate his own death so his kids could inherit his life insurance.
“The first thing that had me think there was a way out, was my wife’s father — God rest his soul — Pops McManigal was in insurance,” Esposito recalled. “So I asked [my ex-wife], I started poking around, ‘How much am I insured for?’ And then she told me. My way out in my brain was, I said, ‘Hey, do you get life insurance, if someone commits suicide, do they get the bread?’ And my wife said, ‘Well, that’s kind of tricky.’”
After their convo, Esposito said he immediately started “scheming” his death.
“If I got somebody to knock me off, death through misadventure, they would get the insurance,” he said during the April 12 episode.
The “Abigail” star recalled being so “low” due to the financial struggles that he considered committing suicide.
“I had four kids. I wanted them to have a life. It was a hard moment in time. I literally thought of self-annihilation so that they could survive. That’s how low I was,” he said.
Esposito said he never went through with the plan because he didn’t want to burden his family with “lifelong trauma.”
“I started to think, that’s not viable because the pain I would cause them would be lifelong, and lifelong trauma that would just extend the generational trauma with which I’m trying to move away from,” he said. “The light at the end of the tunnel was ‘Breaking Bad.’ I had a few little things before to start to recover, but ‘Breaking Bad’ was the light.”
Though Esposito had previously starred in popular films such as Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” in 1989 and “Malcolm X” in 1992, taking on his role in the Emmy-winning “Breaking Bad” skyrocketed his career. He has since starred in massive roles in “The Mandalorian,” “The Boys,” and AMC’s new show “Parish.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.