That’s right “Breaking Bad” fans, Giancarlo Esposito spent a whopping four-and-a-half hours in the makeup chair preparing for Gustavo Fring’s grisly death scene. And if you’ve seen the end result in the episode, you know it was well worth the time. Heck, you might even be a little bit surprised it didn’t take longer, given the extent of Fring’s injuries. As noted later in the video, Esposito’s extensive practical makeup actually wasn’t even enough to sell the scene. In fact, future “The Walking Dead” producer and effects guru Greg Nicotero was part of the team that utilized digital scanning techniques to fill out the full effect of the physical destruction Fring suffers from the explosion.
Even after the extensive stint in the makeup chair, it seems Esposito was further tested by needing to perform Gus’ final walk and his pitch-perfect tie adjustment 19 times. The makeup effects alone in the scene probably would’ve been enough to score Gus’ death as the most memorable in the history of “Breaking Bad.” But Esposito himself ensured its legacy when he conjured that unscripted tie adjustment, because it’s quite possibly the most Gus thing Gus ever did. As for his series outro, Esposito goes on to claim, “You could never imagine such a fantastic death.” And according to the actor, the unforgettably gruesome moment was made all the more rewarding given how many people it took to bring it to life in the “Breaking Bad” finale.