Giancarlo Esposito opens up about past financial struggles and dark thoughts before ‘Breaking Bad’

Giancarlo Esposito (65) has reported on his financial problems in the past. During an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Jim & Sam” show, the actor recalled the time he even considered ordering his own murder to pay off his family’s life insurance.

“I had sunk so low”

Esposito said he had serious financial problems before landing on “Breaking Bad” (2008-2013). At his lowest point, he told the show’s hosts, dark thoughts came to him. His wife’s father at the time worked for an insurance company, Esposito said. He was thinking about how his family would get life insurance.

“If I had someone kill me, die by accident, they would get insurance,” he said of his thoughts at the time. “I have four children. I wanted them to have a life. It was a hard time at that time. I was literally thinking of self-destruction so they could live. That’s how low I had sunk.”

“Breaking Bad was the light”

His family’s thinking saved him in the end: “I started to think that this could not be done because the pain I would cause them would be lifelong.” The 65-year-old also explained: “There was light at the end of the ‘Breaking Bad’ tunnel. I had a few little things to catch up on beforehand, but ‘Breaking Bad’ was the light.”

Giancarlo Esposito portrayed the criminal businessman and drug lord Gustavo “Gus” Fring. He was also seen in the spin-off “Better Call Saul” (2015-2022).

After the famous series, things continued successfully for the actor: he got roles in the series “The Mandalorian” (from 2019) and “The Boys” (from 2019), among others. He can also be seen on the big screen this year in “Abigail” (2024).