While character actor Larry Hankin never intended to become an actor in the first place, with a career spanning over five decades, he has nearly 200 acting credits under his belt, which includes Friends and Escape from Alcatraz. Although he isn’t a household name, he has become a recognizable face, thanks to his involvement in several high-profile projects, including Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad.
Although he was asked to return for the spin-off film, El Camino, this wasn’t the case with Better Call Saul and Hankin might know why.
Vince Gilligan Had a Hard Time Dealing With Larry Hankin on Set
Apart from the main cast, who are impeccable in their own right, Breaking Bad also benefits from the performances of its secondary and tertiary characters. Larry Hankin’s Old Joe, a savvy junkyard owner, is one major testament to it, but getting a convincing performance out of Hankin wasn’t exactly easy on the creators’ part.
After being brought back for a second episode in season 5, the actor recalled being called out by the director as he kept forgetting lines. Considering that the Home Alone star had dyslexia, memorizing the lines was an uphill task for him, and on top of that, Bryan Cranston‘s outbursts certainly didn’t help. While he eventually got things together and was again called back for El Camino, the Friends star recalled once again fumbling his lines, joking that this might be the reason why he didn’t get the call for Better Call Saul.
It was a little part, but I went up on my lines again and after a couple of takes, Vince Gilligan called a break for 10 minutes for me to get my lines down. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why they never asked me to be on Better Call Saul.
Although it’d have been great to see old Joe return for the conclusion to the acclaimed franchise, Hankin didn’t break a sweat over it, as after five decades in showbiz, he’s taking some time off from showbiz.
A Breaking Bad Resurgence Is Out of the Cards for Now
Despite the show concluding back in 2014, some fans have been speculating about the idea of a potential resurgence after the BCS‘ ending. While Bryan Cranston has also entertained the idea of playing Walt again if Vince Gilligan decides to re-embark on this journey, the latter has no intentions of ruining the legacy of two of the most iconic pieces of television.
It’s the work of my lifetime — Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul — it’ll be the first thing engraved on my tombstone, and I couldn’t be more proud of it. And I kind of wonder if there are further stories to tell, but I don’t want to beat a dead horse.
Considering that many great shows dropped the ball with their endings, BB and BCS stand as an anomaly, and most fans will agree that their legacy should remain untouched.
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are available to stream on Netflix.
