Breaking Bad is one of those shows that etches itself onto the minds and hearts of fans everywhere and eventually becomes a part of us, mourned after a six-season finale that ended, most will agree, perfectly. Now, the actors who brought our favorite characters to life have moved on, and while we definitely wouldn’t mind seeing them in that world again–and will, when spinoff Better Call Saul premieres–it’s interesting to watch them tackle new roles. Dean Norris, who played Hank on the show, is doing just that with Men, Women & Children and says he was drawn to the character because he’s so different from the one he got used to playing.
“A big part in the reason for doing this movie was because he is very much not a tough guy,” Norris said. His character copes with a split from his wife and a teenage son who battles depression, which is pretty far outside the world of DEA agent Hank Schrader. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss his former role.
“What I miss is the quality of the work. the scripts that you read and you go, ‘Oh my God, I get to say that? I get to do that scene?’ In a way, it was the easiest job. Bryan used to say this all the time, that the easiest job as an actor is when you get scripts like that…People still come up to me and say, ‘Man, I watched that show, and I really loved it. It affected me; it made me cry, made me laugh.’ And you can tell they really mean it. It’s one of those things you look for as an actor: to be a part – above and beyond everything else – of something that affected people’s lives in a great way.”
Breaking Bad is in the news this week after artist Ralph Steadman, who famously worked with Hunter S. Thompson, created a series of striking portraits for the show’s Blu-ray covers. You can check those out here.
Men, Women & Children is in theaters Friday.