Jonathan Banks has some 150 acting credits to his name, but it’s his role on “Breaking Bad” as dirty-cop-turned-consigliere and fixer Mike Ehrmantraut that’s endeared him to fans. Sitting down with him recently to talk about the highly anticipated prequel “Better Call Saul (which premiered Sunday night), he was clad all in black just like his character and spoke with the same matter-of-fact tone.
“You can’t bring coffee in here,” he playfully scolds his wife, Gennera, as she approaches our table at a half-crowded Italian bistro in the Rockefeller Center concourse. “Don’t you ever talk to me about borrowing somebody’s grill again. You brought a coffee into a restaurant!” the 68-year-old actor exclaims again for emphasis before adding, “that’s my wife, whom I happen to love.”
Over a cup of coffee (bought on premises), we talked about the trajectory of Mike’s backstory and the thread that connects him to Banks.
What was your first reaction when you found out about the prequel?
Involving Mike, I thought this was a great idea, selfishly, because I love the character of Mike. I was in right away. It was a character that I so enjoyed doing. There was no question.
Do you remember what initially drew you to the character?
It evolved over time. It was a guy who lost his soul with a very hard edge and a sense of honor. There were many dimensions because of what (show creators) Peter (Gould) and Vince (Gilligan) and all the writers gave me.
There’s almost the sense that Mike is the moral center in Gus’ crew.
I wouldn’t go that far, but I would say that Mike is the only character who really knew that he had lost his soul outside of Jesse’s character who was still young enough and trying to put that together. Mike knew that there was no forgiveness. He would not forgive himself. There’s a part of him that, even though he doesn’t think he can save people, he will still try to help them. It’s just in his nature.
How much of Mike’s backstory, his life as we’ll see it on “Better Call Saul,” had you established in the process of creating the character on “Breaking Bad”?
You’re going to learn a lot about Mike, but Mike has been Mike for a long time. As far as Jonathan Banks developing the character, I’ll still be doing it 20 years from now if I’m still around. I knew who Mike was at the opening of “Better Call Saul” when we were doing “Breaking Bad”, but I really can’t say more because there’s going to be a whole reveal. There’s going to be a great deal said about where Mike came from and what he is and why he is what he is.
What surprised you most during the filming of “Better Call Saul”?
The workload that Bobby Odenkirk had to carry. Jimmy/Saul are mouthy characters anyway but when you turn them into monologues day after day after day, it’s daunting. I got my first paycheck 47 years ago, and I have never seen an actor carry that workload.
Your character starts to have some memorable scenes in the third episode.
It gets more so and the workload will get heavier, but not compared to what Bobby had to do.
Do you guys talk a lot about what it means to lose your soul? That seemed to be an integral part to “Breaking Bad.”
Walter always justified what he was doing and became this pathological liar to himself. Mike didn’t. He doesn’t believe there’s forgiveness for some of the things that he did. There isn’t. Jonathan believes that too. Yes, you go on, but the bad things you’ve done in your life to another human being? You did them. Period. It’s wrong, and you can’t correct that wrong.
Is there a weight to that?
Yes, a very heavy weight. It’s what I bring to it and what they write for me. The writers love the character. It’s obvious, and I’m grateful for that.
In the time that elapsed between the final scene of “Breaking Bad” and the first of “Better Call Saul,” is there a process getting back into character?
Yes. I try to be true to Mike and always remember I’m him. Michelle MacLaren, my friend and director, I remember her saying to me one time when I was being sentimental, very sentimental. She said to me, “Remember you’re Mike.” That said, all this opinion of “let’s never be sentimental,” that’s nonsense. … For all the horrors there are in this world, every once in a while somebody will do something so stunningly selfless for another. You would say that’s maudlin and trite, but it actually happens.
In Mike’s relationship with his granddaughter?
It’s totally visceral and from the heart. It’s his only sanity and his chance to be good. His chance to help somebody else be good.
Perhaps a chance at a little redemption?
I don’t think he sees it that way. He’s aware of it for sure, but he just flat out loves this human being. Anybody with a kid … You can say to people, “You’re going to love your kid” and they’ll say, “Of course I’m going to love my kid. Sure I will.” Then it happens, and it’s like no other love you’ve ever had. You go, “Whoa, I don’t want to be this much in love. This is scary.” I think about my kids constantly every day, and my oldest is 46.
