‘Breaking Bad’ Spinoff ‘Better Call Saul’ Adds Jonathan Banks To Cast
Breaking Bad fans longing for the old show must certainly be looking forward to the spinoff series Better Call Saul. Now, fans have another reason to rejoice. Jonathan Banks, who portrayed the character Mike Ehrmantraut on the iconic Breaking Bad, will reprise this memorable role on the new series, set to debut sometime in November.
The Emmy-nominated Banks will reportedly be a regular on the Breaking Bad prequel, which will chronicle the life and times of morally compromised strip-mall attorney Saul Goodman, played by Bob Odenkirk. Better Call Saul will cover events that took place before Walter White secured the services of Saul Goodman.
The character of Mike the enforcer has evolved into a fan favorite over the course of the series. Banks played the role for two and a half seasons before being murdered at the hands of Walter White at the midway point of the final season. The background of the character included a stint as a Philadelphia police officer before becoming a private investigator for Saul Goodman and head of security for Gustavo Fring and his meth empire. Some of Mike’s background was touched upon during the run of Breaking Bad, but now the character will presumably be fleshed out further on the prequel series.
Banks has enjoyed an interesting career with a lengthy list of television appearances to his credit. In addition to receiving an Emmy nomination for his role as Mike on Breaking Bad, the veteran actor was previously nominated as best supporting actor for his work on the late 1980’s drama Wiseguy.
Banks has been keeping busy since Breaking Bad, appearing on the fifth season of the NBC comedy Community as a professor at Greendale Community College. His role as Professor Buzz Hickey on the show may seem like a departure for an actor known predominately for being a tough guy on screen, a fact the actor recently acknowledged somewhat sarcastically. “They called on the phone and said, ‘Do you want a job?’ And I said yes, and that’s how I arrived here, because I’m so f**king funny,” Banks explained. “I think I just fell into it, I liked it and it’s written well.”
Odenkirk and Banks are currently the only two actors on the cast list for Better Call Saul, according to IMDB. As of yet, there are no other Breaking Bad characters set to appear on the spinoff, although there have been reports of interest from both Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul to make cameo appearances on the show.
