On Tuesday, November 12th hundreds of UF students, faculty, and Alachua County residents alike filled the seats of the Phillips Center hoping to breathe in the wisdom of deviously brilliant “Breaking Bad” writer and executive producer, Vince Gilligan. As I shuffled past clusters of buzzing, Heizenberg-crazed fanatics toward the auditorium’s press section, I wondered if Bryan Cranston himself was making an impromptu appearance that had managed to escape my radar. The audience at the ACCENT Speaker’s Bureau interview looked more similar to that of a high-profile concert than of an oration-based event.
As rock star in his own right, Gilligan was given a standing ovation and rightfully accredited applause as he and UF Department of Journalism Master Lecturer Mike Foley sauntered toward their talk show-esque, center-stage set up. The mastermind behind the highest rated television show of all time appeared surprisingly and pleasantly nonchalant. Dressed in casual blue jeans, a muted, gray blazer, and nervously peering at his crowd from behind a pair of generic lenses, Gilligan could not have looked more humble. As winner of the 2013 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series and labeled with an attractive $15 million net worth I have to admit, I expected to hear more from his ego than from his mind. Boy, was I wrong.
After delegating proper introductions and cautioning listeners of potential spoilers, ever-dynamic moderator Foley plunged right into a fit of burning questions, properly prefaced by a quotable “alright bitches” that did Jesse Pinkman proud. As expected, Gilligan was asked the basic, biographical and background questions, such as his childhood in Farmville, Virginia and origins of his initial interest in screen writing. It was interesting to discover than Gilligan had avoided taking any form of chemistry throughout his schooling and that admittedly, he has never experimented with methamphetamine. He did, however, assume that if he were a junkie, he would “be a heroine guy”. Surprisingly, Vince also confessed that he is not particularly fond of the research aspect of script writing. While he did read a few books on the meth trade and picked a pot dealer’s brain over lunch in order to better understand the ins and outs of drug business, it is moreover the creative aspect that Gilligan calls his passion.
For Vince Gilligan, it was never about dollar signs, unabridged fame, or recognition within the industry. “I wasn’t interested in how much money I could make off of it. I was in love with the idea”, he said. He even disclosed the fact that network execs scoffed at the concept of a chemistry teacher gone meth lord during its initial pitch. “Breaking Bad” deviated from the TV norm in both its farfetched plot and in its protagonist turned antagonist as a main character. Gilligan was well aware that Walt’s transformation would cause the series to conclude at a faster rate than a show with a stagnantly loveable character. When asked why Walter strayed drastically from the typical, heroic television archetype, Gilligan claimed that he was interested in “taking a good guy and making him the bad guy”. He placed emphasis on the fact that we, as humans, are all cursed with a dark side and that it “could be fun” to test the potential wickedness of a seemingly bland man.
Gilligan attributes much of the show’s success to the actor who brought Walter White to life, Bryan Cranston. After working with him on “The X-Files” in 1999, Gilligan noted that the performer was “the only guy who stood out” and that he “had to work with him again”. Cue Cranston’s role of a lifetime. Gilligan even admitted that without the Emmy winner’s acting chops, “It wouldn’t be ‘Breaking Bad’”.
Via: grantland.com
Then came the Q & A portion of the presentation in which Vince Gilligan was hammered with questions by a handful of fans who were dedicated enough to push their way toward the microphone stands strewn throughout the theater. In between the many queries that pertained to plot line decisions and script changes in the writing room, Gilligan was asked a more generic inquiry on the importance of dreaming big. His advice? “Stick to the work at hand… I was not dreaming big per say when I thought of ‘Breaking Bad’. I was involved with the characters.” This goes to show that fervent passion and belief in personal creativity can lead to success if risks are taken and self-worth is exhibited.
When asked about his expectations for future works, Vince Gilligan gratefully admitted that he had reached an unmatched peak in his career, remarking that, “Breaking Bad feels like catching lightening in a bottle. I don’t know how to replicate it. I don’t know how to do it again.” It was perfectly evident that the writer has no intentions of trumping his rare work of genius and seemed content in the uncertainty that lies ahead. At the end of the day, the program was, is, and will forever be unparalleled to any other television series, but that is not to say that we cannot expect great things to come. In the wise words of Gilligan, “This is an apple. Whatever comes next is an orange. I just have to make sure it’s a damn good orange.”
Photo courtesy of: blogs.theprovince.com
