Breaking Bad's Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) are being officially recognized by the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a unique honor. First airing in 2008 on AMC, Vince Gilligan's acclaimed crime drama series tells the story of an Albuquerque high school chemistry teacher's evolution into a drug kingpin after a terminal cancer diagnosis. Breaking Bad ultimately ran until season 5 before coming to an end in 2013, concluding the stories of both Cranston's Walt and Paul's Jesse.
Although Breaking Bad ended nearly a decade ago, the show remains popular even today. Jesse even got his own spinoff film, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which chronicles Jesse's future after the climactic events of the Breaking Bad finale. The world of Breaking Bad also continues today with Better Call Saul, a spinoff show also taking place in Albuquerque and focusing on Bob Odenkirk's sleazy attorney, Saul Goodman. Better Call Saul is now in its final season 6, with co-creators Gilligan and Peter Gould promising that the final episodes will see the return of fan-favorite Breaking Bad cameos, including Walt and Jesse.
Per Collider, Walt and Jesse will soon become permanent editions to the city of Albuquerque in the form of two bronze statues at the city's convention center. In a new statement ahead of the official unveiling of the statues on July 29th, Gilligan explains that the city of Albuquerque has played a seminal role in the creation of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and the statues are a way to "give something back." Gilligan, Gould, Cranston, and Paul are all expected to attend the official unveiling later this month. Check out the full comment from Gilligan, as well as a joint statement from Cranston and Paul below:
Gilligan: “Over the course of fifteen years, two TV shows and one movie, Albuquerque has been wonderful to us. I wanted to return the favor and give something back. These larger-than-life bronzes of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman exist thanks to the generosity of Sony Pictures Television and the artistry of sculptor Trevor Grove, and I love them. It makes me happy to picture them gracing The Duke City for decades to come, attracting busloads of tourists.”
Cranston and Paul: "We are thrilled and humbled to be getting bronze statues of our characters from Breaking Bad permanently placed at the Convention Center in downtown Albuquerque. This city has meant so much to us over the years, and we want to thank everyone in ABQ, for not only being great hosts through our show and Better Call Saul but being an important character in the storytelling as well. We also appreciate that the statues will be indoors, and therefore protected from pigeons depositing their critiques on our heads.”
For many, Breaking Bad remains one of the best TV shows of all time, delivering five high-quality seasons with consistently strong writing and acting. Although Cranston and Paul are very much the faces of the show, Breaking Bad would've been very different without the city of Albuquerque as a backdrop. The distinctive architecture and colors of the city are a key part of the show, as is its proximity to various desert locales, which have served as the setting for some of the show's most memorable and tense moments.
Although fans will have to wait until the end of the month to see what the bronze Walt and Jesse statues actually look like, the gesture certainly suggests that the important role Albuquerque played in the show is not lost on its creators or stars. Albuquerque already hosts thousands of tourists every year due to its connection to Breaking Bad, and the statues sound like they will be an essential stop for any fans of the show. With further Breaking Bad spinoffs having been discussed for after Better Call Saul, Albuquerque could find itself playing host to another major AMC production in the next few years.
Source: Collider