From Orphan Black to Better Call Saul
Absolutely. Like Breaking Bad it’s a transformation story. It’s about why people become who they become. It’s
Canadian actor Michael Mando has played a drug dealer in Orphan Black and a shooting suspect in Rookie Blue and now he’s taking on another shady character on a larger and arguably more demanding stage.
He’s Nacho Varga, a criminal mastermind in AMC’s Better Call Saul, which debuts over two nights, Sunday and Monday, at 10 p.m.
For fans of Breaking Bad, the prequel to the Emmy Award-winning series is the most anticipated new show of 2015.
Better Call Saul centres on lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) six years before he meets meth dealer Walter White. He finds himself linked to some pretty unsavory characters, including Varga, on his way to the big time.
Born in Quebec City, Mando studied psychology at the University of Ottawa and international relations at the Université de Montréal.
He started in film and TV with appearances on Toronto-made shows The Bridge and The Border in 2010. His performance in Far Cry 3 as Vaas Montenegro has made him an icon with the gaming community.
But he is perhaps best known to TV audiences as drug dealer Vic in Orphan Black and shooting suspect Cesar Medina in Rookie Blue, roles that brought two Canadian Screen Awards nominations in 2013.
Alas, his Better Call Saul job means his fan favourite role as bumbling hood Vic is being written out of Orphan Black’s third season.
Audiences know you from the first two seasons of Orphan Black, which has become a huge hit for Space. Vic the drug dealer was a pretty crucial part of the show. He started off as this menacing thug and then became kind of a comical, almost tragic character. What does this mean for Vic now that you’re shooting Better Call Saul?
Vic is very much like a tragic clown, a wet alley cat trying to find a window in a dark room and it’s been incredible playing him. Unfortunately, the scheduling for Better Call Saul means that I won’t be in Season 3. That means (laughing) I won’t be Tasered and none of his limbs are going to be chopped off in the upcoming season. At least for now.
There’s a lot of anticipation from fans about who will show up from Breaking Bad in the new series. What can you tell us without getting a letter from Vince Gilligan’s lawyer?
Well, obviously the big two are Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks (fixer Mike Ehrmantraut). These are the only series regulars that are back. I’d love to tell you who else, but I can tell you it’s going to be exciting. We shoot on the same Albuquerque sound stage as Breaking Bad. But this isn’t Season 6 of Breaking Bad. It’s a brand new show.
Vince Gilligan most famously said that Breaking Bad was about taking Walter White from Mr. Chips to Scarface and everything in between. Does this have the same kind of emotional sweep? For one thing, Saul’s character has traditionally been more comic than dramatic.
a guy desperately trying to make ends meet and trying to balance his moral compass with his personal ambitions. The show is dramatic; it’s not a comedy. It’s drama woven with dark humour. And Bob Odenkirk is a really brilliant comedic actor who brings his own flavour to the role.
Your character, Nacho Varga, is new to the Breaking Bad universe. How does he fit in?
First of all, my two strongest feelings are excitement and gratitude about the role. The most important thing on a project is really the writing. And to be directed by these Emmy Awardwinning producers and directors really compels you to give your heart and soul.
I also researched everything I could when I got the role. From the drug business in New Mexico to the history and culture of the area. When you meet Nacho he’s a career criminal and he’s very ambitious. He’s not the kingpin yet, but his ambitions lead him to a major collision course with Jimmy. (In the prequel, Saul is known as Jimmy McGill.)
He’s also very much like a crocodile. Imagine a croc who’s hungry. He needs to feed to grow.
What was it like working with (cocreator) Vince Gilligan?
I’ve had a few conversations with Vince. And you see him in the writers’ room. He really is one of the kindest, most humble people I’ve ever worked with.
He’s a brilliant man who respects every person on set.
I think their approach is very similar to Breaking Bad. They give you a lot of room to do a lot of research on your own back story. Fill in your own character. They leave you to take care of that by yourself. So as an actor there is an incredible excitement because you are bringing a large part of you to this.
Were you a Breaking Bad fan before you got the role?
Life is very strange. Two weeks prior to my audition, I was at a friend’s house and I caught the last two episodes for the first time. I was saying this is a great show and I should really watch it. Then my agent ended up telling me I had a request for a taping and it had Vince Gilligan’s name on it. I sent the tape to L.A. and was flown in for screen test. I caught up on half of it before I did the test and, after I got the role, I finally finished it. It’s the greatest thing.