Interview: Giancarlo Esposito (‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘The Mandalorian,’ ‘Kaleidoscope’) is the hardest working man in television [VIDEO]
Giancarlo Esposito may be one of the busiest actors working on television right now. The five-time Emmy nominee has the chance to earn a fourth career bid for playing chicken man Gus Fring in the final season of Better Call Saul, and he’s also on the Emmy ballot for his return as mastermind Moff Gideon in season three of The Mandalorian and as a lead actor in Netflix’s limited series Kaleidoscope. He also made appearances in the past year in the third seasons of two other series, The Boys and Godfather of Harlem.
The real Esposito is nothing like his typically villainous characters, but he does share a deep thoughtfulness that allows him to truly understand the depth of each of his roles. We dug into his working relationship with and appreciation for Gus’ two most prominent scene partners in Saul’s final episodes, Tony Dalton and Reed Diamond, and how audiences still surely want to know more about the character. We also looked at the appeal of Gideon and how Kaleidoscope’s format presented a new and welcome opportunity for fresh character development.
Better Call Saul is available to stream on AMC + and Netflix, Kaleidoscope is available to stream on Netflix, and seasons one through three of The Mandalorian are streaming on Disney+.
Esposito is Emmy-eligible in the categories of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Better Call Saul, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Mandalorian, and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Kaleidoscope.