Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul visited Albuquerque recently. They were on hand to see statues of their characters Walter White and Jesse Pinkman unveiled at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The Breaking Bad statues look just like the characters. And yes, it might seem odd for a city to honor the Breaking Bad drug dealers. After all, the pair sold blue crystal meth to the city’s citizens. But the show’s filming locations are popular tourist attractions. Lonely Planet even has a self-guided tour of filming locations. Or there’s a guided tour in a familiar-looking RV.
The show filmed in Albuquerque for five seasons from 2008-2013. Its prequel show Better Call Saul is just wrapping up six seasons, also filmed in the city. Mayor Tim Keller attended the dedication ceremony as well. He heralded the tax dollars and jobs the show’s popularity continues to bring to Albuquerque even years after it went off the air.
We first saw the news of this interesting honorific on Deadline. Trevor Grove, an artist who usually makes wax figures, sculpted the life-sized bronze statues. Walter White’s statue of course holds his iconic Heisenberg pork pie hat.
According to the local news station KRQE, the show’s creator Vince Gilligan had the statues made. Gilligan donated them to the city. And if the season six episode 11 title “Breaking Bad” isn’t enough of a hint, Gilligan also let fans at the unveiling know the beloved characters will make their long-awaited appearance on Better Call Saul in the episode airing August 1, 2022. With two episodes left in the series, the prequel is expected to merge timelines with Breaking Bad.
In a city previously best known in pop culture as one of the reasons Bugs Bunny was always getting lost, the Breaking Bad bronze statues are an interesting choice. But the Breaking Bad legacy in Albuquerque is undeniable.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.
