Breaking Bad Cast: Where Are They Now?
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VOICE OVER: Phoebe de Jeu
WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Alexander
What's Walter White up to these days? For this video, we'll be looking at what the actors from this iconic series have been up to since its end in 2013. If you haven't seen the show, there will be some spoilers. Our list includes Jesse Plemons, RJ Mitte, Aaron Paul and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the “Breaking Bad” Cast and Where They Are Now. For this video, we’ll be looking at what the actors from this iconic series have been up to since its end in 2013. If you haven’t seen the show, there will be some spoilers. Who’s post-”Breaking Bad” career has surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!
The neurotic Lydia Rodarte-Quayle may meet an unfortunate end in the “Breaking Bad” series finale, but that didn’t mark the end of Fraser’s relationship with the franchise. The Scottish-born actor made four guest appearances in the prequel series “Better Call Saul,” and then returned yet again for the short film “Snow Globe: A Breaking Bad Short” in 2020. Outside of Lydia’s shoes, Fraser has made consistent guest appearances in several genre shows over the years, including a standout role in “Doctor Who.” In 2021, she played the lead character Anna in the first season of the British anthology series “The Pact.” She currently resides in Glasgow, Scotland with her husband and daughter.
Following Jane Margolis’s untimely demise, Ritter took a crack at comedy with a starring role in “Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23.” She’d later receive critical acclaim for portraying the title character in the Netflix series “Jessica Jones,” and would even go on to direct an episode in Season 3. Ritter reprised her part as the street-smart hero in the 2017 miniseries “The Defenders.” Two years after that, Ritter revisited Jane for a cameo in “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.” She shares a son with musician Adam Granduciel, their child being born in 2019.
After “Breaking Bad’s” end, everyone’s favorite sociopath, Todd Alquist, appeared in both “El Camino” and “Snow Globe.” Plemons has been plenty busy without returning to Albuquerque, though. Notably, he starred as Ed Blumquist in the second season of FX’s anthology series, “Fargo,” a role which earned him an Emmy nomination. Coincidentally, Kirsten Dunst, who played Plemons’s wife in the show, would later go on to become his actual wife. After years of dating, the two reunited onscreen for the 2021 film, “The Power of the Dog.” Both earned their first Academy Award nominations for their supporting roles in the project. They got married in 2022, and are the parents to two children.
Much like his character, Walter Jr., actor RJ Mitte has cerebral palsy. His authentic performance on “Breaking Bad” earned him a spot as a spokesman for performers with disabilities in the Screen Actors Guild. Later, he would be brought on as a presenter for the 2016 Summer Paralympics. He was even at one point named a celebrity ambassador for the nonprofit organization, United Cerebral Palsy. Yeah, he’s certainly been busy. Outside of his activism, Mitte has continued popping up in film and television in guest or recurring roles. In 2021, he starred in and executive produced “Triumph,” a film based on the true story of a teen with cerebral palsy who wants to join the school wrestling team. So far, Mitte’s career hasn’t slowed yet.
DEA Agent Hank Schrader returned to the “Breaking Bad” world in the fifth season of “Better Call Saul.” But even before that, Norris had been keeping plenty busy. In the time since the original series ended, Norris has been hard at work on shows like “Under the Dome,” “Claws,” and “United States of Al.” Somehow, between all that and an active film career, Norris found time to help open a performing arts center and launch a craft-beer based on his “Breaking Bad” character. Schraderbräu, named after Hank Schrader, hit shelves in 2019. Nowadays, Norris lives in California with his wife, with whom he raised five children. Hopefully, he’s sipping some of Hank’s beer.
Ironically, the end of “Breaking Bad” was just the start of Mike Ehrmantraut’s contribution to the series. Banks returned to the role for both “El Camino” and as a major supporting player in “Better Call Saul.” All in all, Banks appeared in over twice as many episodes of the prequel series as he did for “Breaking Bad.” His performance in the spinoff earned him four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Besides the “Breaking Bad” universe, Banks still routinely appears in both film and television projects to this day. Although, in instances like “Incredibles 2” and “Catwoman: Hunted,” he’s behind the mic instead of in front of the camera.
The motto “Better Call Saul” was taken to heart when “Breaking Bad’s” creators asked Odenkirk to headline the spinoff series. The unprecedented popularity of the character has given the actor the opportunity to take on more noteworthy parts. For example, in 2017, he co-wrote, produced, and starred in a passion project, “Girlfriend’s Day.” Later, in 2021, he received good marks for showing off his stunt chops in the action movie “Nobody.” Odenkirk would then suffer a heart attack during production of “Better Call Saul’s” final season, but he recovered and was back at work within six weeks. In 2022, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right next to fellow “Breaking Bad” star, Bryan Cranston.
Drug distributor Gus Fring returned to television screens with a prominent role in “Better Call Saul,” which earned Esposito two more Primetime Emmy nominations for the character. But, since “Breaking Bad,” he’d become no stranger to acclaimed TV programs, appearing in heavy hitters like “The Boys” and “The Mandalorian.” The later 2010s also saw the actor toe more into voicework, with vocal performances in projects like “The Jungle Book,” “Harley Quinn,” “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners,” and more. Most notably, in 2021, he provided the likeness, voiceover, and motion capture for the main antagonist of “Far Cry 6.” No matter where, or in what medium, Esposito has a habit of showing up everywhere.
After bringing Marie Schrader to life for five seasons, it didn’t take long for Brandt to find success in a different genre of TV. She became a series regular on two separate family-based sitcoms, “The Michael J. Fox Show” and “Life in Pieces.” Altogether, the latter kept Brandt busy until 2019. Since then, she’s been making a splash with several guest roles and recurring parts on other television programs like “The Unicorn” and “Love, Victor.” In 2022, Brandt reprised her role as Marie for a cameo in the series finale of “Better Call Saul.”
At the end of “Breaking Bad,” the heated reaction to Gunn’s character, Skyler White, led the actor to write an entire op-ed for the New York Times. Following that, one of her first post-Skyler gigs came in the Off-Broadway production “Sex with Strangers.” Later, she played prominent roles in the crime-drama “Gracepoint” and police procedural “Shades of Blue.” Gunn starred in the 2016 financial thriller, “Equity,” and then returned to the stage in 2019 for a West End production of “The Night of the Iguana.” While Gunn has yet to fully revisit Skyler, she did reprise her role as Martha Bullock for “Deadwood: The Movie.” As of 2022, she’s still popping up on TV screens in guest parts and recurring roles.
Jesse didn’t stay away from “Breaking Bad” for very long. After the main series’ conclusion, Paul returned to the character for “El Camino” and as a special guest star in the final season of “Better Call Saul.” Paul quickly transitioned from “Breaking Bad” to blockbusters in 2014 with films like “Need for Speed” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” Afterwards, he returned to episodic work with series regular gigs on “BoJack Horseman” and “The Path,” both of which he also produced. Later, he recurred on HBO’s “Westworld” and appeared as a framed convict in the Apple TV+ series, “Truth Be Told.” In 2018, Paul and his wife welcomed their first child, who then got a brother in 2022.
Walter White’s journey may be over, but Cranston is clearly just getting started. Near the end of “Breaking Bad’s” run, he played major roles in best picture-winner “Argo” and the blockbuster “Godzilla.” That’s just the start, though. Since then, he’s won two Tony Awards, earned his production company a deal with Warner Bros. Television, and co-created a couple series. But, despite all that, Cranston still made time to return to Walter White for cameos in “El Camino” and the final season of “Better Call Saul.” Cranston’s efforts have shifted more behind the scenes in recent years, but if his workload the last few years is any indicator, he won’t be retiring any time soon.
Laura Fraser
The neurotic Lydia Rodarte-Quayle may meet an unfortunate end in the “Breaking Bad” series finale, but that didn’t mark the end of Fraser’s relationship with the franchise. The Scottish-born actor made four guest appearances in the prequel series “Better Call Saul,” and then returned yet again for the short film “Snow Globe: A Breaking Bad Short” in 2020. Outside of Lydia’s shoes, Fraser has made consistent guest appearances in several genre shows over the years, including a standout role in “Doctor Who.” In 2021, she played the lead character Anna in the first season of the British anthology series “The Pact.” She currently resides in Glasgow, Scotland with her husband and daughter.
Krysten Ritter
Following Jane Margolis’s untimely demise, Ritter took a crack at comedy with a starring role in “Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23.” She’d later receive critical acclaim for portraying the title character in the Netflix series “Jessica Jones,” and would even go on to direct an episode in Season 3. Ritter reprised her part as the street-smart hero in the 2017 miniseries “The Defenders.” Two years after that, Ritter revisited Jane for a cameo in “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.” She shares a son with musician Adam Granduciel, their child being born in 2019.
Jesse Plemons
After “Breaking Bad’s” end, everyone’s favorite sociopath, Todd Alquist, appeared in both “El Camino” and “Snow Globe.” Plemons has been plenty busy without returning to Albuquerque, though. Notably, he starred as Ed Blumquist in the second season of FX’s anthology series, “Fargo,” a role which earned him an Emmy nomination. Coincidentally, Kirsten Dunst, who played Plemons’s wife in the show, would later go on to become his actual wife. After years of dating, the two reunited onscreen for the 2021 film, “The Power of the Dog.” Both earned their first Academy Award nominations for their supporting roles in the project. They got married in 2022, and are the parents to two children.
RJ Mitte
Much like his character, Walter Jr., actor RJ Mitte has cerebral palsy. His authentic performance on “Breaking Bad” earned him a spot as a spokesman for performers with disabilities in the Screen Actors Guild. Later, he would be brought on as a presenter for the 2016 Summer Paralympics. He was even at one point named a celebrity ambassador for the nonprofit organization, United Cerebral Palsy. Yeah, he’s certainly been busy. Outside of his activism, Mitte has continued popping up in film and television in guest or recurring roles. In 2021, he starred in and executive produced “Triumph,” a film based on the true story of a teen with cerebral palsy who wants to join the school wrestling team. So far, Mitte’s career hasn’t slowed yet.
Dean Norris
DEA Agent Hank Schrader returned to the “Breaking Bad” world in the fifth season of “Better Call Saul.” But even before that, Norris had been keeping plenty busy. In the time since the original series ended, Norris has been hard at work on shows like “Under the Dome,” “Claws,” and “United States of Al.” Somehow, between all that and an active film career, Norris found time to help open a performing arts center and launch a craft-beer based on his “Breaking Bad” character. Schraderbräu, named after Hank Schrader, hit shelves in 2019. Nowadays, Norris lives in California with his wife, with whom he raised five children. Hopefully, he’s sipping some of Hank’s beer.
Jonathan Banks
Ironically, the end of “Breaking Bad” was just the start of Mike Ehrmantraut’s contribution to the series. Banks returned to the role for both “El Camino” and as a major supporting player in “Better Call Saul.” All in all, Banks appeared in over twice as many episodes of the prequel series as he did for “Breaking Bad.” His performance in the spinoff earned him four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Besides the “Breaking Bad” universe, Banks still routinely appears in both film and television projects to this day. Although, in instances like “Incredibles 2” and “Catwoman: Hunted,” he’s behind the mic instead of in front of the camera.
Bob Odenkirk
The motto “Better Call Saul” was taken to heart when “Breaking Bad’s” creators asked Odenkirk to headline the spinoff series. The unprecedented popularity of the character has given the actor the opportunity to take on more noteworthy parts. For example, in 2017, he co-wrote, produced, and starred in a passion project, “Girlfriend’s Day.” Later, in 2021, he received good marks for showing off his stunt chops in the action movie “Nobody.” Odenkirk would then suffer a heart attack during production of “Better Call Saul’s” final season, but he recovered and was back at work within six weeks. In 2022, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right next to fellow “Breaking Bad” star, Bryan Cranston.
Giancarlo Esposito
Drug distributor Gus Fring returned to television screens with a prominent role in “Better Call Saul,” which earned Esposito two more Primetime Emmy nominations for the character. But, since “Breaking Bad,” he’d become no stranger to acclaimed TV programs, appearing in heavy hitters like “The Boys” and “The Mandalorian.” The later 2010s also saw the actor toe more into voicework, with vocal performances in projects like “The Jungle Book,” “Harley Quinn,” “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners,” and more. Most notably, in 2021, he provided the likeness, voiceover, and motion capture for the main antagonist of “Far Cry 6.” No matter where, or in what medium, Esposito has a habit of showing up everywhere.
Betsy Brandt
After bringing Marie Schrader to life for five seasons, it didn’t take long for Brandt to find success in a different genre of TV. She became a series regular on two separate family-based sitcoms, “The Michael J. Fox Show” and “Life in Pieces.” Altogether, the latter kept Brandt busy until 2019. Since then, she’s been making a splash with several guest roles and recurring parts on other television programs like “The Unicorn” and “Love, Victor.” In 2022, Brandt reprised her role as Marie for a cameo in the series finale of “Better Call Saul.”
Anna Gunn
At the end of “Breaking Bad,” the heated reaction to Gunn’s character, Skyler White, led the actor to write an entire op-ed for the New York Times. Following that, one of her first post-Skyler gigs came in the Off-Broadway production “Sex with Strangers.” Later, she played prominent roles in the crime-drama “Gracepoint” and police procedural “Shades of Blue.” Gunn starred in the 2016 financial thriller, “Equity,” and then returned to the stage in 2019 for a West End production of “The Night of the Iguana.” While Gunn has yet to fully revisit Skyler, she did reprise her role as Martha Bullock for “Deadwood: The Movie.” As of 2022, she’s still popping up on TV screens in guest parts and recurring roles.
Aaron Paul
Jesse didn’t stay away from “Breaking Bad” for very long. After the main series’ conclusion, Paul returned to the character for “El Camino” and as a special guest star in the final season of “Better Call Saul.” Paul quickly transitioned from “Breaking Bad” to blockbusters in 2014 with films like “Need for Speed” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” Afterwards, he returned to episodic work with series regular gigs on “BoJack Horseman” and “The Path,” both of which he also produced. Later, he recurred on HBO’s “Westworld” and appeared as a framed convict in the Apple TV+ series, “Truth Be Told.” In 2018, Paul and his wife welcomed their first child, who then got a brother in 2022.
Bryan Cranston
Walter White’s journey may be over, but Cranston is clearly just getting started. Near the end of “Breaking Bad’s” run, he played major roles in best picture-winner “Argo” and the blockbuster “Godzilla.” That’s just the start, though. Since then, he’s won two Tony Awards, earned his production company a deal with Warner Bros. Television, and co-created a couple series. But, despite all that, Cranston still made time to return to Walter White for cameos in “El Camino” and the final season of “Better Call Saul.” Cranston’s efforts have shifted more behind the scenes in recent years, but if his workload the last few years is any indicator, he won’t be retiring any time soon.
