PremiumBryan Cranston on Breaking Bad co-star Mark Margolis: Thank you for your friendship and exceptional body of work
Mark Margolis played the vindictive drug lord Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Last Updated: 08.59 AM, Aug 05, 2023
There was a character, whose stroke-addled body allowed him no movement other than in a couple of fingers. And yet he manages to run a drug cartel with only the slightest twitch of the face, ever-expressive eyes and the ringing of a bell to state his intent. Breaking Bad’s Hector Salamanca was a force to reckon with, even though he spoke nothing, a role done absolutely phenomenally by Mark Margolis, who received an Emmy nomination for it. Mark, who then returned to reprise his character and let audiences in on how menacing Hector was prior to being disabled by a stroke in Better Call Saul, passed away on Thursday, August 3, at the Mt Sinai Hospital in New York.
Mark’s Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston took to social media to mourn the loss of a good friend. Sharing images of the late actor from their collaborations, Your Honour and Breaking Bad, Bryan wrote, “I am very saddened today to learn of a friend’s passing. Mark Margolis was a really good actor and a lovely human being. Fun and engaging off the set, and (in the case of Breaking Bad and Your Honor) intimidating and frightening on set. His quiet energy belied his mischievous nature and curious mind… And he loved sharing a good joke. I miss him already. Rest now, Mark and thank you for your friendship and your exceptional body of work.”
Giancarlo Esposito, who played Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad, wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend and dynamic human Mark Margolis. You made me laugh, made me cry doubled over with laughter, but more than anything you made me think. Always honest, always true. I will miss you. I am grateful to have had time with you.”
A message from the official social media handle of Breaking Bad read, “We join millions of fans in mourning the passing of the immensely talented Mark Margolis, who - with his eyes, a bell, and very few words - turned Hector Salamanca into one of the most unforgettable characters in the history of television. He will be missed.”
&