Actor Jonathan Banks saw his journey as Mike Ehrmantraut come to an end this week with the series finale of Better Call Saul on AMC. For Banks, it had been about 13 years since he’s been seen on television in the fan favorite role of Saul Goodman’s fixer and Gus Fring’s enforcer. Oddly enough, his role was created for a scene originally written for Saul, as Mike was put into the script at the last minute when Bob Odenkirk was unavailable to film that particular episode.

As things turned out, the addition of Mike turned out to be one of the happiest accidents of the franchise, as the character has broken out into a bona fide fan favorite. Though he met his demise in the final season of Breaking Bad, it was important for the Better Call Saul team to bring in Mike early for the spinoff Better Call Saul, having the former cop meet Jimmy McGill at the start of the series. The two characters shared the screen one last time in the series finale for a flashback sequence.

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In a new interview with the New York Times, Banks reflects on his time spent playing Mike Ehrmantraut. The actor admits that he feels a sense of ownership after giving so much to Mike over all these years. Banks also feels that playing Mike has even affected his real-life behavior, finding himself acting more and more like his Breaking Bad character.

Fans of the franchise know Mike as the character who likes to get straight to the point, never sparing any time for beating around the push. This is a quality Banks shares with the character as well, feeling that honesty is always the best way to treat others.

Jonathan Banks Is Finished Playing Mike

     Sony Pictures Television

Banks also explained how a lot of inspiration for how he played Mike came from people he grew up with and either feared or respected. While he didn’t have an upbringing reminiscent of the meth wars highlighted in Breaking Bad, he did have a “fair amount of rough life” in his younger years. He spent a lot of time walking around afraid, and Banks thought of this history when bringing his character to life.

It all worked out perfectly, as Mike is a beloved fan favorite from both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad. Chances are we won’t see the character again with Mike dead and no immediate plans for any more prequels or other spinoffs in the Breaking Bad world, but from 2009 to 2022, Banks played the role with perfection. He’ll be one of many characters badly missed by fans as everyone moves forward in a world without any Breaking Bad.