Gus Fring

Gus Fring
Breaking Bad character
Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring in Better Call Saul
First appearance	Breaking Bad: "Mandala" (2009) Better Call Saul: "Witness" (2017)
Last appearance	Breaking Bad: "Face Off" (2011) Better Call Saul: "Fun and Games" (2022)
Created by	Vince Gilligan George Mastras
Portrayed by	Giancarlo Esposito
In-universe information
Full name	Gustavo Fring
Alias	Chicken Man
Nickname	Gus
Occupation	Co-founder and proprietor of Los Pollos Hermanos Industrial laundry owner Drug kingpin
Significant other	Maximino "Max" Arciniega (deceased)
Origin	Chile
Nationality	Chilean American
Date of birth	c. 1958 Republic of Chile
Date of death	July 15, 2009 (aged 50-51)

Gustavo Fring is a fictional character portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito in the Breaking Bad franchise, serving as one of the main antagonists in the crime drama series Breaking Bad and a major character in its prequel Better Call Saul. He is a Chilean-American businessman and major narcotics distributor in the Southwestern United States who uses several legitimate businesses, including a chain of successful fast food restaurants called Los Pollos Hermanos (The Chicken Brothers) and an industrial laundry facility called Lavandería Brillante (Bright Laundry), as fronts used to launder money for a vast drug operation.

Though outwardly he works with the Mexican cartel to distribute cocaine, he secretly plots revenge against its members over the death of his business associate and romantic partner Maximino "Max" Arciniega at the hands of his sworn archenemy Hector Salamanca, the patriarch of the cartel-backed drug trade in the Southwest. To become independent of the cartel's meth, he constructs a secret lab under his industrial laundry to manufacture methamphetamine.

Fring was created as a character to replace that of Tuco Salamanca (played by departing actor Raymond Cruz) during the second season of Breaking Bad. Gus, as a stoic businessman, was created to be opposite to the chaotic Tuco and act as a foil to protagonist Walter White. The character has received high acclaim, with critics hailing Gus as one of the best villains in television; as such, Esposito's performance in the role has earned him several nominations and awards.