Michael McKean on the awfulness of his 'Better Call Saul' character: 'I know what it's made of'
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- Staff writer Glenn Whipp discusses the character Chuck McGill of "Better Call Saul" with the actor who plays him, Michael McKean.
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The amount of pain he had to go through to make this interview, really incredible.
Truly outstanding, he went out of his way to unburn himself and endure all that electricity so he can make this interview
WHAT A SICK JOKE!
@@TheKickboxingCommunity
AN ONLINE -COURSE- VIDEO?
WHAT A JOKE!
@@TheKickboxingCommunity You think this is bad, this chicanery?
@@babbisp1 YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE THESE SHORTCUTS AND SUDDENLY YOU THINK YOU'RE MY PEER?
“[Chuck] made [his] mom proud, but Jimmy made her laugh.” I personally think that quote completely embodies their relationship. Well said.
Edit: My quote wasn’t verbatim. It’s what he said, but it wasn’t exactly what he said.
In Chucks eyes, Jimmy has been a bad person since they were kids but he watched everybody still love him cause he had that swagger lol. Meanwhile Chuck did everything right. He surpassed your average Joe as far as career/income goes. Got married. Then he had to watch his “loser” brother try to enter workspace. Chuck hated jimmy with a passion. It gave him that fake electricity mental disorder. And later drove him to take his own life
This show is something of another world, and I don’t say that lightly. It is a complex psychological train that doesn’t stop chugging along, and it keeps accelerating all throughout both of their lives that eventually ends Chuck’s life and therefore stops his train which was accelerating at light speed. It started as children when Chuck was naturally gifted, he got into Georgetown law while Jimmy resented that. But Chuck also knew Jimmy was the charismatic person that everybody wanted to be around, despite not having the superior intelligence that Chuck was blessed with. Chuck resented that, so it’s dual resentment among people who are supposed to be lifelong allies- brothers, for goodness sake. They both felt inadequate and desiring each other’s traits in secret, and could never have a heart to heart about it. The secrecy of resentment and despise for each other was a flame that kept growing and growing. However, Jimmy had a law career, despite not being of the prestige of Chuck’s. However, Chuck didn’t have a glimmer of hope in becoming as charismatic as Jimmy, which is why we see him get progressively more resentful and wicked towards Jimmy. Jimmy knew he wasn’t on Chucks level, and Chuck always accused him of being an inadequate lawyer, but this was only out of jealousy of his personality and possibly looks. Thus, Chuck couldn’t handle the fact that despite all of his accomplishments, he wasn’t the favourite brother. He felt that all his life’s work of becoming the successful lawyer he is was for nothing if he couldn’t please his mother like Jimmy could. This is why Chuck killed himself, not because he hated Jimmy, but because he was jealous of him, despite Jimmy being much less successful.
@@ProdByAD21 your average joe? who's joe?
there was never a rivalry. jimmy was a piece of shit loser/criminal and chuck still gave him a job despite that. chuck's "hatred" only grew because of the "why is this happening to me?" syndrome. just think about it, even cancer patients have access to electricity. sure, chuck ultimately became an asshole trying to impede jimmy's career, but the bigger part of the reason of becoming an asshole is because he got dealt monumentally shit hands (brain damage).
@@ProdByAD21 the cause for the mental disorder was never confirmed. chuck loved jimmy, chuck didn't need to bail jimmy out, chuck didn't need to give jimmy a job, and chuck most certainly didn't do those things just because his mother asked him to (what is he 12?). chuck had jimmy's back. the resentment only started when chuck discovered jimmy was going to become a lawyer, and nobody can really blame chuck for not wanting jimmy to practice law in his firm, he is "slipping jimmy" ffs.
yea chuck eventually became a piece of shit, but to be fair, when person's hard earned successful life SUDDENLY ALL GOES TO SHIT, that person tends to act like a piece of shit as well. i can only sympathize with chuck,. if only chuck had a more competent doctor, and if only chuck was more adamant of treating his condition instead of adapting to it. in the end, the purpose of chuck's character was to be the ultimate catalyst to jimmy becoming saul goodman.
If you can hate the character so much, it only proves the man is a brilliant actor
Vegeta's Piano music intensifies just like skyler white
Vegeta's Piano music intensifies or maybe hes good at being an asshole
It depends on the character being played, not all characters were meant to be hated.
Chuck, is a very great performance, he was meant to be hated and the actor does a phenomenal job.
However there are some shows where a character is unlikable not because of the acting but because the character doesn't make sense o the acting is bad. A good example would be the Sand Snakes in GoT, Lori or Andrea in Walking Dead, to name a few.
Vegeta's Piano music intensifies Yes...exactly.
+Vegeta's Piano music intensifies
If only the people who harassed Anna Gunn used this logic
Anyone else feel like this is the most "Chuck" environment for this interview? Two soft-spoken, older gentlemen discussing the intricacies of a complex character amidst a pristine set with mature, elegant decorations. If Chuck were to do a TV interview in the BCS universe, this is exactly how I'd imagine it playing out.
Exactly, he played himself. Lolz
Except it would never be recorded lmfao
except all lights would be turned off
The typewriter in the background 😂
Well-played, Sir
HE DEFECATED THROUGH A SUNROOF!
Dick Chappy lmao
I can't help but read this in his voice, it's just impossible for me to not xD
😂😂
Dick Chappy And i saved him!, I shouldn’t have!
WHAT WAS I THINKING
The fact he didn’t get an Emmy is absolutely insane. He’s a top tier Breaking Bad villain. That deserves some gold.
Pretty sure he did for best guest appearance in Season 4.
@@PwnZombie No just nominated
I really wouldn't call him a villain, his character is way too layered to simplify it like that, but I totally agree that his performance deserved at least an Emmy. I'd argue Chuck's the greatest character in TV history and Michal McKean portrayed him impeccably well.
what a sick joke!
Half the ppl in BCS deserved an Emmy
This guy is a hell of an actor. Great performance
absolutely. the courtroom scene was amazing.
agree
I know this is off topic but have any of you guys seen him in star trek voyager?
Rafael C --Incredible to think I first saw him on Laverne & Shirley as Lenny the somewhat smarter 1/2 of Lenny & Squiggy. I’m not sure of the ‘asshole’ assessment of Chuck tho. I had a family member who was charming and got away with a lot because of her slickness. It’s easy to be resentful of someone who craps on family, steals and lies but are so damn charming, they not only get away with it, they are liked better than the ‘upright’ members of a family. Chuck wants to see HONOR win but it often doesn’t and it can screw with your own sensibilities. Since it’s JIMMY who puts the ‘Fun’ in dysfunctional, it’s CHUCK who sticks with the ‘Dis’ and pissed.
@Mitchell Knight I didn't realize that was him
Chucks’s death is still such a depressing scene to me man. You feel bad for him even as much as he makes you despise him. MAN they’re some brilliant actors. And such good writing man. ✍🏽
Out of all the ways for him to go out, that wasn't one I'd have expected.
I wish he and Jimmy could have worked it out somehow but it was a lot of things piling on top of Chuck that pushed him
It's one of the only times I felt something from BB/BCS is somewhat out of character, I think Chuck would've been too stubborn to kill himself, but he needed to get out of the series so the story could move on, though I wish he stayed for more seasons and have a different send-off
@Harry Baals yeah, but Jimmy actually had a chance to change and turn his life around, but Chuck wanted to keep him locked in the mail room because he didn't want to give Jimmy a chance.
That just made Jimmy go deeper into the bad life. Then, Chuck got Jimmy banned from practicing law, which led to him tripling down on the scummy conman lifestyle.
To paraphrase a philosophical quote on the subject...
"Evil is created when someone gives up on someone else. It appears when everyone gives up on someone as a lost cause and removes their path to salvation.
When someone gave up on someone and they become cut off from everyone else, they became evil."
Of course, some people are genuinely beyond redemption, but when you deny it to those are can be redeemed, then you leave them no other option.
@@InfernosReaper kinda obvious his whole house was a fire hazard plus the gas lamps
Chuck is the perfect foil to Jimmy, almost the anti-Jimmy. Jimmy has a good heart but is ethically flexible, and Chuck has a heart of stone but is ethically unimpeachable. The only thing more genius than the character is McKean's brilliant performance. I'm going to miss Chuck.
The scene where they're taking down the foil really points that out perfectly. You have Jimmy who's taking the easy and much faster way by ripping the tape off but destroys the varnish on the wood, then you have Chuck's method of slowly rolling the tape down. It's gonna take forever but there won't be any damage to the varnish.
@@brettuhl7818 Great comment, I have never thought of this that way, shows how great the show is.
@@brettuhl7818 Yes, then there's _that_ foil. :-)
Totally agree, except I’m defiantly not going to miss chuck 😂
Did you see what Jimmy did to those poor elderly women? That was despicable. No way does he have a "good heart".
Michael McKean to Bob Odenkirk: "You're not a real actor"
Finally a good comment after all the boring "did they turn the lights off?" shit.
You clearly didn't see his totally legit Acting Certificate from University of American Samoa...
@@seijisawamura000 Go land crabs
An online acting course . What a joke. i worked my ass off to become an actor . You dont slide into it like a cheap pair of slippers
Showmanship Is sacred
To put it most bluntly, Chuck blames Jimmy for the death of their father. For me, what makes the Jimmy-Chuck relationship so great is they're both right and they're both so wrong.
perfectly said.
Completely agree.
Jimmy is kinda morally good crook while Chuck is well-behaved and law-abiding ruthless asshole that's gonna sell his own brother out just so he can come out on top.
He also resents Jimmy for being liked more by everyone, including their parents.
intelligently well put, man!
"I watch my wife knitting, she's a big knitter, and its like watching close up magic." This man is adorable.
I wonder if people attack him with batteries.
charged with battery 😂
I can't lie, I laughed!
Lol 😂 I would
@@ReviveR6 well played, sir 😄
Like garlic to a vampire.
It will always be a crime against humanity that Michael McKean's performance in "Chicanery" wasn't nominated for an Emmy.
We can see this illustrated in the flash back scene where Chuck invites Jimmy over to meet his wife for the first time. He warns her about how Jimmy is ‘uncultured’ etc., but he keeps her laughing throughout dinner with his silly jokes and she warms to him instantly. Chucks face sais it all.
And then later on when he's alone with his wife, he swallows his pride as an "officer of the court" and cracks a lawyer joke of his own. To which she just looks at him blankly and then forces a laugh when she realizes he's telling a joke. I genuinely felt sorry for him then, it was just a good a joke as any of Jimmy's but he just couldn't match his brother's easy charm. Moments like that fed his resentment of Jimmy, the two-faced swindler who people just loved to be swindled by, when Chuck's own wife wouldn't even crack a smile for him.
Honestly the first time I watched that scene I interpreted it as jimmy stealing chucks girl
@@chasm671 Jimmy stopped being two-faced after Chuck saved him from prison and the sex offender registry tbh
And later Jimmy banged his wife with flashing discolights flashing throughout, that's also why Chuck developed his "condition" for being "allergic" to electricity.
It just gives him vietnam flashbacks of Jimmy plowing her on Chucks case files. Thats also why he stopped being a lawyer. He couldn't work on another case anylonger. lul
@@mezmezzy1870 Not to Chuck, he didn't.
In his mind there is no redemption for Slippin' Jimmy.
It's pretty crazy how a whole generation of people only know Michael mckean as Chuck and not his numerous comedic roles that made him famous. He really knocked it out of the park with this role.
yeah only came into my radar coz of BCS, i've missed out alot on Michael Mckean
the world is missing out alot as well, hope he gets to be in more projects
preferably in drama roles just like this one haha
Lenny from Laverne and Shirley!!!
The guy wrote Sex Farm for Christ's sake!
Fortunately I grew up in 80’s, so I was familiar with Lenny, Spinal Tap, and many other roles, I am happy he proved he is a great actor
I loved watching Lenny and Squiggy
it only just occured to me that Chuck doesn't exist
this man is a brilliant acor
actor*
actor*
What's an Acor?
@@Defiring He meant acorn. >_>
@@Ubersuntzu Oh makes sense, my bad
"THIS CHICANERY
WHAT A SICK JOKE"
Who else finds it bothering that chuck is with all the lights on
He has his space blanket under his suit.
Good one. I was waiting for him to wince or flitch at some point in the interview.
I was wondering if he was going to go nuts with the mic taped on his lapel
...lol
💀💀💀
His monologue during the testimony at Jimmy's trial for breaking home is really an acting masterpiece.
I can sympathize with Chuck. In my younger years I had 2 friends that had incredibly likable personalities and everyone we met enjoyed their company. One of them was a total narcissistic backstabber, the other was a pretty genuine dude though. I on the other hand was just there and pretty forgettable, nobody cared if I came to hang our or not and sometimes I was avoided altogether. It made me kind of bitter and I became a bit of a wet blanket in that social circle. Thankfully those days are behind me and I managed to develop my own qualities.
Exactly. But you got through it. You didn't let the jealousy consume you and transform into hate. Instead, you improved yourself as a person. Chuck didn't.
AttentionJunkie s
@@1994mrmysteryman I don't really think that's the only thing going on with Chuck. It's not really jealousy so much as bitterness at perceived unfairness.
He's clearly got a serious Luciferian syndrome going on from watching Jimmy be rewarded for sloppiness while he's being "punished" after doing things the "right way." So he feels like the gods of justice have forsaken him for his inferior.
If Jimmy became a successful car salesman, I don't think seeing Jimmy be successful would bother him so much. But seeing Jimmy successfully enter his own profession (and thus his perceived status) at the same time that Chuck's health and marriage have fallen apart is too much for his ego to bear.
@@1994mrmysteryman Also sorry for the necro post. Just needed a place to say my piece on the subject and didn't look at the date. >_>
@@Ubersuntzu I love how you write, man.
Michael gave one of the best performances of all time with the chicanery episode. The fact he can do an dramatic performance but also have a career in comedy shows what a genius he is
Oddly, a lot of comics make great dramatic actors. I never liked Robin Williams' comedy, but damned if he didn't do some heart-wrenching drama.
@@michaelsutherland5848 I always tell people that I really liked watching Robin Williams performance in his dramatic movie roles than watching his stand up
I love it when actors identify with their characters!
> I made my mom proud, but Jimmy made her laugh.
Chuck was indispensable in turning Better Call Saul into a legendary series. There is no question about it.
I actually hadn't seen McKean in other things and I find it hard not to dislike him based on the Chuck character. Guess that's a sign of good acting.
Michael McKean was already a true legend in my book before BCS.
Weirdo
have you seen him on the X-Files ?
Ed McGuigan he was on Friends, I think he was Monica's boss for one day
Mockolate!
The interviewer has nearly the same voice as Michael so its like he is talking to himself lol
just watched the final episode. fuck. give this man an emmy already
lol
He’s such a brilliant actor. He really became that character.
Chuck is a brilliantly layered character. Not many actors could pull that off so convincingly.
"Have some more chicken have some more pie it doesn’t matter if it’s boiled or fried" -Michael McKean
EAT IT! EAT IT! DON’T YOU MAKE ME REPEAT IT!
He deserves a best supporting actor oscar. Seriously, Michael McKean just played this character absolutely brilliantly!
More like best unsupporting since he never supports good ol jimmy
Oscar? It's not a movie...lol
Oscars are for movies dummy, you're not a real commentor
You mean emmy, dork
they don't give Oscars for television work.
When I go back and rewatch the series I always enjoy the first three seasons a little more. The complex relationship they had. The constant back and forth is what help make a pivotal part of the show. I definitely missed Chuck in the later season’s,even though the show must go on.
Lalo's killing it in the final season. Literally.
@@armorvil He just wants to talk to his lawyers.
They are almost two diffrent shows and I could see somebody liking either more but from episode 1 I knew the drastic difference there would be in lets season 3 compared to season 4 so it wasnt an out of left field change I wasnt happy to see nor was I bored with the later plot lines
@@h3ck774 I understand that it must progress.Just as how I like Breaking Bad season's one and four the most from that series.Just a matter of preference.
Same, I have rewatched the first seasons so many times. There isn't the pressure on the show for increased stakes or to start wrapping things up. It can just breathe and explore itself.
Guess that was what really did in chuck. Everyone can't help but love jimmy. He has this effect on them. Even if they know he has a questionable history in his past and he was a great short-con artist who never was responsible or worked hard, they still liked him. Chuck isn't necessarily liked, but he is respected as a wealthy and successful lawyer. When chuck had was being the "good one" who worked hard, and was successful, and bailing his brother out of trouble regularly, and getting him a job and being his life manger of sorts, he was fine with that. It was when his loser little brother started to master his domain and he was the one bailing him out nowadays is when he really lost it and did himself in to protect his covert narcissism. He was so lacking in self awareness due to his self grandiosity from his deep seated subconscious narcissistic personality disorder, that he actually became severely self defeating. He rather die than his loser kid brother be his savior for a change, for purely empathetic reasons as well. Jimmy didn't want praise, and he put in much more that chuck ever had to help him. Funny how the perception of people can be so completely misleading.
Jimmy was a con man, but at least he was honorable when it really matters. He is a criminal, but he has what Chuck did not, true empathy.
He had so much empathy that he helped Walt poison a Brock, now Chuck was no saint he played a part in turning Jimmy into Saul, but acting like Jimmy was a blameless victim is bs, plus Chuck had legit reason to think that his brother would never change since he was given oppurtunity after oppurtunity and he failed every single time. Both of them are terrible human beings.
"Not our Jimmie! ...pfft, robbing them blind!" , what an amazing performance by Michael, i miss his presence on the show
I remember as a kid watching "Laverne & Shirley" and thinking, "This Lenny guy. I'm going to keep a close eye on his career." And I've never been disappointed.
The actor who played his partner Squiggy later developed MS, which curtailed his career. He was very good also.
Oh, how I loved Lenny and Squigy as a child. I had to show my kids Laverne and Shirley scenes to contrast Chuck’s character.
A running joke on the show was when Laverne or Shirley said something like "Can this day get any worse?" L&S would be at their door.
I loved Laverne & Shirley. Lenny & Squiggy were the best supporting players for the girls.
@@spaceghost8995 he found his second career as a successful baseball scout (he was on A radio show and ended up doing the Squibby voice and it was awesome
Michael is one of the rare great actors that when you see him in film, you don't see the man but the CHARACTER.
He's such a great actor...I was totally shocked and transfixed watching his last scene. Amazing courage, watching him 'going there' to crazy level was very convincing and scary . He deserved an Emmy
He’s a thoughtful man and terrific actor.
that's awesome that type of back story combined with an actor who cares makes a great performance that can be related to.
Arguably one of the most underrated actors - this man is a real acting genius
Did they leave all the electronics outside before making this interview?
He's got a clip-on mic.
He would've died if he'd been next to it
They probably told him the camera pointed at him was turned off
Are you grounded?
But they couldn't do anything about the exit sign
there's another world where chuck and jimmy are this unstoppable lawyer team. Likeability, thoroughness, creativity, experience, charm and reputation. The McGill Brothers would've been unstoppable
They have similar voices!
sertic1 no. Are you?
Not to the point of thinking an actor playing a role with a similar voice - that stems from the same vocal chords, is worthy of surprise.
sertic1 I meant the actor and the interviewer...
The interviewer looks like Steve Martin, but doesn't sound like him.
oh I'm soooo sorry haha
What is there to say about Michael McKean that hasn't already been said? The man is a colossus of a talent, so much so, that no other man alive could have brought Chuck "Charles" McGill to life. His acting chops are so underrated.
RIP Chuck. What a ridiculously good cast!
The genius of the writing and McKean’s performance of this character is that he’s 100% right about Jimmy... and we still hate him.
Exactly! I love that his character (and I think his does it more than any other on the show) is so complex that you can't really put your finger on where you stand on him.
Also, I think Chuck and Kim were the only two people that Jimmy (/ Saul) genuinely cared about, so when Chuck was gone, a lot of Jimmy was gone with that too (meaning his more human and caring side, Saul took the center stage then - greed and lust for money without genuine care for other people). And when Kim left as well, Saul took completely over. Man I really hated him by the end (as Gene became Saul again) and wanted him to get caught so badly. Without these two people there was nothing left of Jimmy's caring side.
So Chuck was completely right about him, he wanted him to be Jimmy and not Slippin' Jimmy (Chuck's name for Saul Goodman), but the way he acted only had the opposite effect. I think if Chuck was more compassionate towards Jimmy and if they could hang out like brothers without him judging Jimmy all the time, maybe Jimmy would turn out to be more prominent rather than Saul.
But the brilliance of the show is that they are all flawed character as people are in real life.
That's what I came here to say. Yes, he obviously has an ugly jealousy/vendetta against Jimmy that goes back to their childhood, and that's something that will always make a person seem like a villain/bad guy, but Chuck was 100% right about Jimmy. If given enough time, Jimmy will destroy the lives of absolutely anybody he comes into contact with. He won't mean to, but he will destroy their lives.
You know what else he was right about? Jimmy really wasn't a real lawyer.
The you're not all that important to me scene really cemented it for me.
“I think the problem may have been that there was a Stonehenge monument on stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf “
sgtgiggles his surname was the patron saint of quality footwear
His performance was so good that seeing him out of character is genuinely jarring. Such an amazing show.
These two sound exactly the same
he might be one of the best role I ever seen. It felt so real.
"You're a shitty lawyer Howard, but you're a great salesman. So get out there and sell!"
Chuck was a great lawyer, but a terrible salesman. No wonder the partnership between him and Howard worked well until Chuck got sick.
Angry when his brother made his wife laugh.
I remember seeing him in Clue, a personal favorite of mine. And he was one of the best parts of that film. Such a talented actor. Glad he's still around to make such compelling performances.
TheMovieSequelDude49 “...... and I’m going home to sleep with my wife!”. Great last line
Chuck is a bit of a douche but his story is tragic, the monologue he had to his doctor about how he was starting to get better and how he was gonna have big parties with lots of people almost made me tear up a bit tbh
These two have the exact same voice.
They were like, “Hey, this guy kinda sounds like the actor. Let’s have him do the interview.”
Lmao I wasn't watching, I thought the intro was Chuck
Chuck is a monster... but he's my favorite character. McKean is right, that level of antagonism... it's something really deep. It's not without some level of (distorted) reasoning.
I don't think Monster is the right word....Chuck is definitely flawed and has done some petty, vindictive, and even malicious things but I don't think he has done anything I would actually consider "monstrous".
I think Chuck is the most hated character, and we love him for it. Mike is my favourite character, but I also think he’s the most loved, so for me they sit at opposite ends of the spectrum
If chuck is a "monster" then what is Jimmy? They're both incredibly flawed, dynamic characters, and that's why the show is so great. No good/evil dichotomy.
@@panterxbeats sometimes it feels like i'm not watching the same show. If chuck is a monster, then Jimmy's the worst person on the planet ... People get so stuck up worshiping the face of the show, they turn a blind eye to the horrible shit that he did and still does, shit that led to Chuck's suicide
Chuck deserves to burn in hell. He ended up creating a monster from his brother instead of helping him be on the right path.
I don't think a sound person would hate chuck absolutely. He is bad but says the truth in his breakdown in CHICANERY . I sort of rooted for chuck . One of the greatest portrayals of all time
I'm always going to remember him as Lenny from Laverne & Shirley, even though he's had a very prolific career as a working actor.
Despite Chuck being an unpleasant character, he was 100% correct about everything he ever said about Jimmy. For some reason I don't see a lot of fans talking about this. Jimmy of course is a very fun and likeable character, but Chuck had him all figured out, warned him and those around him about what Jimmy's ways will lead to, but was ignored.
This is what I love about the story they made, their relationship is so debatable, who's right and who's wrong. But to me I think that Jimmy was a terrible person, he was 100% down to change but Chuck never gave him a chance and never tried to see the good in him and help that side of him out, did everything in his power to turn the whole lawyer business against him starting by Howard another authority in that world, and through these actions Jimmy started developing the idea that he will never get a chance because he's branded forever and you see that fully blossom with that girl trying to get a scholarship story arc. Quite the sad story when you put it this way
@@kurasai6009 they both had issues, chuck's problems hurt jimmy more than jimmy's issues hurt chuck
I think Chuck is part of the cause of what made Jimmy become Saul. Jimmy tried so hard to get on track and make Chuck proud once he saved him from his Slipping Jimmy days. Yet Chuck couldn't take Jimmy call himself a lawyer because it insulted his ego.
@@baifomet6425 Maybe, maybe, however, to me it seems that Chuck couldn't stand Jimmy being a lawyer because he understood the risks, not because of his ego.
This just isn't correct though, the show made that very clear imo.
There was an entire plot point about it, when Chuck purposely let Jimmy figure out about the secret recording, and was discussing his plan. He said that he figured Jimmy would sneak in during the middle of the night and try to steal the recording to save himself, Chuck specifically said that he "knew his brother" and "knew what he would do"
The scene was immediately followed by Jimmy showing up, middle the day, wanting to confront Chuck about betraying their relationship.
Imo that scene alone made it very clear that Chuck only saw the worst in Jimmy, he saw Jimmy as a cold emotionless person that would sneak into his house during the night to steal, while in actuality Jimmy did, and was the exact opposite of what Chuck thought.
Chuck didn't have him figured out at all.
He's so good at being Chuck I don't trust this interview 😂 I feel like he's plotting something
wow he sure is getting better. they even got the lights in the studio!
I never hated Chuck, I only felt bad for him. McKean is a brilliant actor.
Chuck was cruel. When he tells Jimmy he never really mattered all that much to him, I wanted to kill Chuck with my bare hands.
Micah Buzan Mental illness can only be your safety blanket for awful treatment towards others for so long before the scales tip. Chuck wasn’t just tipping the scales, he was actively jumping up and down on his end.
@@peg202xo7 True but you didn't have to put up with Jimmy's lies and tricks your whole life.
@@peg202xo7 he obviously didnt mean it, u saw later that he had a full mental breakdown and committed suicide. he only said that because of how hurt he was and what jimmy put him through
He did make a lot of bad choices but his death was still horrible
I really do love the subtlety behind their father and his business being the major divide in both of them.
Jimmy saw his father as the most honest businessman in the world that ruined the business all for the sake of lying beggars.
James never saw the lying beggars so he saw his father as the most honest businessman in the world whose son stole that business into ruin.
Jimmy went on to damn that honesty for his heartfelt reasons and James went on to continue that honesty for cold and hateful reasons.
In the end, Jimmy was unchanged because his heart was in the right place, but James turned away from his honesty for just a moment because his heart was not.
Thus the man who could keep his resolve won, Jimmy never changed his resolve but James did and the dominoes that fell from that lead to him being shown as a fool in front of everyone.
jimmy & james the same person my dude
what
It is hinted at that Jimmy did steal from his dads business.
@@IsomerSoma Not just hinted. We see him steal from the till one time, but we also see someone scam Charles Sr. as well, so it's unclear how much of the $14,000 discrepancy Chuck refers to was caused by Jimmy and how much was caused by Charles Sr. letting people scam him. That ambiguity is an important aspect of the show because it forces the audience to look at things from each character's point of view. From Jimmy's point of view, it doesn't matter how much of the missing money went into his pockets because someone would have stolen from Charles Sr. no matter what, and from Chuck's point of view, Jimmy was solely responsible. Both explanations make sense from their respective points of view. Since Jimmy is the protagonist, most people tend to sympathize with him more so than Chuck, especially since Chuck never mentions that other people besides Jimmy also stole from Charles Sr.
This man is brilliant as Chuck
The over arching story of the brothers was my favorite part of the show, two brilliant actors playing roles so well written.
Chuck was present when their mom passed, but she died asking about Jimmy. That really sums it up.
Have some more chicken, have some more pie, it doesn't matter whether it's boiled or fried.
Michael McKean was friggin' AMAZING as Chuck. I'm can't say I'm aware of non-comedic roles of his prior to this show, but he was absolutely BRILLIANT. A lot of people seem to like the later seasons of BCS, but I prefer the first few with Chuck. The dynamic between he and Jimmy and the backstory they created is just fascinating to me.
They have the same voice
"I don't mean to hurt your feelings but you never really mattered much to me Jimmy"
These people are craft masters. The way they think and channel the character is amazing. Respect.
He did a brilliant job on a brilliant character. I watched always hoping to see his story and antics. I am still so sorry to see him go.
I know! And a hella piano player and a gourmet cook! Just a very elegant and complex man! Just too complex even for his intelligence
Having a younger brother myself, I can understand his sentiment.. well, at least the character he is portraying that is.
Oh my god the most heartbreaking moment between chuck and Jimmy is when he tells Jimmy he's never really been all that important to him (Chuck). Also, the tense and anticipation during Chuck's suicide scene.......his struggle after you discover Chuck's "condition" is a lie and THAT too is yet another deep part to how Jimmy lived his life and transformed throughout the show..... just wow!!!
Chuck was a most intense character in the series. Michael deserves more recognition for that role. I was in awe.
I really can't understand the people commenting that they despised Chuck. Go watch the show again.
Chucks so brave to do an interview. Inspirational
Love him or hate him, but Chuck was right the whole time, after Chuck passed the only thing that kept Jimmy from fully becoming Slippin' Jimmy or Saul Goodman was Chuck, after that Jimmy spiraled out of control into being the sleazy, greedy, but charming Saul Goodman.
Not really, had Chuck been more supportive of Jimmy’s endeavors and properly mentored him, there would be no Saul Goodman
Re-watching this whole series again and Michael McKean knocked it out of the park. Such a great show with such great characters, all played well by the actors involved.
Imagine feeling your character so deeply that you predict what the screenwriters will write.
McKean is one of my favorite actors. I was almost ten when I first saw him in Short Circuit 2, and have loved him ever since.
He saved Johnny 5
Chuck is really an amazing character. He's cruel, petty, vindictive, and most of all RIGHT. I would get so angry at him for his insistence that Jimmy shouldn't be a lawyer, and constantly sabotaging him. Then I'd remember how Jimmy's story ends, and realize that "chimp with a machinegun" doesn't even begin to describe how dangerous Saul Goodman was.
ehhh tbf he gets strong armed from the beginning
This feels like a Better Call Saul deleted scene. Chuck McGill in an interview before his "electrosensitivity" condition
Wow he actually kinda acts like Chuck. This actor really embodies his role, that's impressive.
These two men have such smooth voices.
Wow! It is like listening to a fluffy cloud :)
They could talk about the Rwandan Genocide, and I would still feel good and smile while listening.
Chuck is the embodiment of the american dream, do everything right on paper reach for the sky in prestige but if you can't enjoy life along the way or find that magic you end up bitter and alone. He has every access to anything he could want in material possessions but he can't buy human connection. Jimmy does it with ease and that jealousy eats at him. There is more to life than just being the best, you have to enjoy the journey despite your destination.
Except the american dream can be a great thing, chuck can't be a great person.
Very well stated!
There's a component that is misses that though. Chuck isn't just jealous of Jimmy's way with people. He's enraged by the fact that his little brother's used car salesman type charisma wins him friends when we know Jimmy uses it to swindle and rob people with little to no remorse. Jimmy constantly evades consequences because of the affection he wins from others. Jimmy has admitted without compunction to seeing anyone ge can com as sheep. He's in many ways pretty much a monster and yet people lower their guard and love him in away they rarely if ever do for Chuck a man whose gotten everything in his life without petty shortcuts just the fruit of sincere hardworking and authentic brilliance. Who wouldn't that drive crazy?
i was very fortunate to see McKean perform live on Broadway in The Homecoming by Pinter. He's amazing, my favorite type of actor in a way. old school, very focused, able to transform himself, honors the script and honors the power of voice control.
Proud he survived that interview with all that technology in the room.
Chuck was so ridiculous, I will can't believe it worked so well. From a writing standpoint, I love the character, and he did a wonderful job portraying him
Wow - their voices are very much alike! :O
Michael McKean to Reporter before interview : "Did you ground yourself?"
And he gets to get interviewed by los angeles times? What a sick joke
Chuck has been a great cautionary take on how I do not want to evolve as an attorney.
Anyone who has had a sibling like Jimmy--as I have--has to cut Chuck a little slack.
All Jimmy wanted was his brother's approval and not be hated by him. I feel sorry for both characters.
Every series needs someone like Chuck the voice of reason. Skylar in Breaking Bad and Chuck in BCS. Both are great performers McKean and Gunn. They don't play the popular character's, but they play them excellent.
Got a sibling with the same antagonistic mania. Its an awful moment to realize when someone close to you would do anything they can to destroy you, but the relief you feel by leaving them behind is worth it, and cannot be denied.
Oh my, you have perfectly described the relationship I had with my covert narc sister who I didn't discover until I was 36 was out to destroy me my entire life. The best decision I ever made was finally kicking her to the curb. The relief I felt after getting her out of my life was more important than dwelling on the immense pain she caused me.
Jimmy never enjoyed leaving Chuck behind
He didnt leave him behind. He retaliated and destroyed his life. Didnt turn out so great for Jimmy either, did it. The healthy thing would have been to turn his back and pursue a happy life.
Michael McKean is a phenomenal artist. He's thrown himself into the role and you cannot disrespect that at all.
how can they even film chuck, he must freak out when the camera man comes near.
Casting for BCS is superb. Every character is so well written and cast. Lalo, Nacho, Kim, Chuck, such great additions to an already amazing returning BB cast.