Michael McKean of 'Better Call Saul' talks of 'the pain at the center' of his character
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2016
- Staff writer Glenn Whipp disucsses AMC's 'Better Call Saul' with Michael McKean, who plays Chuck McGill.
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He's such a great actor, I struggle separating him from his character.
TalkShowHost you should see him in his previous comedic works. Incredible actor.
He puts a lot of himself into the character, so that pieces of them are inseparable. Notice mckean's clumsiness talking about humor and impressions and his Twitter and even though he plays funny characters theres a little piece of chuck in there, jealous and awkward and skillful and extremely capable and admirable.
Just go back and watch a few Laverne and Shirley episodes - it gets very easy.
@thevso -not if you knew him as Leonard Kosnowski first
Doesn't help that their hairstyles and clothes are too different haha
Did the LA Times ground themselves before the interview?
they secretly planted a mobile battery into mckean's breast pocket
Seriously some of the finest acting I've ever seen. Chuck absolutely breaks my heart & Michael McKean plays him to perfection 💔
Brian chose him,I love this actor he is my idol ,represents a correct, coherent, honest way of thinking, I have too much admiration for him, one day I hope to be able to shake his hand and thank him
@@Tyler-en7nk Yes. I really appreciate how he acknowledges Chuck's pain. It seems important to be able to inspect his pain without just calling him the asshole and leaving it at that so that we can all explore the pain within ourselves that causes us to hurt others.
@@scotts4298 Yes its great that he doesn't simply overplay it and agrees just for sympathy. No he is his own being and has his own mind and opinions. Thats gold.
Back then I would always hear about "huge numbers of bcs fans who Despise Chuck!!"
I never felt that, and I had some sympathy for both guys. All the fans ripping him apart in the comments are usually almost the same to a T.
Young, of a certain political sensibility (loosely I guess), and the obvious selfish types. I guess he interrupts their vicarious fantasy they wish to live through the character of Jimmy. They can't immerse themselves in Chuck. I can plunge into both characters....or even Howard or Kim. Not Lalo, Hector, etc....but they are more cartoon-evil and not really relatable for a non sociopath. Nacho maybe.
"love can be very close to slavery if you play your cards right" sums up so much of the emotional drama in Better Call Saul AND Breaking Bad so well
So true. This quote hit me like a ton of bricks.
Jesse: ''SAY IT, SAY YOU WANT THIS''
Walt: ''I want this''
Jesse: ''then do it yourself''
Hank: He cares about you
thirty seconds into this I can tell you I know Im going to love everything about this. micheal mckean is hugely underrated at his craft
hes a master of the craft
This show has the best actors and writers; every episode is a gem.
they talk exactly the same and it's so weird
God you're so right. I didn't even notice till I saw this comment
He's a good actor and it shows.
Really great actor. He successfully made Chuck into a complex, hateable but tragic character
"Love can be slavery if you play your cards right"
Great actor.
Michael, I thoroughly enjoyed the karaoke scene where both Chuck and Jimmy sing together. I liked seeing Chuck cut loose a bit and enjoy a moment with his brother. You have a very nice voice, and I wish that I could have heard more of it.
If you haven't seen the movie A Mighty Wind, check it out, or look up the Folksmen. You can get more McKean singing there!
“It doesn’t matter if it’s boiled or fried”- Chuck needs no auto tune 🔥
It’s always interesting to hear the actors talk about their characters. Michael McKean knows a lot about Chuck that the audience doesn’t and hearing his take on it is fascinating.
Kudos to Michael McKean. Takes a lot of thick skin to play a character hated by everyone.
Everyone?
Here my unpopular opinion: I actually loved Chuck. I would have loved a series about Howard and Chuck.
@@alguien1234 unpopular opinion : chuck was right with every single word he said about jimmy
@@maggoteater2290 it's literally true
@@maggoteater2290 yep he was right but he was sort of responsible for him becoming that way. It was a self fulfilling prophecy. Whenever Jimmy tried to do something good or improve himself, Chuck wouldn't approve. He wanted someone to look down on.
He seems still in character even when he's not
McKean is one hell of an actor. I'm glad he was cast and given the chance to show the performance he's done on Saul. Fantastic!
What a score for BCS in getting McKean in a major role. Utterly brilliant actor, and for a very long time.
Michael Mckean low key had a space blanket in his car for when the interview was over.
Michael McKean is such a fantastic actor and I love how he is closely guarded and somewhat defensive of Chuck it's brilliant.
Thankful for Michael McKean and his great performance
As much as people love to hate Chuck, it's because he's believable and 3 dimensional. Whenever I think of McKean I always think of his SNL stuff, but shows he's such a great character actor in Saul
McKean was on SNL??
No, he wasn't a cast member. The OP was thinking of MJM's buddy Chris Guest, who was on SNL 1 season with Billy Crystal.
I can't not see him as David St. Hubbins (Spinal Tap)
@@mikedowd66 is my man thinking about Michael Keaton??
I only knew him as "Lenny" on _Laverne and Shirley_ . Yes, I'm old.
Sometimes parents, tend to show more love to the troubled kid. This is something that Mrs. McGill did, perhaps thinking that it would not affect her children. Chuck's resentment towards Jimmy kept him from giving his brother the benefit of the doubt. All Jimmy ever wanted was his brother's approval. Since Chuck saw him only as Slipping Jimmy, he fully turned into it. What Chuck didn't realize is what team of lawyers they made.
Whoever cast Michael as Chuck should get a bonus and a raise. McKean was so convincing as Chuck as I watched Michael in this interview I saw Chuck the entire time.
The relationship between Chuck and Jimmy was outstanding. For me, it almost dawns Jesse and Walt's relationship, which was father and son. But for Chuck and Jimmy, it was brother to brother. And the dynamic they had, how no matter how hard they tried to be independent of one another, one's actions always affected the other. That and also Chuck's struggle with mental illness. This great man with a great mind falling into a downward spiral he couldn't control. I loved it, I loved all of it
Jesse and Walter relatinship is honestly badly written, after season 4 it goes downhill with how Jesse lets Mike walk over Walter when Walt risked his life saving him from the street dealers, makes no sense
If you close your eyes while watching this video, you'll notice that the interviewer and interviewee sound exactly alike.
what a pesonality what a great actor what a nice man, i love this guy. would love to talk and cook with michael mckean. hands down to cranston!!!
Michael is a Class act on Better Call Saul. Love his character. Don't want to see him die.
Well we all know what happens 😭
fantastic actor
His last scene, season 3, was shocking and so sad
I just finished better call saul by this time its season 4. This show makes me think of them and keep analyzing their character.. Jimmy and Chuck’s relationship is really interesting and real deal. I kinda feel for chuck in terms of his pain depression, suppression, and anxiety. But his being perfectionist and maybe lack of emotional intelligence to the point of selfishness makes the viewers really hates him.
This show has Really good plot and beautifully written. Love Michael Mckean very effective acting.
Me gustó tu comentario, 3 años atrás y aún así lo entendiste un poco... Lo que muchos no. A mí me gusta el personaje, fue cruel pero tuvo sus razones.
Chuck's own wife doesn't laugh at his (pathetic) jokes, but she laughs with Jimmy. That's gotta hurt right there.
"Love can be very close to slavery if you play your cards right"
Great quote. Chuck seems like a pretty classic narcissist. Chuck gives Jimmy just enough approval to make him think it's possible to feel Chuck's full love, but in reality that will never happen. It's terribly sad and reminds me of the darker side of myself. I'm sometimes blighted with insecurity that can make me unpleasant or even downright manipulative. It also definitely comes from my family dynamic as a child.
Try to fight your insecurities. If it comes from being judged by others then focus on your development. Develop yourself and don't compare yourself to anyone else. It really is not important comparing yourself to others. You are unique and whatever you create through developing your own skills no one can replicate it. Someone may be better than you at a particular skill but you may see something or create something that they themselves do not because they are not you and will never have your perspective. Just develop yourself and forget comparing yourself.
I’m better than you
@@turolretar Classic Chuck comment
I love this show
Mr mckean shoupd have won every award possible for this show. If i forget who you are, after watching you for 40 years, then you are a phenomenal actor. I cant say enough about this whole series. Absolute magic
I want to say Chuck was a bad person but I cant help but see him as a very scared little man. He uses every ounce of his power to destroy Jimmy because he's insecure and jealous. Yet Jimmy does things that are morally questionable but I think Chucks crimes are different. His institutional power almost invites Jimmy to make questionable decision if he wants win. Jimmy doesn't want to win either. He just doesn't want to be destroyed by his own brother.
But Jimmy still lies to everyone he ever "loved" and chuck did not. Who's the manipulator then?
@@RedValleyMilsim Chuck didn't lie? He wrapped his house in aluminum foil essentially faking(projecting a lie) an emotional breakdown to illicit a felony confession from his brother. He lied to Rebecca about why his house had no power. He watched Jimmy get his soul crushed at the sandpiper meeting. Pretended that he was just as shocked as Jimmy that Howard didn't want him at the firm when it was Chuck he made the call. Finally and most egregiously he lied about their mother's last words. But the lies are beside the point because ultimately they lie to themselves most of all. The point I was trying to make is I can understand why Jimmy did what he did. Not Saul. It's easier to run from the pain or get angry. Anger is a powerful narcotic when it comes to people hurting you. Jimmy's decisions are flawed but understandable therefore forgiveable. On the other hand I can't understand how a person could be so narcissistic they would want to destroy their own brother and think it was for their own good. The truth is Chuck is right about Jimmy but for the wrong reasons. He thinks Jimmy is inherently a bad person incapable of changing. Jimmy is no saint but he's no Saul. Saul is the mask he creates to hide from all the self-loathing and pain. I don't think he would have to create that mask if Chuck wouldn't have so deeply traumatized and manipulated him. Chuck unlocks the door that Kim opens up which Saul walks through.
@@RedValleyMilsim who cares, two wrongs don't make a right
What an actor ... His character even though an antagonist such an awesome and heartbreaking character
I feel Mike McKean could even have a casual chat with someone, in character as Chuck. He'd be a walking living episode.
I cannot unsee Charles McGill from Michael McKean, damn he's good.
Without the picture it's Michael Mckean interviewing himself.
My God, that’s exactly what I thought as I was washing dishes and listening to this interview. They sound identical!
Chuck is such a memorable character - almost forgot how funny this guy was in Best In Show
Having watched Micheal play the duo of Lenny and Sqiggy, it shows the depth of this actor's ability...
He is a classy guy and great at his craft.
Have you seen Best in Show? He is in that too
The depiction of mental illness through Chuck's eyes is spot on. Bravo to the whole team. ❤
This legit feels like an interview with Chuck help.
I was so astonished to suddenly find out that he also played in Spinal Tap. Crazy. It never ever occurred to me when watching Better call Saul, and I've seen Spinal Tap many times. That speaks volumes for Michaels ability to act.
I was trying to listen to this without watching, and I was having trouble knowing who was talking. THEY SOUND THE SAME! 😆
Brilliant actor.
Chuck's dilemma seems to come down to that classic Smothers Brothers line, "Mom always liked you best."
I'd love to see a Chuck series lol
I grew up watching Michael McKean doing comedy so to see him cast in such a dark role was, like watching Bryan Cranston, pretty surreal. Now I honestly only think of him as Chuck depsite all his back catalog. That's a big testament to the writing and performances on these shows.
Superb interview!
Love you, Michael!
It's funny how every BCS fan utterly despises Chuck. Honestly, I never once hated him. I felt too sorry for him to hate him, because it was apparent that he was in so much pain. And the fact that we see the story through Jimmy's eyes and therefore see Chuck as the antagonist, it's easy to lose sight of the fact Chuck is actually right about Jimmy. Jimmy is a toxic, dangerous person that either hurts or destroys everyone who comes into his orbit. Chuck might be an asshole and a bad brother, but that doesn't make him wrong.
They did a fantastic job of showing the affects of a mental health issue and the fact that every one hates him proves that there is a huge lack of empathy out there now. People watch show just to look through the protagonists perspective? BCS is all about the opposite of that.
Lol, the actual actor of Chuck even thinks his character is an asshole and yet you guys defend him xD
2:12 Careful there Michael, your Chuck is showing
Best show ever!
Chuck got a lot of hate but I always liked him, such an entertaining character when he was on screen.
I AM NOT CRAZY
Perfect performance.....!!!..Costa Rica Pura Vida....
Love this guy from penny and sqiggy to plane trains and automobiles to this is spinal tap to better call Saul and then some
Brilliant performer
O.G. vet, all the way back to happy days and Laverne and Shirley
Greg Bond - - Hello!!!
Michael McKean was so good in that role! BRAVO MAN! Some of the most powerful moments to me besides the really terrifyingly sad part in "Lantern" was when Chuck was talking with the Dr in his house and said something like if this is just in my head (and he looks down and pauses a second) and trails off with "then what have I done?" and has that VERY painful look on his face.. WOW that one was really well played.
If you think about that and then the scene in Lantern (especially when you see what he's done to his home!) the look on his face is giving in to it all and feeling beyond hopeless to the point of self destruction.. yeah Michael is a great actor! Chuck had what I believe was a God Complex especially with his legal work. As far as he is concerned he should never be beyond reproach. There was so much more to this character than even the show lets on.. if you dig deep enough into a thought process about it. Chuck had a VERY odd sense of what he should be and what he thought he was. He loved his brother but was so jealous of traits that Jimmy had and he himself didn't possess. Sibling rivalry at the very extreme of the scale. The show doesn't really go there on why Chuck had such a DEEP resentment of Jimmy so we have to imagine or just let it go. Anyway, what a show!
What an excellent actor.
Amazng actor and man!!!!!
Michael McKean is one of America's (and the UK's) most underrated treasures. And what a mark of his acting capability that people so vicerally hate Chuck, and other than Coneheads, when has McKean been a "bad guy"? Think of the many endings of Clue, and perhaps the single greatest closing line in cinema history: "I'm going to go home and sleep with my wife."
i love michael mckean so much
Incredible actor
I understood chuck and felt sorry for both him and jimmy
Great actor
he really understands chuck so well
Michael McKean did an amazing job as Charles McGill!
Until I watched better call saul, I'd only ever seen him in short circuit 2 lol.
Fantastic actor and character.
I knew I'd seen him in something before BCS and I couldn't think what, it was short circuit 2! Thanks 👍
their voices sound so similar tf
my personal best dynamic in fiction (chuck and jimmy)
why'd they shoot this on a public access set from the early 90s
Greeaaat actor!
Good to see you again... Ok
I don't have a lot of good memories of Lavern and Shirley. But I did enjoy his work in it. One episode he helps Lavern deal with losing her mother and I said, "dang this guys got some acting chops!". Aaaaand Spinal Tap of course!
No dislikes what a great actor !
Excellent as Jimmy McGill’s brother! Too bad he was type cast as Lenny on Laverne and Shirley. He is a very intelligent actor.
these two guys have same voice and accent LOL
Emmy
He did such a incredible job!
Chuck masks his hatred and jealousy towards Jimmy under the coat of righteousness
I don’t think Jimmy loves him, rather, he seeks Chuck’s love, acceptance of him
the bedrock of the series
They both sound the same😮
When I see that actor all I see is Chuck.
I still see Lenny from Laverne and Shirley sometimes. McKean is great in this role.
I felt sorry for Chuck. Great acting Michael!
Musically speaking I am an equally avid fan of Lenny & The SquigTones and Spinal Tap. St.Hubbens, the Patron Saint of Quality Footwear. Who could forget there's a mighty wind a-blowin'? ... and he's married to Annette O'Toole.
from spinal tap to this... genius
BCS lost a little something after Chuck departed - still a great show though!
we are not talking about slippin jimmy
the Smothers Brothers complex
"Love would be close to slavery if you play your cards right". Painful but true.
what does he says at the beginning?
Good lord they have exactly the same voice.
18:49 I did not know he was marred to Annette O'Toole!
I’m going to go home and sleep with my Wife
⬇️ if you know where this line is from
At first I thought the other guy was Christopher Guest
He played Glastonbury in 2009??
@TalkShowHost! 'that's what tells us Michael McKean a "good actor!"
He'll always be Lenny to me from Laverne and Shirley ❤️
I think more fans like Chuck and have compassion for him. The interviewer keeps saying how everyone hates Chuck. Michael McKean plays the character so well, I liked him a lot. Jimmy is the worse character.