“Breaking Bad”: “He’s a pure psychopath”

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 19:00:00 +0000

When "Breaking Bad" began, Hank Schrader, Walter White's macho, jokey DEA brother-in-law, played by Dean Norris, seemed to be little more than comic relief. But over the following four seasons, Hank, like everyone else on the show, has changed and deepened. A series of tough breaks — a serious case of post-traumatic stress disorder and then near-paralysis and depression following a brutal shot— revealed that, underneath all the braggadocio, Hank was a good, well-meaning, moral guy and a not half-bad law enforcement official, either. As of last week's season five premiere, Hank — who still doesn't know about Walt's drug-making talents — is shaping up to be the the guy who who just might take Walter White down.

In the first installment of a new Sunday series talking in depth about the characters we're obsessed with and the people who play or have created them, we spoke with Norris -- the actor who plays Hank, a Harvard graduate and father of five -- about the looming Hank–Walt confrontation, Walt's psychopathy, and why there are so many anti-heroes on TV these days.

So it’s looking like Hank is going to be Walt’s final enemy and that the show is going to move into being a face-off between him and Walt at the end.

Salon.com > Hank Schrader

“Breaking Bad”: “He’s a pure psychopath”