ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – They made a big impact in Albuquerque, putting the city in the TV spotlight for years. Today “Breaking Bad” actors Brian Cranston and Aaron Paul returned to New Mexico.
“Thank you to all of us, we all contributed to this, including the city of Albuquerque, which was, as the mayor said, “not just a location, not just a host, you were a character in the show,” says actor Bryan Cranston.
Breaking Bad memorabilia will be auctioned off in the Isotopes game on July 30
The bronze statues were unveiled at the Convention Center by Mayor Tim Keller and actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. The statue pays tribute to the two iconic main characters of “Breaking Bad”: Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.
Mayor Tim Keller says “Breaking Bad” continues to bring in thousands of dollars in tourism each year. The last year of the show was 2013.
“We remind people that while the stories may be fictional, they are still powerful, the jobs are very real every day,” says Mayor Tim Keller.
Show creator Vince Gilligan commissioned the statues and donated them to the city.
A member of the New Mexico Film Foundation, Royd McCargish, says the show tried to capture the true colors of Albuquerque.
“It really represented us and it brings people here to identify with a certain part of it. It’s very good economically, the tourism dollars are just phenomenal,” McCargish says.
Sony Pictures and Vince Gilligan say these statues are a thank you to the city and people of Albuquerque for providing such a wonderful and picturesque home for “Breaking Bad.”
