| Gus Fring | |
|---|---|
| Breaking Bad character | |
 Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring in Better Call Saul | |
| First appearance |
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| Last appearance |
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| Created by | Vince Gilligan George Mastras |
| Portrayed by | Giancarlo Esposito |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Gustavo Fring |
| Alias | Chicken Man |
| Nickname | Gus |
| Occupation |
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| 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 the main antagonist 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.