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Why Did the Producers of Breaking Bad Create Mike Ehrmantraut?

Mike Ehrmantraut first appeared on the hit TV series Breaking Bad in Season 2 when Walter White called his attorney, Saul Goodman, for assistance. Goodman dispatched the enigmatic fixer to assist, and the character became a fan favorite, playing a key role in the next three seasons of the show. But did you know that Mike Ehrmantraut was created because one of Breaking Bad’s lead actors was unable to appear in some episodes?

Mike Ehrmantraut was created because of Bob Odenkirk, who played Saul Goodman in the Breaking Bad series. He was unable to appear in an episode because he was also filming for How I Met Your Mother.

Who Was The Actor Who Played Mike Ehrmantraut?

From the second up to the fifth, Jonathan Banks played the role of Mike Ehrmantraut in the Breaking Bad series. Banks is an American actor who was born on January 31, 1947, and was most notable in the film Airplane! 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop.

His break came when he was cast as detective Frank McPike in the television series Wise Guy. But he has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Mike Ehrmantraut in the television series Breaking Bad, its spin-off series Better Call Saul, and the film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

He has received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on all three series, making him the only actor with nominations in this category as the main cast member for three shows, two of which feature him as the same character. (Source: NY Daily News)

Jonathan Banks’ Early Life and Education

Banks grew up in Chillum Heights, Maryland, and was born in Washington, D.C. to Elena Adams Banks, who was raised by a single mother. She worked as a secretary in various federal government offices, including the CIA. She also had a job as a private secretary for top Naval officers like Admiral Chester Nimitz.

Banks attended Indiana University Bloomington and graduated from Northwood High School in Silver Spring, where he was a classmate of actor Kevin Kline. They performed together in a production of The Threepenny Opera at the time. He then joined a touring company of Hair as a stage manager after graduating and traveled to Australia and New Zealand. 

In 1968, Banks married his first wife, Marnie Fausch. Before the couple divorced in 1970, they had one daughter. By 1990, Banks married Gennera Gonzalez Cebian, his second wife. Banks has a stepdaughter from this marriage, and they have fraternal twins. In April 2016, he received an honorary doctorate from Indiana University. During the Woolsey Fire in 2018, he lost his home. (Source: Turner Classic Movies)

How Much Does Jonathan Banks Make for Each Episode of Better Caul Saul?

Better Call Saul, the Breaking Bad prequel, premiered on AMC in 2015. The dark drama, created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould will end after its sixth season, which is scheduled to air in 2021.

Several cast members, including Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, and Michael Mando, have appeared in every episode. Salary information for the majority of the cast is unavailable, but according to a 2017 Variety report, Odenkirk earns $150,000 per episode and Banks earns $100,000 per episode. (Source: Go Banking Rates)

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