‘Breaking Bad’: Dean Norris Reveals His Favorite Scene From the Series — I Get a Little Chilled Just Thinking About That’
He may have been a secondary character, technically, but actor Dean Norris made his mark on Breaking Bad through his depiction of Hank Schrader.
Fans of the series loved the rude, boisterous, stereotypically macho yet surprisingly intelligent character he represents. ASAC Schrader cares deeply about his family and his job, and ultimately, he’s the one who figures out Walter White is really the Heisenberg he’s been chasing all along.
There are so many classic Hank scenes in the series. But Norris narrowed down his favorite to one pivotal moment for the character that he considers the best part of his Breaking Bad tenure.
DEA Agent Hank Schrader has an important role on ‘Breaking Bad’
It adds to the drama having a DEA agent as part of Walter White’s close family. As Walt dives deeper into the drug trade, his wife’s brother-in-law Hank becomes aware of a new player in the Albuquerque drug scene. He spends most of Breaking Bad hunting down Heisenberg while never realizing Walt is the man behind it all.
Norris shows off his acting prowess with scenes ranging from serious to hilarious. Who could forget his homemade “Schraderbräu” beer, which he brews in his garage? Or his impressive mineral collection and constant defense of his collection to his wife, Marie?
Eventually, Hank meets a tragic end after being shot by Uncle Jack in one of the most incredible scenes of the series. His final speech before being killed is equally epic. When Uncle Jack asks if he should let him go, Hank said, “My name is ASAC Schrader, and you can go f*ck yourself.”
Dean Norris picks a vulnerable moment as his favorite scene
The actor is known for having a macho attitude, which makes any signs of vulnerability especially important. Norris chose a scene from Breaking Bad Season 3 as his favorite. In it, Hank is grappling with feelings of inadequacy after shooting Tuco and attacking Jesse Pinkman in a fit of rage. He knows his mind is working against him at that moment.
“It was the ‘One Minute,’ episode, but it wasn’t the shootout, which was a great scene,” Norris told Entertainment Weekly. “My favorite scene was sitting on that bed with my wife and just letting it all hang out.”
Hank Schrader tells Marie how he really feels
Their marriage had plenty of up and downs, but deep down it’s clear Hank loves and trusts his wife, Marie. He chooses to share his deepest insecurities with her during the scene.
He continued: “All the stuff that he thought he was, his whole life had become unhinged and unglued. My favorite line from [writer] Tom Schnauz — he wrote that great conversational speech — was, ‘I’m just not the man I thought I was.’ Even today, I get a little chilled just thinking about that.”
Norris realized how hard it was for Hank to admit the truth. “Because [for] any man to have to say that “I’m just not the man I thought I was”— it’s, like, f*ck. It’s so heartbreaking. That scene will always have a special place in my heart, sitting on the bed and just pouring out all this sh*t to his wife. And the way she looked at Hank, you could tell that she really loved him.”
