Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan pays tribute to Robert Forster

Entertainment Weekly

Gilligan, a longtime fan of Forster, sought him out to play the Disappearer Ed on Breaking Bad, a role he reprised for El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story. "He’s the guy you count on," Gilligan tells EW. "I think Robert was that person in real life, and what he brings to the character of Ed — the character we call the Disappearer; originally, he didn’t even have a name — but you just innately believe this guy will be able to help you. You believe he is competent to the point of mastery, that he’s going to pull this thing off, this very difficult disappearing act that Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) and then Jesse Pinkman need to avail themselves of. With Robert, I can’t think of many who were at his level as an actor. And he always made it look so easy. When someone makes something look easy and they exude competency and confidence, and they do it a quiet, humble way — they’re not beating their breasts or showing off; they just quietly go about their business and get the job done, they take care of business — you believe in those kind of people. You put your trust in those kind of people. And he exuded that quality playing the part of Ed."