Is ‘Breaking Bad’ based on a true story?

If you’re asking me whether or not there are meth dealers somewhere in New Mexico — I’d say abso-freakin-lutely, but frankly, there are meth dealers all over the world. So let’s just leave New Mexico out of this for once, okay?

Now where was I… Breaking Bad is one of the most influential television shows of our time, and when examining the slew of eccentric, unforgettable characters on screen — plenty of people seem to think that they were based on real folks, and I don’t blame them. Bryan Cranston’s turn as Walter White is etched in TV stone. Aaron Paul’s tweaking sidekick Jesse Pinkston is legendary. Not to mention all the memorable supporting characters: Walter’s wife Skyler (Anna Gunn), brother-in-law Hank (Dean Norris), or eccentric narcotics distributor Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito).

At the end of the day, one thing is certain, there’s nothing quite like Breaking Bad. These beloved characters feel about as real as any ever put to film, and for that reason some seem to think it was all based on a true story. So, was it?

The short answer is no. Sorry to get anyones hopes up. The long answer is that the idea, characters, and story for Breaking Bad came directly from the mind of Vince Gilligan — creator, writer, and executive producer of the series over its six season arch. During an NPR interview from 2019, Gilligan discussed how he came upon the idea.

“I remember the exact moment in which the idea hit me. But as to where the idea came from, I’m not quite sure. I suspect it had something to do with the fact that I was — when I came up with the idea for Breaking Bad, I was about to turn 40 years old. And, perhaps, I was thinking in terms of, you know, an impending midlife crisis. And to that end, I think Walter White, at least in the early seasons of Breaking Bad, is a man who’s suffering from, perhaps, the world’s worst midlife crisis.”

Now this all doesn’t mean that there weren’t real elements to the show. Albuquerque, New Mexico is obviously a real place, most of the locations and sets are similarly made to represent / emulate real places. At times, characters mention current events or locations that anyone could check out for themselves. So was Breaking Bad based on a true story? No, but it is certainly set in our larger world, and that’s worth something.

In the end, would it be any better knowing that Vince Gilligan based his show on a real chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin? For better or for worse, I love the idea that a show like Breaking Bad was created out of thin air for our viewing pleasure. It not only speaks to the creative capacity of humans beings outright, but also gives me hope that sometimes fiction can be stranger than fact.