Back in 2013, Emmy-winning actress Anna Gunn wrote an op-ed for the New York Times about all the hate she received from so-called Breaking Bad “fans” for playing Skyler White. “At some point on the message boards, the character of Skyler seemed to drop out of the conversation, and people transferred their negative feelings directly to me,” it read. “One such post read: ‘Could somebody tell me where I can find Anna Gunn so I can kill her?’ Besides being frightened (and taking steps to ensure my safety), I was also astonished: how had disliking a character spiraled into homicidal rage at the actress playing her?”
Skyler was a fascinating, complex character, but she was also incorrectly labeled as a “nag and a shrew” for getting in Walter’s way. Gunn has said that the negative reaction from viewers was “very tough,” and in a recent interview with the London Evening Standard, she spoke out about the “extreme sexism.”
“I feel like I came to understand what it was, which was just the undercurrent of extreme sexism. The idea of gender roles being so deeply ingrained — it was shocking to me. But I’m not sorry it happened, because it put me out on the other side going, ‘Huh, that’s really interesting.’ And I felt compelled to say something, not necessarily for myself, but for my daughters and other women. The vehemence of it, and the fact that it was allowed — it was the id gone wild.”
As for the upcoming Breaking Bad movie, Gunn says she “can neither confirm nor deny” her involvement, but she knows “a bit” about it and “it’s gonna be really good.” I hope Skyler is living on a tropical beach, spending her days sipping Mai Tais and her nights staying away from guys named Walt or Ted.
(Via London Evening Standard)
