For Breaking Dangerous creator Vince Gilligan, the WGA honorary Paddy Chayefsky Laurel For Tv Writing Achievement served as a chance to name for motion as a “profoundly divided nation.”
On Saturday throughout the 77th annual WGA Awards, the multi-hyphenate hit-making TV juggernaut mirrored on the divisive state of the nation and the way the present media panorama go hand in hand. In his speech, Gilligan identified the irony of creating one of many “all time nice unhealthy guys,” out of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) whereas additionally urging the room of writers that it could be higher to be celebrated for “creating somebody a bit extra inspiring in 2025.”
“We live in an period the place unhealthy guys, the true life type, are working the market. Dangerous guys who make their very own guidelines. Dangerous guys who, it doesn’t matter what they inform you, are solely out for themselves. Who am I speaking about? Effectively, that is Hollywood, so guess,” He stated. “However right here’s the bizarre irony in our profoundly divided nation, all people appears to agree on one factor; there are too many actual life unhealthy guys. It’s simply we’re dwelling in numerous realities, so we’ve all acquired totally different lists.”
The Paddy Chayefsky Laurel For Tv Writing Achievement, the WGAW’s highest honor for writing in TV, is given to a member that has superior the literature of TV by way of the years, and who has made excellent contributions to the career. Gilligan’s early profession began with The X-Information and The Evening Stalker, and all through his three decade profession he’s snagged 4 Emmys, two PGA and DGA Awards for his work on Breaking Dangerous, and 6 WGA Awards between Breaking Dangerous and Higher Name Saul.
Gilligan went on to say, “As a author chatting with a room filled with writers, I’ve a proposal. It actually received’t repair the whole lot, however perhaps it’s a begin. I say we write extra good guys. For many years, we’ve made the villains too horny. I actually assume that once we create characters as indelible as Michael Corleone, Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader or Tony Soprano, viewers all over the place, all around the world, they concentrate and say, ‘These dudes are unhealthy ass, I wish to be that cool’. When that occurs, that’s when unhealthy guys cease being the cautionary tales that they have been meant to be. They [instead] turn out to be aspirational. So perhaps what the world wants now are some good quaint, biggest era sorts who give greater than they take.”
Upon receiving the award from Higher Name Saul star Rhea Seehorn, Gilligan additionally briefly referenced how his upcoming untitled Apple TV+ collection, helmed by Seehorn in her first main function, displays heroic ideations. “Rhea, I feel you hung the moon. I’m so fortunate that we’re working collectively on this new present, the place you play man.”
Earlier on the WGA pink carpet, Gilligan and Seehorn teased a bit extra in regards to the secret genre-bending sci-fi collection. “I’m excited for audiences to see Rhea play a really totally different character than the character she performed on Higher Name Saul,” stated Gilligan, including: “She performs somebody who’s attempting very onerous to be good. She’s a little bit of a broken hero, however she’s a hero nonetheless. And it’s only a pleasure to work together with her as a result of she’s simply the perfect, and he or she is so candy and type and proficient. I can’t say sufficient good about her.”
Though Seehorn famous she nonetheless “can’t even inform you the title,” she defined the collection is “sci-fi however in a extra psychological sort of sci-fi manner.”
“I can’t watch for it to come back out although,” added Seehorn. “A few of the stuff that audiences have cherished about his writing the place it’s actually wealthy characters but additionally him enjoying with the concept of tropes and genres and tone, and switching, like injected humor in a really darkish second — on this new present, he pushes that to a restrict that was each very thought-provoking and upsetting typically, and different instances, so, so humorous. It actually swings for the fences. I had a lot enjoyable.”