Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito had washed his hands of his evil character Gus Fring.
The drug kingpin was killed off in spectacular fashion in an explosion at the end of season four of the popular series and as far as Esposito was concerned, that was the last he would see of the criminal mastermind.
But five years later, after some arm-twisting from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, he's coming back for the third season of the spin-off prequel series, Better Call Saul.
"I was done (with Gus). It took some convincing from Vince ... but ultimately, unless there was something new to uncover in Gus's arc, I didn't want to come back because I feel like, what would be the reason?" Esposito told AAP.
As one of the first characters from the Breaking Bad universe to make an appearance in Better Call Saul, Fring's return has been met with excitement.
"We get a chance to really see these characters and how they grow into who we've known them to be. It's kind of nice to have this opportunity," he said.
"I'd like the audience to see a new side to Gus, a younger, more vibrant, less confident, a little more vulnerable Gus. That's what I'm going for."
Gus's return brings an edge to Better Call Saul, as Bob Odenkirk's character Jimmy McGill gets closer to becoming the shady criminal lawyer, Saul Goodman.
"Gus is a monster. He's a monster entity, he's a monster human being," Esposito said.
"I wanted to create someone who was, as Vince Gilligan wrote in the stage direction of the very first episode, 'hiding in plain sight'. That person is very meticulous. That person is very calculating. That person does not make a mistake."
Fring is also the respected proprietor of the Los Pollos Hermanos fast-food chain, who has managed to build a drug empire.
"He gives to the fun run, he gives to the police, he takes care of kids at the hospital. And I believe that that's true for him. He really does want a better world and society," he said.
"The drug thing, I mean he could be selling toothpaste. He's a good businessman. So I believe that's a duality in his world and that's OK for him."
The first hint of Fring's return came in season two as the first letter of each episode title spelled out "Fring's back". But while Gilligan and his team were dropping this hint for the fans, they still hadn't approached Esposito about his potential return.
"Rumours started flying and I've got girls, teenagers, who watch the show and my daughter called me and said 'Did you see this?' and it was a little weird because they said 'Fring's back' but they hadn't talked to me," he said.
After some negotiating, Esposito agreed to come back because he believes the show and its creators are still the makers of groundbreaking TV.
"It's about raising the bar and changing the nature of television. We're in the golden age of television. It's so fantastic and I'm a huge part of it with this show," he said.
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