Breaking Bad Writer Reveals Character They Wanted Werner Herzog to Play

Screenwriter Thomas Schnauz just revealed the surprising part that producers wanted Werner Herzog to play on Breaking Bad. In a comment on X — formerly known as Twitter — Schnauz wrote that they had hoped Herzog would play the part of Peter Schuler, the head of Madrigal Electromotive introduced in Season 5. Fans were delighted by this Easter egg and the non-chalant way it was shared.

Herzog was featured on CBS Sunday Morning this weekend, where he had a long interview about his life and career with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz. When Mankiewicz re-posted the interview on X, Schnauz posted a reply, saying: “We hoped [Herzog] would play the head of Madrigal (Schuler) in Breaking Bad, but we couldn’t get him.” The post got hundreds of fans’ attention, with replies reading: “That would’ve been nuts,” and “Wow! He would have been perfect!”

Schuler was played by Norbert Weisser in Breaking Bad Season 5, Episode 2 and in Better Call Saul Season 5, Episode 7, “JMM.” He was the head of the fast food division of the massive corporate conglomerate that owned Los Pollos Hermanos — the restaurant chain run by drug lord Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Interestingly, in the episode “Madrigal” we also meet Schuler’s boss, who is named Mr. Herzog and is played by Wolf Muser. He is the CEO and president of Madrigal Eletromotive GmbH, and it seems he had no idea his company was involved in organized crime.

Breaking Bad builds drama and raises the stakes repeatedly by revealing that Gus Fring’s business fronts and money-laundering operations are bigger and more legitimate than anyone might suspect. The Season 5 reveal that he had corporate support from Germany is a shock, and the collapse of that infrastructure sends shockwaves back to New Mexico as well. Meanwhile, in Better Call Saul, Schuler’s appearance serves a similar purpose, dramatizing the depth of the conspiracy behind Gus’ operations.

Herzog is often cast for small parts where the dramatic effect of his voice and his German accent can be used to great effect. However, he is better known as a filmmaker in his own right. He is considered one of the pioneers of New German Cinema — a movement defined by budgetary constraints and creative frustrations in the 1960s and 70s. In recent years, Herzog’s prominent cameos include playing The Client in The Mandalorian Season 1, Keg Jeggins on Parks and Recreation and Shrimply Pibbles on Rick and Morty, among many others.

Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad are both streaming now on Netflix. An extended cut of Mankiewicz’s interview with Herzog is available here on YouTube. Full episodes of CBS Sunday Morning are streaming on Paramount+.