Whatever Happened To Skinny Pete From Breaking Bad?
Although AMC's massive hit series, "Breaking Bad," certainly hits the notes of a crime drama, it has so many more elements than tense action and dramatic twists. A lot of "Breaking Bad" takes place at Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) home, demonstrating how his life of crime eventually starts to twist and destroy his domestic life. Crucially, despite all the terrible things that happen in the show, it can also be really funny.
Although many characters have the potential for both comedic and dramatic scenes, there are certainly a few that lean a bit more on the funnier side. The seedy lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) might be the first comedic character that comes to mind, but Jesse Pinkman's (Aaron Paul) group of hooligan friends, particularly Badger (Matt Jones) and Skinny Pete (Charles Baker), provide lots of much-needed laughs to break up the tension as well.
We know that many "Breaking Bad" alumni have gone on to become stars in their own right, but fewer people may know what became of Baker, the man behind the beanie-wearing, drug-selling Skinny Pete.
He appeared in The Blacklist and Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Although Charles Baker may not be a household name, the actor has certainly been busy performing in many movies and TV shows since "Breaking Bad" concluded in 2013.
In fact, just six days before the finale of "Breaking Bad" aired, Baker appeared in the pilot of another massively successful show, NBC's "The Blacklist." He played Newton Phillips, an aide to the main character, Raymond Reddington (James Spader). The part wasn't a major one, with the character only appearing in five episodes, but he nevertheless helped to open the now long-running series.
Later, in 2017, Baker appeared in the beloved sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." The actor starred in the two-part Season 4 episode "The Fugitive" as George Judy — the foster brother of professional thief Doug Judy (played by Craig Robinson). George is a criminal on the run and Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) teams up with Doug and Amy (Melissa Fumero) to stop George from stealing an expensive bejeweled egg. However, it turns out that George isn't trying to steal the egg, but rather all the cars at the auction where the egg is being displayed. He nearly gets away with it, but his unloaded gun leads to his eventual arrest.
Baker's other guest credits in recent years include a six-episode stint as criminal Chris Walton on "Murder in the First," four episodes as Stanislaw Nowak on "Perry Mason," plus single episodes of "Lethal Weapon," "CSI: Vegas," and "1883."
His film credits include a horror comedy and a sci-fi comedy
Baker has also been in a number of movies since "Breaking Bad" ended, landing the lead role in 2016's science fiction horror film "Alterscape," where he plays a suicidal man who undergoes experimental trials to alter his perception and emotions. Acting alongside Baker were Michael Ironside, Alex Veadov, Debbie Rochon, and more. The independent film wasn't a wide success, but it won the "Best Philip K. Dick Feature" award at the sci-fi film festival of the same name, where it premiered.
He also landed another lead role in a 2018 science fiction comedy film, "Eleven Eleven," in which his character Tim Farris wants to be abducted by aliens. He eventually finds one named Andromeda (Krista Allen), who he falls in love with. It's as silly as its premise sounds, but it evidently struck a chord with audiences at the 2018 Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival, where it won the awards for Best Comedy Feature, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
And of course, Baker reprised his role as Skinny Pete in "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," reuniting with Jesse after he breaks out of the prison where the neo-Nazis are keeping him. Pete and Badger give refuge to Jesse in their home, before sending him on his way with Badger's car and Pete's iconic beanie as Pete tells Jesse, "You're my hero and s***."
He wanted to play Skinny Pete's dad in Better Call Saul
Although Charles Baker would get the chance to reprise his role as Skinny Pete in "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," he apparently also wanted to appear in "Better Call Saul" not as Pete, who would have been very young if he were alive at all during the time of the series, but as Pete's dad.
"I tried. I really did. But, sadly, I will NOT be appearing in [Better Call Saul] in any capacity," Baker wrote on an Instagram post on April 11, 2022. "My pitch to the creators, (a first and only 'lobbying effort' for a role in any project) was this picture: Skinny Pete's Dad (if a Skinny Pete appearance wasn't applicable). I thought it'd be cool to play two seperate characters in one 'world' ... but, alas, turns out there was something even cooler out there waiting."
The attached picture has a picture of a cleaner-looking, more mature Baker staring into the camera, with a quote from Skinny Pete saying, "Yo, my pops could hook you up... he's like, a contractor, or something..." Although Skinny Pete Sr. never got to appear in the critically acclaimed prequel series, at least we got a glimpse of Baker's vision for the character.
He's also a self-described 'stay-at-home dad' and skilled pianist
Charles Baker isn't just a talented actor, but a skilled pianist and family man as well. Baker describes himself as a "stay-at-home dad" on his Twitter profile, and has a wonderful photo of himself with his wife, son, daughter and two dogs.
The actor also appears to be talented at the piano as well, which he used once during a scene of "Breaking Bad." In an interview with eBaum's World, Baker shared how his real-world piano skills were transferred to Skinny Pete.
During a lunch break after a scene in which Skinny Pete and Badger try to sell meth to members of a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, Baker found a piano and started to play on it. A writer then spotted him, which apparently gave them the idea to have Pete play the piano in the show.
"They said, 'Would you be interested in playing keyboards in an episode?'" Baker said. "I had never actually played in front of an audience before. I'd never had a recital. I'd never done a performance. And so my first time really playing in public was in front of millions of people."