Why Alfred Hawthorne Hill In Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 11 Looks So Familiar
In the midst of "Better Call Saul" Season 6 Episode 11 ("Breaking Bad"), the episode where we finally see the prequel collide head-on with "Breaking Bad," a familiar face pops up. No, not Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. As cool as it is seeing the dynamic, meth-selling duo back together, it is a different familiar face that may stand out, as many may not be able to place the name of the performer.
Still in hiding as Gene Takavic in Nebraska, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) just can't help but slide back into his old scheming ways. He comes up with a clever ruse where he pretends to get loaded with rich guys at bars, builds up their egos, and then sends them off into the night in a cab with his own accomplice who drugs them with the offer of a bottle of water. While they're conked out at home, a second accomplice breaks in and photographs credit cards, IDs, etc. which, in turn, get sold.
The first victim of this bit of trickery is Alfred Hawthorne Hill, played by Devin Ratray. Ratray is likely a familiar face to most, but perhaps not a name that comes to mind immediately when you see him. What most will know is his large body of work, which goes back all the way to his childhood where he played one of the most memorable characters from a Christmas classic.
He's Buzz in Home Alone
The role Ratray is unquestionably most known for is that of Buzz McCallister from the "Home Alone" franchise. It makes sense considering the massive success of the original 1990 movie and the fact that Ratray reprised the role for 1992's "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" and 2021's "Home Sweet Home Alone."
Buzz is the antagonist of "Home Alone" before the Wet Bandits ever show up and begin harassing Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin) as the two get into a dust up over pizza, and Buzz announces to Kevin, "You're a disease," a line that replays for Kevin later in the film.
The actor still gets asked about the bullying Buzz all these years later, but he says he never knew what the movie would become, even though he was a fan of John Hughes at the time and wanted in on the film (via Complex). The experience also went beyond influencing Ratray's professional life and moved into the personal too, as he remains close to many of the cast members, with a group planning a reunion as recently as December 2021. "They have been planning a reunion online and I just recently, as in a couple of days ago, got on their messenger chat thread, and I have been trying to keep up with Jed Cohen and Diana [Rein] and Terrie [Snell] and Angela Goethals and Hillary Wolf," Ratray said (per People).
He was one of the non-surrogates in Surrogates
After the first two "Home Alone" movies, Ratray made numerous TV appearances and appeared in a slew of pictures, but got a signature role in a massive film release with 2009's "Surrogates." Though the picture only did so-so business at the box office, it was an $80 million Bruce Willis action picture back when such movies were still pushed heavily in movie theaters (via IMDb). Set in a world where the majority of people live life from home, interacting with others through their perfected surrogate bodies, Ratray plays a man who lives among surrogates, but refuses to be one himself. His scene-stealing role as Bobby Saunders finds him being the man behind the computer screen where he can shut down a surrogate committing a crime before anything bad actually happens. Ratray has some hilarious moments, and he gets to act opposite some heavyweight stars like Willis and Radha Mitchell.
Ratray has a supporting role, but he was front and center selling the picture and reminding folks that Buzz had a lot more going on than just "Home Alone."
Ratray is part of the MCU
Ratray is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, since he appeared in two episodes of the short-lived "Agent Carter" in 2015. The actor portrayed villain Sheldon McFee in the second and sixth episodes of the first season of "Agent Carter." Season 1 Episode 2 ("Bridge and Tunnel") was actually directed by Joe Russo, too, half of the filmmaking team behind "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame." Ratray's other episode ("A Sin to Err") was directed by Stephen Williams.
McFee is the driver of a truck being hunted by Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) as it contains nitramene bombs, meaning Buzz grew up to get on the wrong side of a beloved Marvel hero (albeit one sans superpowers). "Agent Carter" would only run a total of 18 episodes, but it's still a show that follows an incredibly important MCU character, Peggy Carter, and him getting the chance to be directed by a Russo brother nothing to balk at.
Ratray even gets a chance to go up against Atwell, only to be overpowered by her and cuffed to a chair rather quickly.
He worked for Soderbergh on Kimi and Mosaic
Ratray played a key role in the Steven Soderbergh-directed "Kimi," a 2022 release for HBO Max. The Hitchock-style thriller follows Kimi (Zoe Kravitz), an agoraphobic woman who discovers a recording of a violent crime, and it's not long before her life is at risk. Ratray plays Kevin, a neighbor who ends up helping to save Kimi's life in the picture, getting stabbed in the process.
The two actors look like total complete opposites, but Kevin explains he knew Kimi was in trouble when he saw her leave her apartment, revealing he is as fearful of the outside world as she is. The connection leads to some impressive comedic and dramatic work from Ratray. It actually marked the second time the actor was called on for a Soderbergh project, as he also previously starred in the miniseries "Mosaic."
Ratray described originally getting an offer from Soderbergh as surreal, but they clearly hit it off as Ratray returned to work for the director. "It was one of the most surreal moments in my life. I can't really say why he offered it to me. But I'm just eternally grateful that he did," the actor said in 2018 on speaking with the director about "Mosaic," the beginning of their unusual, but fruitful partnership (via Vanity Fair).