‘Breaking Bad’ creator was “troubled” by backlash to Skyler: “She did nothing to deserve that”
Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan has discussed the sexist backlash to Skyler White (Anna Gunn), saying that the character “did nothing to deserve that”.The show, which concluded in 2013, followed Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) transformation from cancer-stricken chemistry teacher to ruthless drug kingpin. This switch to meth-dealer, however, was understandably not supported by his wife Skyler.As the show progressed, some viewers grew particularly hostile towards Skyler, to the point where actor Gunn wrote an op-ed in the New York Times in 2013 titled ‘I Have A Character Issue’. In the post, she wrote: “My character, to judge from the popularity of web sites and Facebook pages devoted to hating her, has become a flash point for many people’s feelings about strong, non submissive, ill-treated women.”In an interview with The New Yorker about the backlash, Gilligan said: “Back when the show first aired, Skyler was roundly disliked.