ALBUQUERQUE (AP) – The house made famous by the Breaking Bad TV series is up for sale, and the owners of the otherwise unassuming home in one of Albuquerque’s older neighbourhoods are hoping the property’s role in the long-running series will help them fetch a pretty penny.
Centred on mythical methamphetamine cookers Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the series wrapped up more than a decade ago, but its legacy continues to draw looky-loos to the home and other associated filming spots around town.
New Mexico’s governor also recently tapped the Walter White character, played by Bryan Cranston, to star in a campaign against littering in New Mexico.
While Breaking Bad certainly has left its mark on New Mexico and this quiet block in Albuquerque, the listing is sure to reignite interest.
TIME TO MOVE ON
Fans often flock to the home, sometimes with hundreds of cars driving by in a single day, Joanne Quintana told Albuquerque television station KOB-TV.
Quintana said her parents purchased the home in the 1970s and that she and her siblings grew up there. As her parents got older and the show’s popularity skyrocketed, it became harder to protect them. The family was forced to put up a metal fence and install security cameras to keep fans at bay.
Now that her parents are gone, it’s time to sell.
“This was our family home from 1973, almost 52 years,” she told the station. “So we’re going to walk away with just our memories. It’s time to move on. We’re done. There’s no reason to fight anymore.”
HOLLYWOOD MAGIC
It was 2006 when a film scout first approached Quintana’s mother about shooting a pilot episode at the home. Within months, the equipment was set up and filming began.
The family got to meet Cranston and the other stars and watched from behind the scenes as crew members worked their magic. Quintana’s mother was always sure to have cookies for the cast and crew.
The inside of the home was used to prep, while interior scenes were shot in a studio.
For the famous pizza scene, Quintana remembers boxes of pizza lining the sidewalk. Plenty of unsliced cheese and pepperoni props were at the ready in case Cranston didn’t nail it first try. He did – landing the pizza face-up on the roof after his character’s wife shut the door in his face.
The homeowners had a hard time keeping fans from attempting their own pizza tosses or trying to sneak dips in the iconic backyard pool.
