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Ed Begley Jr., who plays Cliff Main on AMC\u2019s <\/em>Better Call Saul, talks about imagining his character on a commune and auditioning against Michael McKean.<\/em><\/p>\n Q: How did you end up joining the cast of Better Call Saul<\/a><\/em>? Were you a fan of the show before?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I\u2019m a huge fan of Breaking Bad<\/a><\/em>\u2026\u00a0I\u2019m friends with Bryan Cranston and I was originally so behind on Breaking Bad<\/em>. I thought, \u201cI\u2019m going to see my friend\u2019s show. I hear it\u2019s really good!\u201d [Laughs<\/em>] Then, it was like \u201cgive me more!\u201d I watched every episode religiously and was blown away by everybody\u2019s work. Vince [Gilligan]<\/a> and Peter Gould<\/a> are brilliant writers, so when Better Call Saul<\/em>came around, like many people around the world, I was hungry for more storytelling and as many of those characters as they could muster. They got Jonathan [Banks]<\/a>, they got Bob [Odenkirk]<\/a> and I was just blown away by the first season.\u201d It\u2019s some of my favorite television.<\/p>\n The audition process for [Cliff] was so interesting. The wonderful Vince Gilligan had me come in for the part of Chuck and I knew right away that Michael McKean<\/a> was the first choice, but there was some question about his availability. Vince liked what I did, but when I heard it would be Michael McKean, I called Michael up and told him that I had made one mistake in the casting session and that was saying, \u201cMay the best man win!\u201d He did, dammit! [Laughs<\/em>] I can\u2019t think of anyone who would have done that part as well as Michael. He\u2019s brilliant in the role. When I\u2019m on the same list as him on someone\u2019s desk in the casting office, I\u2019ve already won. When it didn\u2019t work out, Vince Gilligan said he would come up with a part for me. I thought it was sweet, but didn\u2019t think it would actually happen.<\/p>\n Q: You were in This Is Spinal Tap<\/em> with Michael McKean. What was it like working together again after all these years? Any talk of getting the band back together?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I\u2019m not good enough of a drummer to play with them. They\u2019re all really good musicians. I was a wannabe and a much lower level musician then they all are, but I loved playing with them in the movie. I\u2019m good friends with Chris Guest, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean and Michael\u2019s wife, Annette O\u2019Toole. I see them as much as I can. They\u2019re all like family, so to work with Michael again is a treat.<\/p>\n Q: In the season premiere<\/a>, Jimmy turns down the Davis & Main job but later changes his mind. Have you ever turned down a big opportunity like that?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Yes. A famous director told me to read a novel because he was going to make it into a movie. I don\u2019t know if I would have gotten the part, but I certainly didn\u2019t since I didn\u2019t even bother to read the novel. Next thing I know, the movie was being shot. I\u2019ve had some missed opportunities in my life, but I\u2019m one of those people who thinks everything is essential. There are good decisions and what you can call bad decisions, but they\u2019re all essential to get to this moment in time right now. I have everything I need and a great deal of serenity in my life.<\/p>\n Q: Cliff seems like a decent guy, for a lawyer. What backstory have you imagined for him?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I think he lived an alternative lifestyle. He\u2019s one of the name partners at a law firm, so he\u2019s done very well for himself working within the system, but I think he might have lived in a commune with a hookah back in the day. Now, he\u2019s a little more mainstream. He\u2019s a guy who\u2019s very understanding and willing to cut people a lot of slack up to a point.<\/p>\n Q: Employment at Davis & Main gives some pretty fantastic perks. If you\u2019d been in Jimmy\u2019s shoes, what specialty items would you have requested?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I would have wanted a drum set, but I would have been considerate and gotten the electronic kind.<\/p>\n Q: You\u2019re a well-known environmentalist. Did you try to introduce any sustainability practices on set?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I didn\u2019t have to! They have so much going already. If I needed a script, I could print it on 100% post-consumer recycled paper or read off a tablet. They gave everybody a Better Call Saul<\/em> water bottle so we didn\u2019t waste. They used energy-efficient lighting for the production offices. Everything is as green as possible. Very impressive stuff!<\/p>\n Q: We\u2019ve asked your co-stars, now it\u2019s your turn: Would you rather have Jimmy McGill or Saul Goodman defending you in court?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I\u2019d rather have Saul because he\u2019d do anything to win.<\/p>\n Q: What if we threw Cliff in the mix?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Oh! I\u2019d rather have Cliff then. No disrespect to Saul or Jimmy \u2014 they\u2019re both incarnations of the same fellow, of course \u2014 but Cliff Main is a very good lawyer and there\u2019s a lot that he brings to the table in the court room.<\/p>\n Click here to read an interview with Jonathan Banks<\/a>, who plays Mike Ehrmantraut.<\/p>\n