Exclusive: Writer Reveals Shocking Challenges Faced while Collaborating with Genius Vince Gilligan

Highlights

Patty Lin, a writer for season 1 of Breaking Bad, alleges that show creator Vince Gilligan's behavior left her feeling frustrated and humiliated.

Lin asserts that Gilligan's habit of procrastinating and making last-minute changes resulted in a detrimental incident wherein Lin received scolding for his actions, causing her to feel insignificant.

Due to Lin's unpleasant encounter on Breaking Bad, coupled with her additional unfavorable encounters in the industry, she has decided to give up on screenwriting and does not anticipate any betterment if she were to resume.

Vince Gilligan, the mastermind behind the acclaimed TV show Breaking Bad, is often praised. However, the behind-the-scenes atmosphere was not always peaceful. Patty Lin, a writer for Season 1, shared her challenging experience working with Gilligan.

Lin claimed that Gilligan's behavior caused her distress and humiliation, despite acknowledging that it may not have been intentional. While she empathized with his actions, she did not excuse them.

Lin summed up her time collaborating with Gilligan on Breaking Bad for Yahoo Entertainment. "My encounter with Vince left me feeling extremely frustrated and, occasionally, humiliated," Lin stated. "I don't believe he had any intention of making me feel that way, but just because someone doesn't mean to harm you, it doesn't make it acceptable." Lin also mentioned that her experience may not have been the typical one, but it was sufficiently negative for her to permanently quit. "I'm certain that there are individuals out there with vastly different experiences, including the other writers from that specific season," Lin conveyed. "However, I can only talk about what I personally went through and how it impacted me and my passion for continuing in this profession. At that moment, I was already disenchanted and eager to resign, and that show was essentially my final attempt to assess if this path could still be fulfilling."

In her upcoming book "End Credits," Lin alleges that Gilligan's procrastination, rather than abuse, posed difficulties for her. She recounts an incident behind the scenes where she was reprimanded for his last-minute revision to a Breaking Bad script without anyone's knowledge. According to Lin, this punishment conveyed a message that she was insignificant and made her feel foolish in front of everyone.

Apart from her account on Breaking Bad, Lin reveals numerous negative experiences while working on popular and highly regarded shows like Friends, NBC's Freaks and Geeks, Desperate Housewives, and Breaking Bad. Following her unpleasant experience with the show, Lin made the decision to quit and has no plans to return to screenwriting. "At this point, I cannot envision myself desiring to pursue a career in screenwriting again," Lin asserts. "While I have learned to never say never, the industry has not shown significant improvement since my departure. Therefore, I do not anticipate a better experience if I were to return."

Lin's experiences on Breaking Bad are deeply saddening, particularly for aspiring Hollywood screenwriters. It serves as a poignant reminder that achieving one's dreams does not guarantee lifelong happiness. Based on Lin's account, she made numerous attempts to succeed as a writer, but each endeavor only brought her misery. While her story may be an outlier rather than the common experience, it is a story that serves as a warning. Breaking Bad is available for streaming on Netflix.

Source: Yahoo Entertainment