Skinny Pete, known for his association with low-life drug dealers in “Breaking Bad,” often surprises viewers with hidden depths. Beyond his crass exterior, a notable instance showcasing this complexity occurs in Season 5, Episode 3. In a seemingly ordinary visit to a guitar shop with Badger and Jesse, Skinny Pete unexpectedly sits down at a classical piano and performs a beautiful piece, leaving everyone, including the audience, astonished.
This scene sparked curiosity: was it truly Skinny Pete, or rather actor Charles Baker, playing the piano? In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Baker revealed the dedication he poured into preparing for this sequence. He practiced diligently for hours each day, specifically mastering the piece to ensure authenticity. “I spent three hours a day working on that song,” Baker explained. “I was playing it every day to try and make sure I could get that one hard part. Where the fingers overlap.” His commitment was significant; Baker genuinely learned to play the piece.
However, the final cut of the episode only featured a small portion of Baker’s performance. Despite mastering the entire piece and a particularly challenging finger movement, only the initial section was used. Baker expressed slight disappointment, stating, “And so I learned how to play it, got it down, and showed up to the shoot … and I started the song. And then they went, ‘Cut,’ and I’m like, ‘I only made it through the first section.’ ‘That’s all we need.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, I wish I would have started in a different place.'”
Interestingly, Baker mentioned that viewers can still witness his mastery of the “hard part” in the scene’s blooper reel, offering a glimpse into his full preparation. While the on-screen scene might only depict what Baker jokingly refers to as the “easy part,” the fact remains that Charles Baker genuinely learned to play the piano piece for this role. This dedication adds another layer to the memorable guitar shop scene and further enriches the character of Skinny Pete, proving there’s often more beneath the surface than meets the eye in the world of “Breaking Bad.”
