Emmys 2012: ‘Breaking Bad’s’ Giancarlo Esposito is ‘over the moon’

Giancarlo Esposito sounded much more upbeat then his”Breaking Bad” character, Gustavo “Gus” Fring, discussing his Emmy nomination on Thursday morning.

“I’m over the moon and definitely honored,” Esposito said from Wilmington, N.C., where he’s filming “Revolution,” a new NBC drama that will air this fall. “I screamed, I cried. This is the culmination of a long career in television and film, and I’m so glad to be in this incredible group of actors.”

“Breaking Bad” earned 13 nominations, including nods for stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, as well as a directing nod for show creator Vince Gilligan. Esposito earned a nomination for supporting actor in a drama series.

PHOTOS: Emmys 2012 nominee reactions

He said playing Fring with a subtle menace was the key to getting in touch with the character: “To play him in such a reserved fashion taught me a lesson in learning to trust myself. When you sit back and just live the character, the character takes over. And Gus definitely took over.”

Espositio is especially proud of the character’s many layers, which he worked hard to showcase. “He could outwardly be kind. Sometimes as actors we go for the one-note thing because things move so fast in TV. But I really stuck to my guns here, to show the light and dark side.”

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More on Emmy nominations 2012:

Interactive: Play-At-Home Ballot

Photos: Snubs and surprises

Photos: And the nominees are...