Actor Tony Dalton, known for his role as Lalo Salamanca in "Better Call Saul," recently detailed his surprise voice cameo in the Apple TV+ sci-fi drama "Pluribus." The series, created by Vince Gilligan, the mastermind behind "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," features a world where happiness is nearly universal.
Dalton's involvement in "Pluribus" came at the behest of Gilligan, who has a history of enlisting actors and crew members from his previous projects. "Whenever Vince calls, you just say, 'Yes,'" Dalton told Decider. He expressed enthusiasm for the project, even though his role was a small voice cameo as an "Other" on the phone in the Season 1 finale. He also mentioned that Patrick Fabian, who played Howard Hamlin in "Better Call Saul," had a vocal cameo in an earlier episode.
Dalton also praised his "Better Call Saul" co-star Rhea Seehorn, who leads "Pluribus." "She killed it in that show, man," Dalton said. "I mean, that's a big load to carry for one person. She's in every scene, and it's a lot. She did a great job."
Reuniting with Familiar Faces on 'Sugar'
Beyond his "Pluribus" appearance, Dalton is also starring as Lieutenant Ray Vega in the second season of "Sugar," a role that reunited him with many familiar faces from the "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" universe. Sam Catlin, "Sugar's" showrunner and a former co-executive producer on "Breaking Bad," sought Dalton for the role of Vega because he sought the same "unaffected menace" he displayed as Lalo Salamanca.
"We wanted someone who'd be a really powerful foil for Sugar, somebody that would be able to go toe to toe with Colin Farrell. And obviously [Dalton] has all that. He's such a powerful actor. So that was easy casting," Catlin told Decider. Executive Producer Audrey Chon recalled Catlin being "giddy" behind the monitors on Dalton's first day, calling his performance "pitch-perfect."
The production of "Sugar" saw a significant reunion of the crew that worked on "Better Call Saul." Directors Michael Morris and Adam Bernstein, as well as Director of Photography Marshall Adams, are among those who transitioned from the acclaimed crime drama to "Sugar." Dalton remarked on the seamless collaboration, noting, "There was a lot of the crew from Better Call Saul. A bunch of people. And it was great to see all those guys. The camera team, pretty much everybody, were the guys who we worked with in Albuquerque. They're so professional, and they're so good at their jobs. They work like clockwork together."