Who Did Colin Borden Play in Better Call Saul? The Striking Role of Dhar Mann Revealed Through Actor’s Personal Story

Colin Borden’s understated yet pivotal performance as Dhar Mann in *Better Call Saul* anchors a complex narrative thread centered on identity, alienation, and the quiet fury of those pushed to the fringes. While not a principal cast member, Borden’s portrayal—fueled by a real-life experience tied to labor struggles—lends profound authenticity to the character whose arc unfolds against the backdrop of the Falcon Suit’s collapse and the escalating strike drama. His role, often whispered among fans, is far from peripheral: Dhar Mann embodies the frustrated laborer whose personal struggle mirrors the broader crisis of worker dignity in Albuquerque’s underground legal economy.

Borden’s character first appears as a quiet but deeply resentful mechanic and union advocate, working in the shadows alongside Jimmy McGill (now Slowrick). But unlike the show’s central focus on Saul Goodman, Dhar represents a man caught between unmet expectations and systemic betrayal. The actor has openly discussed how drawing from his own experiences—as someone who observed strikes in industrial communities—infused the role with emotional depth.

“Playing Dhar was less about acting and more about channeling real conversations I overheard: the fatigue, the silence after patience runs out, the quiet rage of being treated like a figurehead,” Borden explained in a backstage interview. His delivery—measured, grounded—reflects the weariness of someone systematically invisible yet irreplaceable.

Each scene Dhar appears in carries weight, often revealing fractures beneath the veneer of normalcy.

Borden’s nuanced performance hinges on subtle physicality and restrained delivery, making silence and glances speak volumes. For example, in a key moment, Dhar’s delayed response during a union rally underscores his alienation, while his quiet confrontation with agencies about fair wages reveals a man who won’t be silenced. As Borden actor Kyle McDonald emphasized, “Dhar isn’t just a supporting figure—he’s the strike’s conscience, the working-class voice most networks tend to ignore.”

What deepens the character’s impact is the ongoing strike drama shaping his existence.

In *Better Call Saul*’s later seasons, the union turmoil and shifting power dynamics in Albuquerque mirror real-world tensions affecting contractors and advocates alike. Dhar’s role becomes a lens through which viewers witness how systemic neglect escalates personal crisis. His interactions with Saul—and especially Jimmy—highlight the moral compromises within the legal underground, adding layers of complexity absent in more polished performances.

Colin Borden’s contribution stands out not through screen presence but through authenticity. By lending himself to a character shaped as much by lived labor history as by script, he transforms Dhar Mann from a footnote into a narrative linchpin. This is storytelling that resonates beyond the show’s confines, reflecting real-world struggles with economic justice and worker identity.

In Dhar, audiences encounter not just a fictional character, but a symbol of the silent majority confronting triple-crisis burnout, broken promises, and institutional invisibility. The actor’s opening remarks crystallize the essence: “He’s the strike nobody talks about—but his story is why the strike matters.”