‘Breaking Bad’: Aaron Paul Called Bryan Cranston ‘The Most Professional-Slash-Immature Person I’ve Ever Met’
It’s a little wild to imagine Breaking Bad without the dynamic between Walter and Jesse. Especially considering that Aaron Paul’s character was originally supposed to be killed off in the first season.
The show Breaking Bad will go down in history as one of the greats. This Emmy award winner had so many things going for it — drama, suspense, humor, intrigue, raw emotion. Ultimately, it’s an exploration of the human character and how deeply greed and the quest for power can corrupt the most innocent people.
Part of what made the show Breaking Bad so exceptional was how well the actors portrayed the characters and made them feel so real. The complicated relationship between Walter White and his former student Jesse Pinkman was especially fascinating. How did Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston get along in real life? The answer might surprise you.
Bryan Cranston kept things light on set
Drugs, murder, cancer, betrayal… some of the topics featured on Breaking Bad were quite heavy. But that doesn’t mean the actors remained somber while filming the show. In fact, Bryan Cranston had quite a reputation as a practical joker who loved pulling pranks on co-star Aaron Paul.
In an interview, Paul described Cranston as “easily the most professional-slash-immature person I’ve ever met in my entire life.”
But also gave props where they were due. “So unbelievably talented, but also so immature in the best way,” Aaron Paul continued. “Just constantly making jokes in the most inappropriate places [laughs], but it’s the best.”
Bryan Cranston used to pretend Jesse was being killed off
It was no secret that the character of Jesse was scheduled to only last through the first season. But even after it became clear that Aaron Paul would be in for the long haul, Bryan Cranston couldn’t help but play some good-natured pranks on Paul, pretending the end was near.
“I thought I was signing onto like a full series. And then, at least through like the next season, season and a half, anytime I picked up a script, [I thought], ’This is the time,’” Aaron Paul explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
“[Cranston] didn’t help the situation, that bastard! He would say, ‘Hey, did you read the next script?’ And I go, ‘Nah, did you get it?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh.’ And he would just give me this big hug. I’d go, ‘What?’ He’s like, ‘Hey man, it had to end sometime, but at least you go out guns blazing,’ something like that. And I go, ‘What are you talking about?’ [He says] ‘Just read it and call me, if you want to talk.’ And then he would walk off!”
But every time Paul went storming into the production office demanding to see the script, he realized Bryan Cranston was just teasing him the whole time.
Fans are hoping Cranston and Paul will reunite for the ‘Breaking Bad’ movie
With the premiere of the highly anticipated film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie just weeks away, fans of the show are excited to find out if Bryan Cranston will reprise his role as Walter White. Even though White seemed to perish in the series finale, certain characters are confirmed to be coming back even though they’re technically dead.
For example, actor Jonathan Banks admitted that he’d be returning for a role in the movie as Mike Ehrmantraut even though Walter White killed him in Season 5. It’s enough to offer hope to fans that some other deceased characters will be back, possibly in the form of flashbacks. We can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
El Camino premieres on Netflix on October 11, 2019.
