Watch Aaron Paul’s audition tape for ‘Breaking Bad’
A central duo is a powerful component of a TV series’ plot and audience engagement, irrespective of whether they are polar opposites or complementary. One perfect example of this is Breaking Bad. The American crime drama series famously starred Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul as unlikely drug-making partners, with the former being a terminally ill teacher and the latter one of his former students.
Breaking Bad is a show like no other, harmonising gritty and thrilling crime with sentimental and dynamic moments of raw humanity. The series was created by Vince Gilligan and debuted on January 20th, 2008, to millions of viewers who would later fall in love with the show, watching it become one of the greatest TV series of all time.
With brilliant writing and sharp direction, Breaking Bad offers vibrant and immersive performances by its cast. Paul’s performance as Jesse Pinkman earned him several accolades, including a Critics’ Choice Television Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series’.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2019, the actor opened up about what the legendary role meant and did for his career. “A lot of people will always see me as Jesse, and I take that as a compliment,” Paul said. “The show was a game changer. At the beginning of my career, I was not great. Even at the beginning of Breaking Bad – I was OK, I got the job. But I grew so much as an actor. Everyone saw it”.
However, his audition for the life-changing part was far from plain sailing. The actor reportedly dropped a line during the process from how nervous he was, causing him to leave the audition room convinced he had messed the opportunity up. “Oh my god, I just fucked this up! And so, I walk out, and I’m just biting my nails ’cause I was desperate. I mean, I really have no money. I don’t have any money,” Paul revealed, according to Acting Magazine. “And so, it wasn’t just that I was in love with the material (for Breaking Bad). I also had to have this happen.”
A beacon of hope came with a personal connection with the show’s creator helped the star overcome his unimpressive initial read and saved his career. Gilligan took such a liking to Paul that he insisted on him getting the role of Jesse Pinkman even though none of the other decision-makers wanted him. From this, the actor has starred on television shows, like HBO’s Westworld and in movies, including Need for Speed and reprised his role as Jesse Pinkman for the Netflix Original El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
Watch Paul’s Breaking Bad audition below.
