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'Breaking Bad' star Aaron Paul discusses the series' approaching end

'Breaking Bad' actor Aaron Paul says he's 'so happy [the show] ended when it did and isn't stretched out.' 'Breaking Bad' stars Paul and Bryan Cranston.

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Frank Ockenfels/AMC/AP
'Breaking Bad' stars Bryan Cranston (l.) and Aaron Paul (r.).
  • By Tim Molloy Reuters

Aaron Paul is one of the only people who knows how "Breaking Bad" ends, and he loves it.

"It's fantastic," the two-time Emmy winner, who portrays protagonist Walt's partner-in-crime Jesse Pinkman on the show, told TheWrap. "Everyone wants to know, but deep down they don't want to know. I thought the show could go on and on, but after reading the final eight episodes I'm so happy it ended when it did and isn't stretched out."

We talked with Paul about bugs, drugs, and his and Cranston's tearful read-through of the final "Breaking Bad" script.

Tim Molloy: What did you do when you got Vince Gilligan's final script? Do you have a routine?

Aaron Paul: I always take my time with these scripts. Part 1 [of Season 5], I always wanted to be in a very relaxed setting, just take my time with it. I wanted to do that with part 2, and I did it with the first episode, and the second one I did that, and then I started getting them in my email and started reading them on my phone. Because I just couldn't wait. The final episode I was staring at it for a good three days and it was just haunting me. I wanted to read it so bad but I didn't and Bryan and I read together at his place for the first time.

We read it out loud. We actually read the teaser [that begins the episode] internally. They're doing a documentary on "Breaking Bad" and they filmed us reading it. After reading the teaser we started talking about what happened in the teaser and then we just said you know what, let's just read it all out loud.

Did you ever do that before?

No. Other than the table reads with everybody. I'm not saying I even made it to the final episode. I just was there playing different characters. I won't tell you who I was playing but I was playing some females, some males.

Good cover. Were there tears?

Yeah. Bryan, when he read the last line of the show – the description and then it says –usually it just says "end of episode." But this said "end of series." He looked up at me… and we just stared at each other. Didn't say a word. Both of our eyes were glossy and tearing up. That was the moment we'd been dreading but yet looking forward to for so long. But Vince and the writers, I think they really nailed it.

Jesse almost died so early in the show. Do you ever imagine an alternate life where that happened?

I try not to. But yeah. It would have been a completely different show. It would have been, I'm sure, just as phenomenal.

Probably not. You've won two Emmys.

Yeah, let's be honest. It wouldn't be that great. It'd be okay.

Will it be hard to find another role this interesting?

It's all downhill from here for me. Which isn't bad, because "Breaking Bad" is so high.

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