Some of the best pranks in TV history are the ones that go on for a long time. But Bryan Cranston‘s prank on his ‘Breaking Bad‘ co-star Aaron Paul might be one of the cruelest.
For more than a season, Cranston, who played Walter White, made Paul believe his character, Jesse Pinkman, was going to be killed off. Apparently, the prank worked so well that it left the young actor “utterly devastated.”
Vince Gilligan’s Original Plan to Kill Off Jesse Pinkman
The joke started from something real. Series creator Vince Gilligan has said that during the writers’ strike in 2007 and 2008, he really did think about killing off Jesse in the first season. The idea was for Jesse to die in a drug deal gone wrong, and it would have been a way to make Walter White feel guilty.
Related: The Dark ‘Breaking Bad’ Twist That Fooled Bryan Cranston Himself and Changed Walter White Forever
However, Gilligan changed his mind. By the second episode, he realized that killing Paul’s character would be a “huge, colossal mistake.”
How Bryan Cranston Kept Aaron Paul in Suspense
Cranston, though, saw a chance to have some fun. He knew about the original plan and made it his goal to keep Paul worried. The prank was simple but very effective. According to Aaron Paul, Cranston would come out of the production office with a serious look on his face. Then he would give Paul a long, big hug. “He would say, ‘Hey, did you read the next script?’ And I’d go, ‘Nah, did you get it?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh,’” Paul remembered in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “And he just would give me this big hug.”
In case you missed it: The Shocking Reason ‘Breaking Bad’ Killed Off Jane Margolis Instead of Giving Jesse Pinkman a Happy Ending
Cranston did not stop there. He would also say things like, “Hey man, you know, it had to end sometime, but at least you go out, like, guns blazing.” This would send Paul into a panic, and he would run to the production office and beg to read the script. He was sure the writers were keeping it from him because it had Jesse’s final moments.
The Whole Crew Joined the Prank
This was not just a one-time thing, as Cranston kept the joke going for the next season and a half. He knew Paul was young and anxious. Paul was in his mid-20s at the time, and he thought he was signing up for the whole series and was really sad about the idea of being written off.
Cranston later said his co-star was “very susceptible and sweet.” He even got the whole crew in on it at one point. The costume designers would tell Paul they needed to take his measurements “for the casket.” That small detail kept the fear alive for the young actor.
Even though the prank was mean, Paul looks back on it with love. He calls Cranston his best friend and the godfather to his son, and tells the story now with a big smile. He knows he got the last laugh because his character made it through the whole series and even the movie ‘El Camino‘. In the end, the student outlasted the teacher.
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