I n 2008, a small television series scraped its way onto the air. In its bold pilot episode, a mild-mannered chemistry teacher, facing a life-changing cancer diagnosis, started cooking meth to raise money for his family. Ratings started low, but when the first three seasons were added to Netflix, the show became a global success.

Eleven years on – and six years after it drew to a close – Breaking Bad is now considered one of the greatest US dramas in TV history, frequently mentioned in the same breath as The Sopranos and The Wire.

Last week, a film sequel – named El Camino – was released, focusing on Jesse Pinkman, the lackadaisical meth-cooking partner of Bryan Cranston’s Walter White. In the show’s final season, Jesse became a prisoner of a clan of white supremacists who tortured and forced him to cook more product. His final scene saw him driving away from the compound having been rescued by White; El Camino, a cameo-filled epilogue to Pinkman’s story from series creator Vince Gilligan, picks up precisely where the series left off.

Today, Aaron Paul – pouring tea from an expensive-looking teapot in a central London hotel – is worlds away from his character. He’s also happy to revisit the darkest moments of his time on Breaking Bad, a show he still can’t believe he was a part of. “Even after I tested, no one wanted me,” he says. “Vince played his trump card and said, ‘I’m not doing the show unless he’s the guy’. He gave me a chance when, quite frankly, no one else would.”

Below, the actor reveals secrets behind the most challenging scene he ever filmed, the one thing he wished for his character that never came to fruition, and what to expect from his new role in the third season of HBO series Westworld.

Could you believe it when you got the call about El Camino?

I was shocked. Vince Gilligan was actually calling me about his ideas on the Breaking Bad 10-year anniversary and wanted to see what my thoughts were. He then said, “There’s something else I want to talk to you about.” He’d been toying around with the idea of telling a story that follows Jesse after Breaking Bad. I was so shocked and excited, because Vince is such a brilliant storyteller and he’s not going to tell a story for no reason; he’s the last person who’d want to mess with the legacy of Breaking Bad. He asked me if I’d be on board and I said, “Of course – what’s the story?” So he had the arc of the film, but said, “If it’s great, let’s do it, but I’m not promising it’s going to get made. If I just can’t crack it, we won’t do it.” Seven months later, he calls me and tells me it’s done and invites me to his office to read it.

You must have been so excited to see what he’d come up with.

The reason why I was so excited is because I heard his excitement. He couldn’t wait to share it with me. So, I went to his office, I took off my shoes and I laid on his couch. I was just in there solo. I took my time with it and it took me about three hours to read it. I thought it was beautiful.

Aaron Paul in ‘El Camino’ (Netflix)

I’ve read that the first draft of El Camino was much longer. How did you feel about having things cut when it came to filming?

I got Vince on a very long call after I read it and I said, “With a lot of things, less is more, but with this particular movie, I think more is more.” I think people have been wanting this for so long. What we have is great, but definitely some things were cut. Things that I was so connected to, because I’d been reading and re-reading the script and had just spent so much time in this world. With that said, I think the final product we have here is so special. It’s over in the blink of an eye.

If Walt had survived, what do you think would have happened if Jesse had ever come face to face with him again?

He would just walk away. He wants nothing to do with him. He’s the reason that Jane died, he’s the reason – in his head – that Andrea and all of these people died. It was all because of Walt. His whole life was just turned upside down and shaken to its core. Jesse was not in a great place before being reintroduced to Walter White, but I don’t think he’d be a killer. Jesse was a murderer. He was pushed into a corner to do very bad things because of that man.

I remember one take, when they yelled ‘Cut’, I was so devastated I just couldn’t come back from it Aaron Paul

Both Vince and Bryan Cranston have spoken about getting so caught up in filming the show that they struggled to detach after going home. Did you have a similar experience playing Jesse?

I did a little bit. Especially during the first two seasons of Breaking Bad, I found myself staying in character and convincing myself that it was a good idea to find the darkest alleys I could find in Albuquerque – and there are some pretty dark alleys in Albuquerque. I would just be Jesse. I would make the people around me believe that I was this character on drugs, trying to gather as much information as I possibly could. That was interesting, but also scary and very eye-opening. But Bryan really taught me that it’s OK to go into the hair and make-up trailer at the end of the day and wash off that skin, to take off that wardrobe and just be yourself. It’s healthy. So that’s how I do it now.

Do you have anything you wanted in particular for Jesse that never came to fruition?

I wish that Jesse was able to let Drew Sharp’s parents know what happened to him. Because he wanted to do that. He tried. I think it was in the episode “Blood Money”, Jesse was just losing all sense of reality and spinning out of control. He wanted to help out Drew Sharp’s parents. Yeah. [long pause] I wish he was able to maybe write them a letter.

I would have liked to have seen Skyler or Marie in El Camino. Were their appearances ever considered?

Maybe. Not that I know of, though. I read one version of the script that changed slightly before shooting, but for the most part it was pretty much the same.

The best TV cliffhangers of all time Show all 37 1 /37 The best TV cliffhangers of all time The best TV cliffhangers of all time Breaking Bad – "Gliding Over All" (2012) Karma for killing Gale comes for Walter White in season five. The meth maker believes his days of cooking are long over. Having lunch with his family, everything seems perfect. And then everything goes wrong. So, so wrong. Hank (Dean Norris) goes to use the toilet and picks up a copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass – a gift from Gale to Walter White. “To my other favorited WW. It's an honour working with you. Fondly, GB.” And with that, as Hank realises Walt’s true identity, the end of Heisenberg’s empire begins. AMC The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Sopranos – “Made In America” (2007) The debate over whether certain final scenes of television shows are actually good will rage on and on. The Sopranos remains front and centre of the conversation. It's a seemingly banal occasion – a restaurant dinner scene. We watch on as Tony sits there, observing other customers. Carmela arrives, then AJ and Meadow, who the last we see, is parking her car outside. A bell rings, Tony looks up and the screen cuts to black. It’s an ending that’s inspired essays offering varied interpretations but ultimately, it remains a beautifully-executed few minutes of television – and a cliffhanger that’ll never have a resolution. HBO The best TV cliffhangers of all time EastEnders – The Kat and Zoe revelation (2001) “You can’t tell me what to do ‘cause you ain’t my muvva” / “YES I AM!” - not the work of Shakespeare, granted, but surely one of the biggest moments in soap history. The nation’s jaws collectively dropped as they learned that Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) wasn’t Zoe’s sister at all, but her mum. BBC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Game of Thrones – "The Rains of Castamere" (2013) Game of Thrones knew George RR Martin was willing to kill off leading characters, but nothing prepared non-book readers for The Red Wedding. Robb Stark (Richard Madden), Talisa Stark (Oona Chaplin) and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) are attending the wedding of Roslin Frey (Alexandra Dowling) and Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies) when things go terribly, terribly wrong for the Starks. The Freys turn on them, killing Robb, Talisa and their unborn child. Then, as the blood spills everywhere, Catelyn’s throat is slit. Cut to black. Devastating. HBO The best TV cliffhangers of all time Dallas – "A House Divided" (1980) The cliffhanger that kickstarted the end of season cliffhanger trend. Larry Hagman’s oil baron JR Ewing had made plenty of enemies in Dallas. By the end of season three, one of them took justice into their own hands, shooting JR in the back twice. However, rather than reveal the culprit, the team behind Dallas left the case unsolved. And over the next eight months – the time between seasons – the whole world was asking “Who shot JR?” Unsurprisingly, considering the hysteria around the mystery, 350 million people tuned in to watch the revelatory episode “Who Done It”. CBS The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Simpsons – "Who shot Mr Burns?" (1995) Showrunner Matt Groening had long wanted to do an episode where Mr Burns was shot, and the culprit was not revealed until the next episode. Taking inspiration from Dallas, the animation concluded Part One with the nuclear power plant owner being shot by an unknown assailant. Then, after a Summer of waiting, fans were finally treated to the answer. The two-part episode has gone down as a classic and is often heralded as the series’ best. FOX The best TV cliffhangers of all time Doctor Who – "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) Choosing one standout Doctor Who cliffhanger is almost impossible – especially when you consider that all 37 (and counting) seasons have frequently used the plot device. While the introduction of John Hurt’s Doctor certainly ranks among them, one of best came at the end of the rebooted first series. Having absorbed a bunch of vortexes, the Doctor is struggling and on the verge of regenerating. Turning to Rose (Billie Piper), Christopher Eccleston’s incarnation of the iconic character utters the timeless lines: “Before I go, I just want to tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what – so was I.” Queue shoddy CGI and the introduction of the soon-to-be nation’s favourite Doctor, David Tennant. “So, where was I? That’s it – Barcelona.” BBC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Breaking Bad – "Full Measure" (2010) Gale (David Costabile) is one of the nicest characters on Breaking Bad. He is not interested in wealth or fame, but in science. However, niceties and a good cup of coffee are not enough to stop him getting in Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) way. When the choice between their lives has to be made, Walter chooses his own and sends Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to do the dirty work. Season three ends with Jesse killing Gale – an incident that eventually brings down the drug kingpin Gus Fring. AMC The best TV cliffhangers of all time The West Wing – “What Kind of Day Has it Been” (2000) The West Wing’s biggest cliffhanger came in the season one finale. The episode works its way back from the beginning as we see a Secret Service Agent sense danger from a nearby window at a town hall meeting with the president in attendance. When the episode catches up, gunfire rings out and each member of his senior staff is thrown to the floor. Cut to black as we hear an agent ask over the radio: “Who’s been hit?” NBC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Smallville – “Covenant” (2004) It wasn’t until the third season finale of Smallville that Superman fans’ patience was rewarded as viewers saw Clark (Tom Welling) appear naked in the middle of a Kryptonian symbol burned into the field of his family’s farm. “You shall be reborn,” Jor-El can be heard saying to Clark Kent, but he wasn’t the alone one; the ending marked a radical turning point for the series. The WB The best TV cliffhangers of all time Twin Peaks – “The Last Evening” (1990) Twin Peaks’ season two finale – the mystery drama’s last episode for 27 years – may have featured the most chilling cliffhanger, but the biggest gasp of the series came at the end of season one as the seemingly untouchable Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) responds to a knock on his hotel room door, only to be gunned down by an unseen assailant. ABC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Buffy the Vampire Slayer – "The Gift" (2001) The 100th episode of Buffy ended with one of the show’s most shocking moments (and no, we’re not talking about the musical episode). Season five concluded with the eponymous ass-kicker sacrificing herself to save the world by jumping into a demonic portal. The episode ends with a slow zoom onto Buffy’s tombstone, which reads: “Beloved sister. Devoted friend. She saved the world. A lot.“ The WB The best TV cliffhangers of all time True Blood - "Plaisir d'Amour" (2008) It's easy to forget that True Blood began life as an acclaimed Emmy-nominated drama, and it was a cliffhanger such as this that made it so: Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) falls asleep with the friendly neighbour dog Dean for company. Upon waking up, Dean is gone and in his place is local barman Sam Merlotte ( Sam Trammell). Turns out he's a shapeshifter. HBO The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Walking Dead – "Last Day on Earth" (2016) After eight episodes of build-up, the comic book’s deadliest villain, Negan, reared his head in a scene fans were dreading. With the majority of the main cast lined up at his mercy, Negan – in retaliation for the death of one of his gang – decides which one to kill by using “Eeny Meeny Mino Moe”. After selecting his victim, the camera switches POV and Negan bludgeons the unseen character to death leaving fans with a six-month wait before finding out who had met their maker. AMC The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Leftovers – "Ten Thirteen" (2015) Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof's HBO drama was set in a world that saw two per cent of the world’s population disappear into thin air during a tragic event known as the Sudden Departure. Season two presented an intriguing mystery: the disappearance of three teenage girls from a Texan town that nobody had vanished from. It was the season's penultimate episode that cleared up this plot line as Matt Garvey (Chris Zylka) breaks into a heavily-guarded trailer – only to be met with the three teenage girls staring back at him. What’s more is they’re dressed all in white, a callback to the disbanded cult from the first season. HBO The best TV cliffhangers of all time Lost – “Deus Ex Machina” (2005) In episode 11, the writers had introduced a hatch buried underground and, week in week out, the fans waited patiently for any detail about the mysterious structure the writers were willing to give them. The end of episode 19 saw a desperate John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) banging on the door, just as desperate to get inside as the viewers were... only for a light to come on from within. This ending remains an unforgettable moment for those who watched it at the time of broadcast. ABC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Lost – “Two for the Road” (2006) “I’m sorry.” “For what?” BANG. On paper, not so effective but on screen, it equated to one of Lost’s most gasp-inducing cliffhangers. Viewers watched behind their eyes as Michael (Harold Perrineau), desperate to save his son from the mysterious Others, shoots Ana-Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez) and, in a cruel twist, Libby (Cynthia Watros), who has accidentally stumbled upon the whole thing while looking for some blankets. ABC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Lost - 'Through the Looking Glass – Part 2" Whether you love or hate Lost, there’s no denying that the season three finale deployed one of the most breathtaking rug pulls in television history as writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse revealed a shake-up long in the running: flashbacks featuring a suicidal Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) were, in fact, flashforwards to the future. The Oceanic Flight 815 plane crash survivor made it off the island he’d been so desperate to get off for three whole seasons, but was, disturbingly, desperate to get back. The ending set the benchmark for all future finale and was so huge it made newspaper headlines. The best TV cliffhangers of all time Line of Duty – Series four premiere (2018) The fourth series of Line of Duty didn’t hold back on the shocks. In fact, its first episode featured a cliffhanger ending to rival the best of them. With DCI Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton) dead on his floor, her murderer – Forensic Coordinator Tim Ifield (Jason Watkins) – sets about dispatching her body, but as his chainsaw nears her face, Roz’s eyes suddenly open. The best TV cliffhangers of all time Heroes – ”The Butterfly Effect” (2008) After season one, Heroes became pretty dreadful television. But this cliffhanger looms in the memory for being so left-field it warrants applaud: having captured serial killer Sylar, Angela Petrelli – parent to superheroes Nathan and Peter – tells him she can provide him with the love and guidance he needs. Angry, Sylar tells her she’s not his mother to which Angela drops the bombshell: “But I am dear, I am.” A head-scratching mid-season reveal that had fans chomping at the bit for the next episode. NBC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Grey’s Anatomy – “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” (2005) After spending an entire season watching the blossoming romance between medical intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Dr Derek Shephard (Patrick Dempsey), the world of viewers was rocked upon discovering the shock revelation that Derek was married all along. ABC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Green Wing – “Emergency“ (2004) Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing took the term “cliffhanger” quite literally for each finale of its two series. While it became a tad gimmicky the second time around, the first remained a genuinely surprising way for a comedy series to end: having discovered that the colleague he’d just slept with was his mother, drug-addled anaesthetist Guy Secretan (Stephen Mangan) steals an ambulance, drives it to the country and loses control. After crashing, the episode ends with Guy and several other characters dangling – you guessed it – off a cliff. Channel 4 The best TV cliffhangers of all time Dexter – “The Getaway” (2009) A particularly nail-biting fourth season was shaping up to end well: after weeks of playing cat-and-mouse with the Trinity Killer (John Lithgow on Emmy-winning form), Dexter finally put an end to his murderous ways and returned home ready to pack up and join his wife Rita on their vacation. Only Rita’s still at home... dead in the bathtub. Trinity killed her before Dexter got to him. A heartbreaking end to a standout season. Showtime The best TV cliffhangers of all time Battlestar Galactica – “Kobol's Last Gleaming: Part 2” (2005) When things are going supremely well towards the end of a season finale, you know something big is about to go down. Battlestar Galactica proved no different. After destroying the Cylon Basestar – a warship belonging to the enemy – crew member Boomer, who viewers had learnt was a Cylon in the mini-series that aired the year before, fires a round into the chest of Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos), the show’s main character. ABC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Babylon 5 – “Z’ha'dum” (1996) Having been warned for two seasons that Z’ha’dum means death, fans expected big things from an episode called “Z’ha’dum”. They weren’t wrong. It ended with the show’s lead character jumping to his death. The episode was so big the episodes leading up to it teased “Z minus 14 days” and “Z minus 7 days.” PTEN The best TV cliffhangers of all time 24 – “Day 5: 10:00pm – 11:00pm” (2006) 24 was filled to the brim with huge cliffhangers, but this one – arriving at the 16 episode mark – stands out for sparking what would be the show’s best run of episodes. President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) is revealed to be the mastermind behind the shocking assassinations of David Palmer and Michelle Dessler, which kickstarted the season. And thus the show’s most memorable villain was born. FOX The best TV cliffhangers of all time Friends – "The One with Ross’s Wedding" (1998) While Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) “will they, won’t they” courtship arguably went on far too long, there was one moment during the season four finale that left fans with their jaws on the floor. Just after Rachel had accepted Ross was happy with fiancé Emily (Helen Baxendale), everything goes catastrophically wrong. Instead of saying Emily’s name during the wedding vows, Ross says the iconic line: “Take thee Rachel”. After the wedding, as the season finished, everyone was left wondering whether the pair would finally rekindle their romance for good. NBC The best TV cliffhangers of all time The X-Files – "Anasazi" (1995) “I’m in a boxcar, buried inside a quarry, and there are bodies everywhere,” says Mulder to Scully during the season two finale. And just as Mulder solves the riddle of how those people died, the roof of the boxcar slams shut, trapping him inside. Worse still, the Smoking Man then arrives with a unit of soldiers. When they open the boxcar, Mulder’s somehow nowhere to be seen and they decide to blow the freight to smithereens. Did Mulder survive? Did he get away? FOX The best TV cliffhangers of all time Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life – "Fall" (2016) “It certainly wasn't the ending I expected,” Rory Gilmore actor Alexis Bledel said of the finale. “Fitting but frustrating”, was how Vanity Fair referred to the episode. The Gilmore Girls sequel, A Year in the Life, concluded with a four-word exchange between Rory and her mother, Lorelai (Lauren Graham). “Mum”, the daughter says, sitting in a park’s bandstand. “Yeah”, she replies. “I’m pregnant,” Rory says. Queue hundreds of fans wanting more from the story, which had, ultimately, come full circle. Netflix The best TV cliffhangers of all time Star Trek: The Next Generation – "Best of Both Worlds" (1990) Another science fiction show filled to the brim with cliffhangers. Star Trek: The Next Generation had many, but few can measure up to Picard (Patrick Stewart) becoming a Borg. The season three finale sees the Enterprise’s crew having no choice but to turn on their former captain, with Riker (Jonathan Frakes) ordering Worf (Michael Dorn) to open fire on Picard’s Borg ship. Fans had to wait three months to discover whether Picard could be saved – and the fandom almost imploded in the meantime. Paramount The best TV cliffhangers of all time The OC – "The Dearly Beloved" (2005) Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) and Ryan Atwood (Benjamin McKenzie) would have done anything for each other. When Ryan’s brother Trey (Logan Marshall-Green) gets in the way, attacking Marissa, Ryan has no other course of action but to settle things “once and for all” between them. As the brawl ensues, Marissa somehow ends up shooting Trey. And as the bullet goes through him, Imogen Heap’s song “Hide and Seek” – AKA the “Mmmmh, what you say?” song – suddenly starts playing. It’s hard not to laugh. The pop song cuts through the scene, completely at odds with what’s happening on screen. No wonder, then, that Saturday Night Live famously parodied the scene in one of their most-beloved skits of all time. Fox The best TV cliffhangers of all time The Office US – "Casino Night" (2006) Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) were the ultimate “will they, won’t they” couple, their chemistry electrifying the early seasons of The Office. Things peaked for the first time during the season two finale. Following Casino Night at Dunder Mifflin, Jim finally takes Pam aside to reveal his true feelings, telling her: “I’m in love with you.” She is, at the time, engaged to Roy (David Denman), and decides to reply to Jim: “What are you doing?” While all hope for the pair seems lost, Jim finds Pam (calling her mother) before the episode’s end and kisses her. Cruelly, the showrunners decided to cut to black after the moment, leaving fans wondering for months whether the couple would return to screens happily together (spoiler: they do not). NBC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Alias – "The Telling" (2003) JJ Abrams loves ending things on a twist. Before creating the mystery-box filled Lost, the filmmaker created Alias, and the season two finale marks one the show’s greatest endings. The episode sees Sydney (Jennifer Garner) discover that Francie (Merrin Dungey) is not Francie at all, but a duplicate. The two then brawl, ending with Sydney shooting Francie and then collapsing due to exhaustion. We immediately jump to Sydney waking up in Hong Kong. After reuniting with her lover Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan), Sydney realises things are amiss as Michael is wearing a wedding ring. Turns out, she has been missing for almost two years. Cut to black, and the world asking “What just happened?” ABC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Spooks – "Smoke and Mirrors" (2003) The season two finale of Spooks shocked the nation. While the episode begins with the CIA taking on a seemingly straightforward mission – to prevent a member of the Cabinet being assassinated – we soon discover that everything’s not as it seems. The formerly-presumed dead Herman Joyce (Tomas Arana) is still alive and masquerading as Herb Zeigler. Not only that, but the villain has masterminded an elaborate plan to make it seem as if Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) has assassinated the Chief of the Defence Staff. With everything working against Tom, the agent finds himself backed into a corner. And when Harry (Peter Firth) loses faith, Tom decides to shoot Harry with his shotgun. Does Harry die? Will Tom ever be found innocent? The questions were many. BBC The best TV cliffhangers of all time Dragon Ball Z – Next time on Dragon Ball Z There’s really no definitive Dragon Ball Z cliffhanger, as almost every single episode in the series finishes with one. From Vegeta staring menacingly at the camera to the villainous Cell launching a deadline attack on Goku, the series leaves you anywhere and everywhere. When that voice-over comes in with “Next time on Dragon Ball Z”, you can guarantee any child watching will be hooked and instantly wanting to watch the next episode. Cartoon Network The best TV cliffhangers of all time Pushing Up Daisies – “Kerplunk” (2009) Pushing Up Daisies was unceremoniously brought to an end after just two seasons, with showrunner Bryan Fuller having to quickly conclude the whimsical series with very little notice. The epilogue was added late into the writing process and sees the narrator offer some closure to each characters’ story. Yet, with Ned (Lee Pace) and Chuck (Anna Friel) standing on her aunts’ doorstep, waiting to finally reveal that she’s alive, fans could see that there were originally supposed to be many more seasons to come – and they still want them desperately. The best TV cliffhangers of all time Sherlock – "The Reichenbach Fall" (2012) Following a war of words with Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) on the roof of a building (in which Moriarty shoots himself in the head), Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) decides to seemingly commit suicide by jumping off the building. However, not all is at it seems, as Sherlock is seen alive before the episode end. Fans of the series – plus Martin Freeman’s Watson – were left questioning what exactly happened to Sherlock, with all being revealed in the following special.

You’ve previously said you’d love to be in Better Call Saul. How do you reckon Jesse could fit in there?

You know what? I always thought, at least at the beginning of Better Call Saul, there’d be a big possibility of Jesse showing up, but as I watched the show, I realised that it would be a big stretch for him to be there. I think it’d have to be pre-Breaking Bad, with me playing a much younger version of Jesse, which just doesn’t work unless they did some sort of strange ageing thing, which would be interesting. The more I watched the show, I thought to myself, there’s no way of Pinkman showing up, but then Vince calls me and says, “I have an idea.” I think now – especially with El Camino – I really can’t imagine Jesse showing up, but if Vince and Peter [Gould] wanted him to, I would jump at the chance.

As a viewer of the show, which Breaking Bad characters would you like to see appear in future episodes?

I’m always just so pleasantly surprised. I knew that Gus was coming back for some time, but I loved the hinting at him returning with the names of the episodes. It was genius. They have such a great way of teasing fans that way.

What’s the most challenging scene you’ve ever filmed as Jesse?

Oh God. There’s quite a few. I think the scene that just had such an emotional toll on me was where he’s trying to revive Jane. That was so hard on me. I don’t know if you know this, but they made a special rig for Krysten [Ritter] to wear so I could really just hit her as hard as I could without it hurting her. That was pretty brutal. I went to a place that day. It was hard for her as well. I remember one take, when they yelled “Cut”, I just – I was so devastated that I just couldn’t come back from it. As was Krysten – she started crying and I thought I’d hurt her from the thing that was wrapped around her. It was just so hard on her emotionally. We were telling such a heavy story. But there were actually a lot of laughs during very dark moments of the show. It wasn’t all so torturous.

El Camino A Breaking Bad film releases a new trailer

Do you have a favourite Breaking Bad episode and scene?

I mean, honestly, I think my favourite episode was “Four Days Out”. Just acting with Bryan – it felt like a two-man play. But I think my favourite scene was the dinner scene between Walt, Skyler (Anna Gunn) and Jesse. That was so much fun to shoot and every time when they yelled “Cut”, all three of us would just start laughing, because it was so uncomfortable. Skyler pouring nearly a bottle of wine into her glass and asking if Walt had told her about their affair. Jesse using his water glass almost like a security blanket, hiding behind it. Oh, there are so many.

Vince said one of his biggest regrets about the show was not giving Jesse Pinkman bad teeth. Would you have been up for donning a fake pair?

[Laughs] It would have a been a different thing, but yeah.

Ten years from now, Vince calls you up and says he’s got a terrific idea for an El Camino sequel. Are you in?

Of course. I would follow Vince anywhere. When he approached me on this, there was zero hesitation. I know I was a part of Breaking Bad, but I’m such a huge fan of that show. It’s good to be proud of your work, but it wasn’t because I was in it; it was just such a beautiful show on all cylinders. It was… all the stars were aligned with this one. I thought the ending was perfect. But again, Vince is the last person who’d want to mess with the legacy so there was zero hesitation, only excitement.

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in ‘Breaking Bad’ (AMC)

You’re now a part of Westworld. I know you probably can’t tell us anything, but what can we expect from season three?

Well, I was such a diehard fan of the first two seasons. We were actually trying to come up with a world where I was going to be in the first season. I was just so deep into negotiations on this other show and the logistics couldn’t work out. And then they approached me again for this third season and I was actually deep into negotiations on this other show, so I was reliving the same moment in my life again! I was stressing out because I had to turn Westworld down the first time around. I just watched it and thought to myself, “My God, this is the perfect show.” I couldn’t miss out on this second opportunity. So I sat down with them and they pitched me this character and they pitched me the broad strokes of the arc of the rest of the series. It is insane. This show is so unbelievably ambitious and I walk onto these sets and my jaw is on the floor. I feel like I’m a little kid again playing cops and robbers on the biggest scale possible. It’s so much fun and I love sci-fi – that’s my favourite genre. It’s great, man.

So we’re in for a treat?

Yes. I had to pinch myself sometimes, because it’s odd – I’m the new kid in school. I’m going to a school that I love a lot and I love everyone in the school and I just want to be accepted [laughs]. But I’m playing a really interesting character that I think people are going to really like. I’m opposite all of these characters in their wardrobe and having a little bit of an out-of-body experience. It’s good to be a fan of something you’re in.

Breaking Bad, Bojack Horseman, Westworld... That’s an impressive list of credits to your name in such a short space of time.

I got to tell you, man, I’m the first to admit how lucky I am. But it’s Vince Gilligan who gave me a chance when, quite frankly, no one else would. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs and at the lowest point of my career, I wasn’t able to pay my bills. I was borrowing money. I thought, “What am I going to do?” Then Vince Gilligan hired me. No one wanted me – even after I tested, no one wanted me as the guy, and Vince said, “No, he’s the guy – he has to be the guy.” Vince played his trump card and said, “I’m not doing the show unless he’s the guy.’” So, they were like, “Alright!”