‘Breaking Bad’ Star Bryan Cranston Had Fun With Aaron Paul’s Fear of Getting Killed Off

Anyone who’s watched Aaron Paul’s Emmy acceptance speeches knows he’s thanked Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan on multiple occasions for keeping his character, Jesse Pinkman, alive throughout the series. Initially slated to die off after the first season, Gilligan famously admired Paul’s performance so much he decided to keep him on — but accidentally gave him some serious anxiety about when the other shoe would drop, which the show’s star, Bryan Cranston, played with.

Speaking to a crowd at San Diego Comic-Con, Vulture reports Paul told the audience:

“[Cranston] came up to me the first time he did it, and he just gives me a really long, exaggerated hug,” Paul said. “I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And he goes, ‘Hey man. It’s been a fun ride. You read the script right?’ And then he just walks away! I run into the production office and I’m like, ‘Where’s the script?’ He’s like, ‘It’s not available yet.’ I’m like, ‘No, please God tell me!’ And I read it and I was alive still.”