ONCE CO-STARS, BRYAN CRANSTON AND AARON PAUL ARE NOW BEST FRIENDS

STUDENT AND TEACHER

In the pilot episode of Breaking Bad, Walter White (Cranston) is a chemistry teacher given a terminal cancer diagnosis. When he discovers that he could apply his skills to creating pure methamphetamine to make enough money to support his family, he recruits his former student Jesse (Paul), now a meth dealer, to help. So began a five-season saga, and a strong friendship for the actors.

PERSONAL MILESTONES… AND TRIBUTES

When Breaking Bad finished in 2013 (in the end, Jesse was never killed off, but Walter was), the bromance only went from strength to strength. That year, Cranston attended Paul’s wedding to American actor Lauren Parsekian, while Paul made a moving speech when his mentor was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ‘The moment I met Bryan, I instantly fell in love with the man,’ Paul said. ‘I mean, how could you not?’

A BOOZY NEW CHAPTER

Missing one another madly, the pair launched a new project in 2019. ‘Three years ago we sat in a sushi bar in New York. Talking about life and what we could possibly do down the road together. We had the time of our lives while shooting Breaking Bad and truly built a very special bond,’ they wrote on Instagram. The result? Not a reboot or new TV show, but a mescal brand, Dos Hombres. They went to Mexico to source ingredients together, appear in adverts together, and the name, they say, refers to ‘two guys on a quest’.

A WINNING PARTNERSHIP

As the show swept up just about every award going, Cranston and Paul became something like brothers – or at least mischievous uncle and nephew. Whenever a new season’s scripts arrived, Cranston used to prank his younger co-star into believing Jesse was going to be killed off. ‘He just bought it,’ Cranston said.

BIRTHDAY SURPRISES

For Cranston’s 60th birthday in 2016, he starred in a parody of MTV’S My Super Sweet 16 for Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Paul appeared as himself, arriving at the party in the same fur coat as Cranston. ‘I carried your ass for six years, and you are not going to steal my thunder now. Go. Home. And change,’ Cranston, playing a super-brat version of himself, railed at him.