‘Breaking Bad’ Star Aaron Paul Hopes Fans Can Separate Him From Jesse Pinkman

Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul hopes people won’t always see him as Jesse Pinkman.

Since people seem to adore his role in AMC’s acclaimed series, the actor is definitely a little concerned that he’ll always be associated with Pinkman going forward. Paul’s first project after Breaking Bad is a movie based on the video game Need for Speed, a flick that’s definitely a little different from the aforementioned drama.

Aaron Paul, director Scott Waugh, and screenwriters John and George Gatins recently discussed the actor’s involvement in the upcoming action flick. Although people will always identify Paul with his character on Breaking Bad, they’re hoping Need for Speed is enough of a departure to give him some distance from Jesse Pinkman.

Paul explained during the interview:

“They’re such polar opposite people. I think that the moment Tobey Marshall comes on-screen, they’re not going to see — or hopefully they’re not going to see — Jesse Pinkman. Jesse was I think struggling to find his way throughout the entire show. He never really had his footing ever, and he never, ever caught a break. Tobey is a very strong man.”

George Gatins said that the Breaking Bad star was very happy that producers — including filmmaker Steven Speilberg — immediately wanted him for the lead role in Need for Speed. John Gatins described the actor as “thrilled and enthralled” with the project.

“[Paul] had just emerged in a way that you knew who he was from that show. And there’s not a lot of guys in that age range in Hollywood that you can kind of feel confident about putting a big movie on their shoulders. When Hollywood finds a guy that they think can do it, that’s like gold, because they don’t grow on trees,” George added.

Although Paul was initially hesitant about jumping into a video game adaptation hot off the success of Breaking Bad, the actor said he was completely hooked after reading the first page of the script. However, he’s a little concerned that some moviegoers will unfairly lump the flick into the same category as another car-oriented franchise.

He explained to Entertainment Weekly last month:

“Yeah, I’m very excited about that film. I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people. I think a lot of people are thinking, ‘Oh, another car movie.’ They’re going to compare it to Fast and the Furious, but you know, Fast and the Furious didn’t start the genre and it’s not going to end the genre. The only comparison I would say is, “Yeah, we both have cars.” That’s it. It’s a gritty, super-fun movie and I’m excited for people to see it.”

Are you a fan of Breaking Bad alum Aaron Paul? Do you plan to catch the actor in Need for Speed when the flick hits theaters on March 14?