Breaking Bad's Betsy Brandt reflects on sibling rivalry and her obsession with shoes in an exclusive interview with AMC.

Q: How do you view your character?

A: The first time we meet Marie she's just an unpleasant bitch. But there's more to her than that. I think we're seeing more of it now that she would be there for her family. But it's all about her. If she were an actor, it would be 'Blah, Blah, Blah, My line.' I really do love her, though. I know no one else does, but I do. Some actors, they always want their characters to be likable. And I do not roll like that.

Q: It seems like there's an antagonistic relationship between Marie and Skyler.

A: Oh yes. I have an older sister and there's quite an age difference between us, but we used to share a room, lucky her. I was a fourth-grader and she was in college, and she'd be up journaling every night and I would make scratchy sounds on my sheets to annoy her. And she'd say, 'Betsy, stop it.' I'd go, 'What?" as if I weren't doing anything. And I would just ask her questions and she'd say, "I'm not going to answer you if you ask me any more.' So I have some personal experience in that regard.

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In the second part of our two-part interview, Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul discusses the tragedy of drug addiction and dishes on a backstage poker game that ended in disaster.

Q: How difficult is it to put yourself in Jesse's shoes?

A: It's fun to tackle, but it's also very dark and sad at times, especially with the research I did and reading these stories about families that have been destroyed by this horrible drug. And I personally in my life have had people that I'm really close to, I've watched them get lost in this drug, and it literally ate their soul alive. They turned from these beautiful creatures into different people altogether, which is so sad.

Q: Do you feel like Jesse has reached that point?

A: In my head, I don't feel that he's actually reached that point yet. But I feel, with the things that are happening in his world now, he's going in this downward spiral. People are dying and he's losing his mind. He's never been in this situation before. He's been cooking and selling for awhile, but it's never been this hardcore. But after he and Mr. White team up, everything comes unraveled.

Continue reading "Q&A: Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) -- Part II" »

Actor Aaron Paul ponders the magic of Hollywood makeup and talks about his wardrobe in the first of AMC's exclusive two-part interview.

Q: How do you see your character?

A: Jesse Pinkman is a funny kid. He's just this lost soul -- I don't think he's a bad kid, he just got mixed in the wrong crowd. He has decided to do something he knows, and he's been cooking meth for some time now, so it's taken over his world a little bit. And it's interesting because when you meet Jesse's parents, you can tell they're an upper-middle-class, very proper family. He doesn't come from an abusive, alcoholic background. But maybe he just didn't relate to his father, maybe his father was too strict and too proper for Jesse. And then he runs into Mr. White from his high school, and their relationship is more like The Odd Couple.

Q: I notice when you refer to Bryan Cranston's character, you call him Mr. White.

A: Right. I guess my character still respects him, especially now because Mr. White is showing Jesse he is truly an artist. But then again, he only knew him through school, so now that's how I know him, which is fabulous. Bryan Cranston is a genius, so I have respect for Bryan, and Jesse has respect for Mr. White.

Continue reading "Q&A: Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) -- Part I" »