Aaron Paul

Actor

About

Also Known As

Aaron Paul Sturtevant

Birth Place

Emmett, Idaho, USA

Born

August 27, 1979

Biography

Filmography

American Woman (2019)

Welcome Home (2018)

Bryan Palmer

The Ninth Life of Louis Drax (2016)

Fathers and Daughters (2016)

Eye in the Sky (2016)

Triple Nine (2016)

Biography

After performing yeoman work on television and in the occasional feature for over a decade, Aaron Paul finally landed two breakout roles in quick succession, playing a responsible young man struggling to prove his love to his conflicted bride on "Big Love" (HBO, 2006-2010) and a crystal meth addict who is in over his head on "Breaking Bad" (AMC, 2008-2013). The two roles could not be more diametrically opposed, but they both showcased Paul's ability to play to extremes. Prior to those roles, Paul made his television debut with an episode of the original "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox, 1990-2000) and Jeff Bridges' estranged son in "K-Pax" (2002). After warming up for Jesse Pickman as an unnamed wasted guy in "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" (2002), Paul landed a slew of TV guest spots and dipped his toe into blockbuster waters with a small part in "Mission: Impossible III" (2006), which in turn led to his role as Sarah's good natured husband on "Big Love." Immediately on the heels of that recurring role, he played outcast meth addict Jesse Pinkman to Bryan Cranston's cancer-stricken chemistry teacher-turned-methamphetamine cook on "Breaking Bad," a role that made Paul a critical favorite and Emmy Award winner, both of which signaled he had finally arrived. After capitalizing on his small screen success with roles in critically acclaimed films including "Decoding Annie Parker" (2013) and hits like "Exodus: Gods and Kings" (2014) and "Central Intelligence" (2016), Paul returned to TV as star and producer of spiritual drama "The Path" (Hulu 2015- ).

Born on Aug. 27, 1979 in Emmett, ID, Aaron Paul Sturtevant was the son of a Christian Baptist minister and frequently took part in church programs. Acting captured his attention in the eighth grade, and by the time he was attending Centennial High School in Boise, he had made up his mind to become a performer. Paul headed west after graduation, and like so many, struggled to land roles while working a variety of odd jobs, including an usher at Universal Studios. His first screen appearances came in bit and supporting roles on series like "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox, 1990-2000) and "Melrose Place" (1992-1999). Meanwhile, his feature debut came with the teen comedy "Whatever It Takes" (2000), which was quickly followed by supporting turns in "K-PAX" (2001) as Jeff Bridges' estranged son and "Van Wilder" (2002). Perhaps the most significant of these early jobs was playing Sky Commander Winky on an episode of "The X-Files" (Fox, 1993-2002), the character was named after series writer and producer Vince Gilligan, who later recalled Paul when casting for his series "Breaking Bad." Despite the wealth of work, Paul was most likely seen by his largest audience in Korn's music video for "Thoughtless" (2002), which cast him as a put-upon student who exacts revenge on his school tormentors.

Paul's appearances grew in profile and stature as he entered the new millennium. By 2002, he had logged screen time on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS, 2000-15), "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009) and "Veronica Mars" (The CW, 2004-07). Film appearances were still relatively few and far between, though he did enjoy a rare lead in "Candy Paint" (2005), a well-received short comedy about a high school student whose date with his dream girl turns into a surreal nightmare. In 2006, Paul had one of his busiest years to date, logging several episodes of television and appearing opposite Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible III." The following year, however, was a major breakthrough for the actor when he was cast as Scott, the upstanding and responsible fiancé of Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) on "Big Love." Scott, who was a decade older than Sarah, remained dedicated to his bride throughout their tumultuous relationship, which was launched in the show's second season and saw numerous ups and downs, including the loss of a child and disapproval by her polygamous father (Bill Paxton). The couple finally agreed to marry at the end of the third season, much to the concern of her family.

Scott stood at the polar opposite from Paul's next and most acclaimed character to date, Jesse Bruce Pinkman on "Breaking Bad." The son of an upper-middle-class family who cast him out for his rampant drug use, he partners with his former high school chemistry teacher (Bryan Cranston), whose terminal cancer has forced him to deal crystal meth to support his family. Though their partnership was initially strained, Jesse comes to respect the older man, who not only contends with the ravages of cancer, but also the terrifying realities of the drug trade, which sometimes results in murder. Widely praised for his edgy, often fearless turn in the role, Paul received Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2009 and 2010; winning in the latter year. Meanwhile, his film and television career continued to build, thanks to a supporting turn as the youngest member of a gang of sadistic criminals targeted by the parents of a girl they murdered in the remake of Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left" (2009). In 2012 and 2014, Paul repeated his Emmy wins Outstanding Supporting Actor for playing the ever-increasingly sympathetic Jesse Pinkman on "Breaking Bad." Between seasons of the hit series, Paul moved to the big screen, co-starring in the romantic comedy-drama "Smashed" (2012) opposite Mary Elizabeth Winstead and starring in the drama "Quad" (2013) alongside Jeff Daniels and the comedy-drama "Decoding Annie Parker" (2013) with Alice Eve.

Following the end of "Breaking Bad" in 2013, Paul moved full-time into films, starring in the action drama "Need For Speed" (2014), the dark comedy-drama "A Long Way Down" (2014) and the gritty indie family drama "Hellion" (2014). Paul returned to episodic work with a supporting role on the quirky animated comedy "Bojack Horseman" (Netflix 2014- ), starring Will Arnett as a half-human half-horse actor on a career decline. Following lead roles in Ridley Scott's Biblical epic "Exodus: Gods and Kings" (2014) and drone-warfare thriller "Eye in the Sky" (2015), Paul appeared in family drama "Fathers and Daughters" (2015) and crime thriller "Triple 9" (2016), Paul played the antagonist in the Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson action comedy "Central Intelligence" (2016), appeared in Alexandre Aja's "The 9th Life of Louis Drax" and starred in indie drama "Come and Find Me" (2016). During this period, he also returned to television as the star of spiritual drama "The Path" (Hulu 2015- ), the story of a small religious cult.