How much did Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul made from Breaking Bad? Details explored

The protagonists of Breaking Bad, portrayed by actors Bryan Cranston (Walter White) and Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman), received $225,000 and $150,000 for each episode respectively, according to Yahoo! Finance.

During the show's five-season run, Cranston received a total compensation of $3.6 million, while Paul earned $2.4 million overall. Paul and Cranston were prominently mentioned in TV Guide's 2013 annual compensation report, which listed the highest-paid actors, celebrities and television hosts. Paul and Cranston amassed a substantial net worth from the 16-episode fifth and final crime drama series.

The report claims that although his co-star made $150,000 every episode, Cranston, who had a stellar background before joining the program in 2008, made an astounding $225,000 per episode.

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Breaking Bad: Growth of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul

Bryan Cranston was, without a doubt, the show's highest-paid actor. On Breaking Bad, Cranston has earned $225,000 every episode. He made about $1.8 million a year when the second half of the last season aired, if we calculate this figure on an annual basis.

Becoming significantly wealthier as a result of their roles in "Breaking Bad," Aaron and Bryan didn't stop there. Despite having a large net worth and being well-known even before the program debuted, Cranston, with his portrayal of Heisenberg, won numerous Emmys, which helped propel him to celebrity status.

Even though Bryan Cranston didn't earn as much money as other popular TV show performers like Jerry Seinfeld, he was incredibly successful by Hollywood standards.

Aaron Paul's most well-known performance was in the critically acclaimed television series "Breaking Bad," which ran from 2008 to 2013, where he played Jesse Pinkman.

Paul won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series apart from receiving high appreciation for his depiction of Jesse Pinkman.

However, he earned a staggering $150,000 for each episode. With 16 episodes in the fifth season, the 41-year-old would have earned $2.4 million for the show's whole run, compared to $3.6 million for his co-star.

His income is interesting, as Paul’s character Jesse was supposed to be killed at the end of season one, but after the script was revised, he reprised his role for the entire five seasons.

Even though the last season concluded seven years ago, Paul still has a place in his heart for Breaking Bad.

He said in an interview with The Guardian that accepting the role of Jesse Pinkman transformed his entire life. Paul later starred in the Netflix original movie El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie in 2019, which picked up where the show's fifth season left off with Jesse Pinkman's plot.

Vince Gilligan is the producer and creator of the American crime drama Breaking Bad. When the show moved to stream services, its viewership increased compared to its original airing on the AMC network.

The show's plot revolves around a chemistry teacher who receives a lung cancer diagnosis. To support his family financially, he begins manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine with the help of a previous pupil.

The show debuted in 2008 and continued for five seasons, totalling 62 episodes, with great success.

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Renowned actors like Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris and many more were seen in the series.

Without a doubt, these performers delivered great performances and received the greatest compensation from the series. The series' main protagonists, Paul and Cranston, were the ones who received the largest checks, though.