Aaron Paul

Aaron Paul Bio

Aaron Paul Sturtevant, professionally known as Aaron Paul, is an American actor born on August 27, 1979, in Emmett, Idaho. He is widely recognized for his portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, a role that earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Beyond television, Paul has built a varied career across film, voice acting, and production.

After his breakthrough on Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul expanded his work into feature films, animated series, and streaming dramas. He voiced Todd Chavez on the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman, reprised Jesse Pinkman in the Netflix film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and later appeared in the final season of Better Call Saul. His recent projects include the sci-fi thriller Dual, the Black Mirror episode Beyond the Sea, and a lead voice role in the 2025 video game Dispatch.

Early Life and Background

Aaron Paul was born Aaron Paul Sturtevant in Emmett, Idaho, on August 27, 1979. He was the youngest of four children born to Darla, née Haynes, and Baptist minister Robert Sturtevant. Paul was born a month premature in his parents’ bathroom, an early detail he has shared in interviews.

Paul grew up in Idaho and participated in church plays as a young child, which gave him his first taste of performing in front of an audience. He later graduated in 1997 from Centennial High School in Boise, Idaho. Soon after finishing high school, he drove to Los Angeles with his mother in a 1982 Toyota Corolla, carrying about $6,000 in savings to pursue a career in entertainment.

Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, Aaron Paul appeared on an episode of the CBS game show The Price Is Right, which aired on January 3, 2000. He played and lost his pricing game and overbid on his Showcase by $132. During those early years in Los Angeles, he also worked as a movie theater usher at Universal Studios in Hollywood to support himself.

Path to Acting

In 1996, Aaron Paul traveled to Los Angeles for the International Modeling and Talent Association competition, where he won runner-up and signed with a manager. This experience launched his professional career and led to appearances in music videos for Korn’s song “Thoughtless” and Everlast’s “White Trash Beautiful.” He was also featured in television commercials for Juicy Fruit, Corn Pops, and Vanilla Coke.

During his early acting years, Paul landed small parts in films such as Whatever It Takes, K-PAX, National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, and Mission: Impossible III. He also made guest appearances on television series including The Guardian, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ER, Veronica Mars, The X-Files, Ghost Whisperer, Criminal Minds, and Bones. These roles helped him build a steady résumé before his career-defining opportunity arrived.

A key early milestone came in 2007, when Paul had a recurring role as Scott Quittman on the HBO series Big Love, appearing in fourteen episodes. The work on Big Love caught the attention of television creators and set the stage for his casting in a much larger project the following year.

Aaron Paul Career

Early Career (1998–2007)

Aaron Paul began his professional acting career in 1998, starting with music videos, commercials, and small film roles. He worked steadily through the early 2000s, building experience in guest spots on major network television shows and minor feature film parts. His recurring role on HBO’s Big Love in 2007 marked his first significant sustained television work.

During this early period, Paul also starred as “Weird Al” Yankovic in the Funny or Die short Weird: The Al Yankovic Story in 2010, showing his range in comedy. These years allowed him to hone his craft across genres and prepared him for the dramatic work that would soon follow.

Breakthrough (2008–2013)

In 2008, Aaron Paul began playing Jesse Pinkman on the AMC series Breaking Bad, the role that would define his career. The character was originally meant to die during the first season, but after seeing the chemistry between Paul and lead actor Bryan Cranston, series creator Vince Gilligan kept Jesse as a main character. This decision transformed the show and gave Paul one of the most memorable roles in modern television.

For his performance in Breaking Bad, Paul was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. He won the award in 2010, 2012, and 2014, making him one of the most awarded actors in that category. He also starred in the 2009 remake of The Last House on the Left, expanding his presence in feature films.

During the run of Breaking Bad, Paul also starred in the 2012 film Smashed, which was one of the official selections for the Sundance Film Festival. In 2013, he made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live’s season opener as “meth nephew,” a relative of a popular recurring character. He also got married that year, beginning the next chapter of his personal life.

Notable Works and Milestones

Following Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul starred in the 2014 film Need for Speed as a street racer recently released from prison, and co-starred in the biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings, portraying the Hebrew prophet Joshua. That same year, he joined the cast of the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman, voicing Todd Chavez and serving as an executive producer. He also began starring as Eddie Lane in the Hulu series The Path in 2016, and joined the cast of HBO’s Westworld in 2018 as Caleb Nichols. In 2019, he reprised his role as Jesse Pinkman in the Netflix film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and later appeared in the final season of Better Call Saul in 2022.

Aaron Paul Award Nominations

Aaron Paul has earned multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations throughout his career, primarily for his work on Breaking Bad. He was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014, in addition to his winning year of 2010. These nominations reflect the television academy’s sustained recognition of his performance as Jesse Pinkman.

Aaron Paul Awards Won

Aaron Paul has won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad. He won in 2010, 2012, and 2014, becoming one of the few actors to win the category three times. His wins placed him among the most celebrated supporting performers in television history.

Aaron Paul Family

Aaron Paul was born to Darla, née Haynes, and Baptist minister Robert Sturtevant, and he was the youngest of four children in the family. In November 2022, Paul legally dropped his birth surname of Sturtevant so that he, his wife, and their children would all officially share the Paul surname.

Personal Life

Aaron Paul met actress and director Lauren Parsekian at the Coachella Festival, and the couple became engaged in Paris on January 1, 2012. They married in a 1920s Parisian carnival-themed wedding in Malibu on May 26, 2013, with Foster the People and John Mayer performing. The couple welcomed a daughter in February 2018 and a son in April 2022. Paul’s Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston serves as a godfather to one of the children. In the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires in early 2025, the family sold their undamaged residence and relocated to Paris.