Aaron Paul says he doesn't get paid for “Breaking Bad ”streaming on Netflix: 'I don't get a piece'

Aaron Paul says he doesn't get paid for “Breaking Bad ”streaming on Netflix: 'I don't get a piece'
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Channeling his inner Jesse Pinkman, Aaron Paul isn't hiding how he feels about what's at stake in the ongoing actors' strike.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight Canada on a recent SAG-AFTRA picket line, the Emmy-winning actor blasted the current state of Hollywood residuals, saying, "I don't get a piece from Netflix on Breaking Bad, if we're being totally honest, and that's insane to me."

Paul's comments came during something of a mini Breaking Bad reunion. He walked the picket line in front of Sony Pictures Entertainment Studios in Culver City, Calif., alongside his former costars Bryan Cranston and Jesse Plemons.

Aaron Paul on 'Breaking Bad'
Aaron Paul on 'Breaking Bad'

Everett Collection Aaron Paul on 'Breaking Bad'

"Shows live forever on these streamers, and it goes through waves," Paul said. "I just saw the other day that Breaking Bad was trending on NetflixI think a lot of these streamers, they know that they have been getting away with not paying people a fair wage, and now it's time to pony up. And that's just one of the things that we're fighting for."

Netflix declined to comment to EW on Paul's remarks. However, residuals can be complicated. They are the producer's responsibility, while a streamer like Netflix or Hulu pays the producer a licensing fee. Nonetheless, the structure of that system currently allows for a hit show to be streamed thousands of times while, in some cases, creators are given little to nothing in the form of residuals. It is one of the major issues at play in both the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

"We're raising our voices," Cranston told the crowd assembled at the picket line. "We're not making them the enemy. They are not villains. These are people that we all will be working with once again at some point. We just want them to see reality and fairness and come back to the table and talk to us."

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston on the SAG-AFTRA picket line
Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston on the SAG-AFTRA picket line

CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston on the SAG-AFTRA picket line

Paul's assertion that he doesn't get residuals from Breaking Bad streaming on Netflix carries a special resonance because of the relationship the AMC show had with the platform. Series creator Vince Gilligan has credited Netflix with being a significant part of the show's ability to find such a large audience. Additionally, the streaming service is the home of the Breaking Bad spinoff movie El Camino, which stars Paul in the leading role.

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