Westworld’s Aaron Paul is happier without a smartphone as the show gives him ‘pinch-me moments’

TV tough guy Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame has joined Westworld — but not without a bottle of Purell sanitiser in hand and a simple phone.

There’s something slightly incongruous about famed TV tough guy, Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, showing up to our Los Angeles interview, to promote Season 3 of Westworld, with a bottle of Purell sanitiser in hand.

He acknowledges his latest accoutrement, the germ-fighting gel that sits on the table between us, with a shrug.

We are, of course, under siege from the coronavirus and our initial pleasantries are limited to verbal interaction – without the customary handshake.

Paul, 40, the latest addition to the futuristic amusement park, otherwise known as Westworld, notes he had quite the baptism by fire when he showed up for his first day on set.

“It was insane,” he laughs, gliding his fingers through his close-cropped hair. “When I arrived, everyone said, ‘Welcome to war!’ and I thought, ‘Oh my God, what is happening?’ Then I found out that all the rumours were true,” he says of the show’s gruelling schedule. “Westworld is a hard show with many night shoots and long hours. But I’m a massive fan, and even now, I still have pinch-me moments when I’m on set.”

US actor Aaron Paul in a scene from season three of Westworld on Foxtel.

Showrunners Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, who created the series (based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name) had their eye on Paul from the start. Nolan offers, “We spoke to Aaron years ago because we knew how talented he was, and is perfect in this role of Caleb [a construction worker and petty criminal]. He comes with a different view of humanity and we needed someone who had that sympathetic quality. We felt that there was no actor more capable than Aaron of exuding that.”

Paul adds, “Caleb is a man living in this futuristic society but with his own point of view and that was very exciting for me to dive into. His purpose is to change the perception of humanity for Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood).”

Joy explains the ominous tagline for this season, ‘Freewill isn’t free,’ which is emblazoned on all the promotional material.

“The theme of free will is an age old question that philosophers have pondered for centuries. Are decisions by choice or are they preordained by genetics? Is it God, or what the Greeks used to say, ‘the fates,’? These days, we question how is free-will further curtailed by technology? Are we manipulated and are our choices curated for us?”

Aaron’s not the only newcomer for Season 3 – he’s joined by Lena Waithe, Vincent Cassel, Scott Mescudi, and Marshawn Lynch – and there’s a special cameo from Game Of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, who play technicians working for the Delos corporation. It’s a clever crossover bound to thrill the legions of fans from both shows.

Nolan says, “David and Danny [Weiss] are friends of ours and we couldn’t resist paying homage to a show that changed TV and inspired and created the space in which we could make our show.”

US actress Evan Rachel Wood and US actor Aaron Paul arrive for the Los Angeles season three premiere of the HBO series "Westworld". Picture: AFP

While Westworld hurtles us nearly 30 years into the future, to 2058 to be exact, Paul admits he’s dragging his heels when it comes to technology.

“Westworld is very much a science-fiction show and yet I think we can agree it feels like it’s somewhat grounded in reality, which is terrifying. Although science-fiction is my favourite genre and I love being submerged in this world, I find myself down really dark long rabbit holes of the simulation reality theory and the dangers of technology.

“It’s a blessing and a curse to have data control and data collection, but because of that, I haven’t owned a computer in over 10 years,” he says, rather proudly.

Paul swiftly produces his Light Phone from his wallet and shows me.

“I’m considering going back to a flip phone, but in the meantime, the Light Phone makes calls, stores ten numbers, but there’s no camera, no texting or emailing.” He smiles.

“Honestly I feel like I’ve cracked a code in a way, and I cannot begin to tell you how much better I feel. I’m 100 per cent less anxious and I’ve gone back to talking to my friends on the phone rather than having a 20-minute texting session. I have an honest connection, which is what we all used to have,” he says.

“I used to feel suffocated in the Trump mania and now with coronavirus, so I just shut off the news. There’s literally nothing I can do, other than be depressed by it. And honestly, I don’t know if we’re meant to know about all this sadness around the world,” he says, shaking his head.

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US actor Aaron Paul in a scene from season three of Westworld on Foxtel.

“So now I just focus on friends and family. We lift each other up and it feels like maybe we are part of a cult,” he laughs. “But it feels great!” That ‘cult’ he speaks of is growing exponentially in Hollywood – Chris Pine and Bill Murray are among the huge advocates for living with less technology. Bill Murray reportedly doesn’t even own a phone.

Unsurprisingly then, Paul is raising his daughter, Story Annabelle, two, with his wife of eight years, Lauren Parsekian, far from Hollywood. He has stayed close to home in his birthplace of Idaho, and lives in a Macall house on five acres, seen in Architectural Digest.

“Having a baby completely rocked my world in the best way possible,” he gushes. “Having a child is just so magical. Truly, my life began the day she was born.”

Too little to see how papa Paul makes his living yet, Story will one day get to admire dad’s body of work, which includes Need For Speed (2014), Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), Eye In the Sky (2015), and Central Intelligence (2016), as well as a voice role on the animated series Bojack Horseman (2014 – 2020).

Other than revisiting his iconic Breaking Bad character Jesse Pinkman in last year’s film, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which served as the epilogue to the groundbreaking series, Paul has made a conscious effort to delve into different material. “Well, I can’t just play loveable struggling drug addicts,” he smiles.

But he will always be appreciative of the role which put him on the proverbial map.

“When people see me on the street, they still yell out, ‘Yo, Jesse!’” he shares. “I don’t think it necessarily defines me but it’s the role that introduced me to many people and I don’t take that for granted.”

And what does Paul hope for in the next decade?

“I would love to grow my family, have another baby or two, and continue to find roles that challenge and inspire me.” He smiles again. “It’ll be difficult to top the last decade.”

* Westworld, 12 noon, Monday March 16, Fox Showcase.

Originally published as Westworld’s Aaron Paul is happier without a smartphone as the show gives him ‘pinch-me moments’