'Breaking Bad' star Aaron Paul was once a 'Price is Right' contestant — and it still haunts him years later
Game shows on TV are supposed to be spectacles of hope where people are seen winning prizes that change their lives while having a few light-hearted moments. Long before Aaron Paul gained stardom through "Breaking Bad", he made a famous appearance on the beloved game show, "The Price Is Right". The clip of his episode has gone viral time and again and fans have cherished his energy on the show. While the footage brings smiles to the faces of viewers, the actor revealed on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" that for him it was a rather haunting and depressing experience.
Most Energetic Contestant on The Price Is Right
Paul's appearance on "The Price is Right" aired back in 2000 when he was still going by his given name, Aaron Sturtevant. The actor brought a certain fire to the show that fans had rarely witnessed before.
He became borderline manic from the moment his name was called out from the stage. "You're the man Bob!! You're my idol," Paul screamed as he made his way to the stage. After making his first bid he won a spot on the stage up next to Bob Barker. He was clearly overwhelmed as Barker revealed that he could win a brand new sports car in the upcoming game "Dice." After a hot streak, Aaron guessed the last digit of the price wrong and lost a chance to win. Nevertheless, he got to spin the wheel and appear in the showcase round.
In the showcase round, Paul had to guess the price of yet another sports car. Unfortunately, he overestimated the price of the car by just $132 and lost. While he was clearly distraught, his appearance went on to live in the memories of viewers and internet users forever.
"I Was Depressed"
About 14 years later when Paul became a star, he shared insights from his experience on NBC’s "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." Revealing the secret of his enthusiasm, the actor said, “I literally had six cans of Red Bull, obviously." He further commented that looking at the clip now he thinks that it looks like he is really on drugs. Talking about the desk he won at the show, Paul said he had to leave it behind at his old apartment, as it was too heavy to move.
“I was depressed for many, many, many months,” Paul said, referring to his heart breaking He added that the loss felt worse after one of his friends made it to the Showcase round in another episode and bagged some prizes. However, things looked a bit better when his friend took him on a trip that he won on the show.
The Redemption of Aaron Paul
Since Paul lost out in the Showcase Showdown, his redemption on the show was long due. He finally got the chance when he appeared on "Late Late Show", where host James Corden gave him a chance to sneak on to the set of "The Price Is Right" and play his round again.
However, they were caught by the show's current host, Drew Carey who appeared mad at first but allowed the two to carry on with him hosting the round.
Paul corrected his mistake and bid $26,000 this time for the same car that he lost out on. However, his competitor, Corden, factored in depreciation and made a much lower bid of $4,500. In the end, Aaron once again lost out as Corden's guess was the closest to the current retail price of the car.
