Aaron Paul Looks Back on the Pantsless Juicy Fruit Ad That Paid His Bills "for Almost Two Years"

When you think of savory power of Juicy Fruit gum, your first thought is probably not Aaron Paul. However, as he astutely broke down for Conan O'Brien on Tuesday, Juicy Fruit played an integral role in paying his bills during his early years as a pre-Breaking Bad actor. The ad itself, featuring Paul's pants being blasted off due to the sheer power of the gum, is a slightly bizarre but inspiring example of how to build a career.

"That paid all my bills for almost two years," Paul told the Conan audience. "It's one commercial but there’s no dialogue in it, so they're able to sell the commercial to multiple countries." This international appeal, Paul recalled, helped him land residuals every 13 weeks before the bottom eventually fell out. "When they stopped playing that commercial," Paul said sadly, "it was such a loud reality check." Also, as previously stated, his pants fly off in the ad. Remarkable work, really.

His storied Juicy Fruit past aside, things are now going quite well in the world of Aaron Paul. The Path, his new Hulu original series centered on the ins and outs of cult life, is garnering heavy praise while further establishing the streaming platform as a force to be reckoned with in the race for original content.

All that to say: Respect gum. You never know what it may bring you in the future.