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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 12 OctOber 2019
Aaron Paul: 'El Camino' answers 'What happened to Jesse?'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron family reunion."
Paul's character in the pop- "Breaking Bad" concluded
ular series "Breaking Bad" its five-year run on AMC
was supposed to get killed in 2013. The show primarily
off at the end of the first focused on White, a high
season. But producers had school chemistry teacher
a change of heart after wit- struggling to financially sup-
nessing the strong chemis- port his family, including a
try between his Jesse Pink- son who has cerebral palsy
man character and Bryan and has been diagnosed
Cranston's Walter White in with terminal cancer.
a pilot. In desperation, White uses
The decision to keep the an old RV as a place to
story revolved around build a lucrative meth em-
the duo for five seasons pire with the help of Pink-
panned out for the series, man, a former student, be-
which won several Golden fore their drug operation
Globe and Emmy awards. turns violent. The series end-
Paul won three supporting ed with White dying from a
actor Emmys for his break- gunshot wound after using
out portrayal of the overly a remote-controlled ma-
emotional, loud-mouth chine gun to kill an Aryan
and meth-taking Pinkman. Brotherhood gang and free
Now, Paul returns as Pink- Pinkman, who had been
man in the Netflix film "El held captive for six months.
Camino: A Breaking Bad This Oct. 6, 2019 photo shows Aaron Paul posing at The Four Seasons Hotel to promote his Netflix "El Camino" picks up after a
Movie," which premieres film "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" in Los Angeles. scar-faced, dusty Pinkman
Friday on the streaming Associated Press flees the bloody scene in
service. The movie has a stolen El Camino vehicle.
cameos from some of the series and my life," said Paul, ligence." nice to revisit in this state The story focuses on Pink-
show's best characters. who has gone on to star in "This was a role of a life- of mind and continue this man as he tries to escape
"The dynamic between the TV series "The Path" as time," Paul said. "I thought journey with him. Then re- his former drug life to start
Walter and Jesse changed well as the films "Need for I said goodbye to this guy connecting with everyone anew while on the run from
the whole dynamic of the Speed" and "Central Intel- years ago. So, it's sort of from the show. It was like a the police.q

Imagine this: Natalie Merchant honored with Lennon award

NEW YORK (AP) — At this high school and into col-
stage of her life, Natalie lege, said her activism
Merchant is more proud of takes up most of her time.
getting an honor named "These projects, for a good
for John Lennon because reason, they suck your life
of what it says about her blood," she said. "I began
activism than her music. to see these projects as
The singer is the sixth re- much more important than
cipient of the John Lennon making another Natalie
Real Love Award, and will Merchant record."
headline a tribute concert Joan Osborne, Rachael
to the former Beatle in New Yamagata and Sam Ami-
York on December 6. don are among the other
"It's gratifying," Merchant artists who will perform at
said in an interview. "To the annual Lennon tribute,
have any connection to now in its 39th year. The
John Lennon, especially show will take place at the
with activism, is quite pres- Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at
tigious and meaningful to Symphony Space.
me because he was one Merchant, who calls "Imag-
of the main artists who ine" one of the most power-
inspired me when I was ful pieces of music ever re-
growing up to think about corded, is already rehears-
the wider world and my im- ing some Lennon songs
pact on it." with her accompanist for
Merchant volunteers three This Dec. 8, 2018 file photo shows Natalie Merchant performing at Cyndi Lauper's 8th Annual the tribute.
times a week for a Head "Home for the Holidays" benefit concert in New York. "The thing that we want to
Start program near where Associated Press do is not faithfully perform
she lives in Hudson Valley, the songs as John recorded
helping disadvantaged ago, volunteered at a lumbia University. state New York. them, to give stylistic alter-
children. She often per- homeless program in Har- She got to know Lennon's Merchant, 55, records and ations," she said. "It will be
forms free concerts for chil- lem, where most of the widow, Yoko Ono, when performs sporadically now fun. We don't want to feel
dren and, at the height of people thought she was a they worked on the anti- and, aside from guiding her like we're a John Lennon
her fame three decades student from nearby Co- fracking movement in up- teenage daughter through karaoke group."q