“Breaking Bad” stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are back together again in a new Emmys promo video, also starring Julie Louis-Dreyfus.
It’s a simple concept, really. A high-profile celebrity (Louis-Dreyfus) intends to pawn her very own Emmy gold to buy an entire island (a decision she explains was driven by drinking too much rosé and inspired by Celine Dion).
The video was released Tuesday ahead of Monday night’s 66th Emmy Awards, in which Cranston and Paul appear as a couple of goofy pawn shop employees visited by “Veep” star Louis-Dreyfus, who intends to sell her Best Supporting Actress statue from her “Seinfeld” years to pay for her recent large purchase.
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The promo is a clear spoof of reality TV shows like “Pawn Stars.”
When Louis-Dreyfus is questioned in the video about the value of her Emmy by Cranston and Paul, Paul’s character agrees with Louis-Dreyfus that the Best Supporting Actor award is just as valuable (if not more) as the Leading Actor award.
As Cranston and Paul continue to mess with Louis-Dreyfus, pretending they don’t know who she is while giving her the run-around, hilarity ensues, and “Breaking Bad” fans are reminded why they loved the Cranston-Paul duo in the first place.
In the end, Louis-Dreyfus has a change of heart about parting with the treasure from her past, and we learn that Cranston and Paul aren’t just a couple of characters working at a pawn shop named “Barely Legal Pawn.” The whole store is a front for an illegal operation in the back room: an unlicensed puppy bathing business. It all makes perfect sense.
Cranston and Paul are up for Emmys this year for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, for their “Breaking Bad” roles in the series’ final season.
Louis-Dreyfus is nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Comedy Series for “Veep.”
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The Emmy Awards will be broadcast Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
More coverage:
• ‘Late Night’ host Seth Meyers on Emmys hosting gig
• Matthew Gilbert: snubs and surprises
• Gilbert’s takeaways from the nominations