The Roku Channel's biopic on "Weird Al" Yankovic almost included a cameo from Aaron Paul, but it just wasn't meant to be. Back in 2013, Paul portrayed the "Eat It" singer for a Funny or Die parody trailer for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, imagining a fictional backstory for Yankovic as someone who was much more problematic behind the scenes than he seems. The project has since been adapted into an upcoming feature-length film with Daniel Radcliffe taking over the role of "Weird Al."
Though a new actor is playing Yankovic for the feature film, the plan was to acknowledge the original parody trailer by getting Paul to return for a cameo. The Breaking Bad star opened up about what happened in a new interview with CinemaBlend. He described how exciting it is to see the video finding a new life as a full movie, and he endorses Radcliffe in the role of Yankovic.
"It's so great. I loved doing that. I love Al [Yankovic], I love Eric Appel, who wrote the skit for Funny Or Die and directed it. And he wrote the film with Al, and he's directing the feature as well. I read that script years ago and it was just so over the top beautiful. It was just when they were kind of poking around seeing if they could get this thing made, and I was really excited to see it finally kind of come together, and obviously Daniel [Radcliffe] is amazing. And so I think he's absolutely going to crush it."
Paul also shed some light on his planned cameo, as Yankovic had personally invited him to appear in the film. The timing couldn't have been any worse, because when Paul took his COVID test to be cleared for the movie, he found out that he had the virus. Paul then experienced the worst sickness he'd ever gone through while the production moved on without him, something that the actor says "crushed" him on the inside.
"Funny story: Al asked me to do a little cameo in it, and I went to do it, and as I was waiting for my COVID test, they look up at me, and they're like, 'You have COVID.' I'm like, 'What?' They're like, 'Yeah. You tested positive for COVID.' I go, 'Oh, no!' So I couldn't do it, and then I was just out for like 10 solid days. I have never felt more sick in my life. And so we couldn't do the cameo, which I just absolutely was crushed about."
Aaron Paul Will Revisit His Breaking Bad Character Jesse Pinkman
It was recently revealed that Aaron Paul will reprise the role of Jesse Pinkman for the Breaking Bad spinoff series Better Call Saul. This follows 2019's El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which served as an epilogue of sorts for the Jesse character. Bryan Cranston will also be featured as Walter White, presumably with Jesse Pinkman for the special cameo. It's unclear how the two will be worked into the show. Season 6 premieres on April 18 so we will find out soon enough.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story does not yet have an official release date but is expected to arrive on The Roku Channel sometime in late 2022.