Jesse Pinkman’s Iconic 'Breaking Bad' House: Owner Reveals Filming Compensation
The owner of Jesse Pinkman’s "Breaking Bad" house has revealed how much they were paid for allowing the series to film on their property.
The owner of Jesse Pinkman’s iconic "Breaking Bad" house has finally revealed how much they were paid for allowing the series to film on their property.
Christine Brennan was the real-life owner of Jesse Pinkman’s house, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She appears in "The House From…," a documentary by Tommy Avallone and narrated by Jason Lee, which explores some of the most iconic homes from television and film.
In the film, Christine Brennan shares that while the house gained fame as a central setting in "Breaking Bad" as Jesse Pinkman's residency, for her, it remained simply home.
How Much Was Christine Brennan Paid For Allowing The Series To Film At Her Residency?
Fans of the hit show will recognize the house as a central location in Jesse's, played by Aaron Paul, story, and now, years after the series wrapped, the homeowner is sharing the surprising details of their compensation for hosting one of TV’s most memorable settings.
"[It was] $500 for the day if they needed to come, $2,000 if they filmed; if they don’t film any more than 14 days then I don’t have to pay income taxes on it. So at that point, my son was in high school and I was able to buy him a car," Christine Brennan shared, per PEOPLE Magazine. "On a school teacher's salary, it was hard for me to afford things, but I put that money towards a used car for him."
Christine Brennan Reflects On Living In The Home While 'Breaking Bad' Was Filming
She also opened up about her experience living in the iconic Albuquerque home while "Breaking Bad" was being filmed.
"When I would watch the series and I’d see the portions inside the house, I’d say, ‘Yeah that’s Jesse’s house,’ but it was my house. It’s where I raised my kids," she said. "To me, it was also a place where we celebrated my mom’s 80th birthday."
"I had so many beautiful experiences — my mom and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas. My dad’s birthday was always at my house with his oyster stew. He liked his oyster stew and the whole family would get together," she recalled. "To me it’s kind of a privilege to share the memories of what I had with the house with the fans of Jesse’s house."
Christine Brennan Lists The House For Sale Mid-Season 2
Brennan put the house up for sale while season 2 of "Breaking Bad" was still in production—a decision that didn’t sit well with showrunner Vince Gilligan.
"Vince Gilligan wasn’t real happy to me when he found out I was selling the house mid-season. He had already envisioned what the next season was going to be like and he had to shift gears," she admitted. "He had to rewrite the script so that Jesse’s house would be sold, probably, in case the new owners didn’t allow the filming, which resulted in Jesse having to move elsewhere because the buyers of my house were going to be in the process of remodeling it.”
'Breaking Bad' Creator Vince Gilligan Originally Planned To Kill Off Jesse Pinkman In The First Season
Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan originally planned to kill off Jesse Pinkman in the first season, but he later changed his mind pic.twitter.com/TtdUL7lkx2
— better call saul spoilers (@odenhead) June 1, 2023
"Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan initially intended to kill off Jesse Pinkman in the first season, but thankfully changed his mind, allowing Aaron Paul's character to become one of the show’s core figures across its five-season run," that is, according to Screen Rant.
Jesse’s early death was meant to demonstrate that no one in the series was safe—even the main characters. However, after seeing Paul’s powerful performance, Gilligan realized that killing off Jesse would be a creative misstep.
Aaron Paul Says 'Breaking Bad' Helped Him Grow As An Actor
Aaron Paul credits working alongside Bryan Cranston, whom he describes as a mentor.
“At the beginning of my career, I was not great," he told The Guardian. "Even at the beginning of Breaking Bad – I was OK, I got the job. But I grew so much as an actor. Everyone saw it.”
“There are roles I jumped on to after 'Breaking Bad,' just to try to move the needle in one direction or another," he later added. "I get sent a lot of leading-man stuff and it doesn’t excite me. My heart is in gritty, independent filmmaking. You’ll see a lot more of that in my career from now on.”
"Breaking Bad" is currently available to stream on Netflix.
