“Nooo! Mom! SHUSH or GET OUT!”
That was the response my poor mother got when she innocently wandered into the room to ask what her three grown children were up to. Scrambling to find the wireless mouse to pause the stream, we hollered mercilessly at her to be quiet.
In our defence, we were watching “Breaking Bad”. And not just any episode, either. My brother, sister, and I were watching “Ozymandias”. And my dear, unknowing Mom had barged in just as it seemed like one of the biggest lingering threats of the entire series was about to be realized: it was seriously looking like they were about to kill off Jesse Pinkman!
Those who know the show likely know the tale by now: Jesse had been running on borrowed time since the iconic show’s very first season, when series creators had originally planned to kill the character off. The choice to let him live to continue on as the erratic, foul-mouthed foil to the calculated Walter White has gone down as one of the smartest decisions in TV history.
What does it take to inspire such a pivot in a carefully-planned narrative?
I can’t say I know for sure, but I know it starts with casting one hell of an actor. The kind of actor who can bring a fictional character so fully to life that you care enough about his fate to yell at your Mom!
So, yeah, I’m a big fan of Aaron Paul! And I’m not alone! Not that there was any doubt, of course. Aaron’s critically-acclaimed and multi-award-winning performances (and—well—that face) have won him the admiration of fans the world over, each of us with our own little moments and stories of how this beautiful man’s work has resonated with us.
And thanks to two people, we have an amazing online fan club where we can share in that admiration and discover even more about the life and work of our favourite guy in Hollywood.
Like many of us, I first discovered it on Instagram, where @aaron_paul_fc was launched back in November of 2021. The passion project of Aaron Paul super-fan Caroline , the account quickly took off, and the online fan community was born. Only months later in March of 2022, with the help of web developer and fellow AP enthusiast, , Jilboskilbos, aaronpaulfans.com became the official online hub for the fan community to grow even more.
Now, after TWO FULL YEARS, that community is thriving, with over twenty thousand Instagram followers, more than a thousand posts, and dozens of web articles and photo galleries across the two platforms.
With daily Instagram posts spotlighting Aaron’s many incredible roles and personal milestones, chronicling his adventures with Dos Hombres, or just treating us to plenty of eye-candy with skilfully edited photo and video collections, @aaron_paul_fc lets Aaron’s admirers feel as though they are always along for the ride. At aaronpaulfans.com, you can read reviews and retrospectives on Aaron’s past work, test your fan skills with AP trivia quizzes, and even follow the adventures of a miniature Jesse Pinkman.
Thanks to Caroline and Jilbo, we humble followers have even had chances to post messages and well-wishes directly to Aaron! And that’s not just wishful thinking—Aaron himself actually follows the account and has even responded to some posts! What more could a fan ask for?
So, in celebration of two years of bringing us the very best of all things Aaron Paul, it’s time to turn the spotlight on the two masterminds behind the ultimate AP Fan Club!
Read on to hear straight from Caroline and Jilbo themselves about their journey with this labour of love…
So, the account and website have been running for two years! What are some of your favourite moments or highlights from the past two years?
Caroline: It’s incredible how time has flown since I created the Instagram page @aaron_paul_fans – it’s been exactly 2 years and 5 months of pure passion for the work and the community that has formed around it. Seeing the number of followers grow over this time has been an exciting and rewarding journey, this is certainly one of the highlights.
When I started, I never imagined that I would reach so many people and form such a special community. Reaching 22 thousand followers is more than I could dream of for a fan page, and it fills me with happiness. Another memorable moment was, without a doubt, when Aaron Paul started following the page. It was a magical day, on February 15, 2022, just 3 months after the page was created.
The kind message he sent next made the moment even more special. “This page really warms my heart. Watching you put so much time into these posts really means a lot to me and had to reach out to let you know how much I appreciate it. Thank you for all of the kind words and the love. Sending it all back your way. AP” I am truly grateful for every moment I have lived so far.
It’s always exciting to see when Aaron interacts with the Insta account and checks out the site! How did it feel the first time you saw an interaction from the man himself? Do you have a favourite interaction from Aaron?
Caroline: I confess that to this day I feel my heart speed up whenever I realize that Aaron viewed one of the stories. It’s an emotion that never loses its charm. However, in addition to these views, there were two memorable moments where he interacted more directly.
The first occurred on November 29, 2021, when he responded to a story with three hearts, marking our first interaction, just 20 days after the page was launched. The second moment was on January 31, 2022. When I saw a photo of him that aroused my curiosity, I decided to be a little more daring and asked him a question directly in stories. To my delight, he viewed it and replied: “Hahaha… Yes, that was a dinner with the cast and crew of a project I was part of years ago. I saw someone taking a photo, so I lay down on the table. AP.”
It was another kind gesture on his part, which only increased my admiration even more. Although there were other interactions, these two moments were truly special.
In your opinion, what does it take to build a successful fan club?
Jilbo: Dedication, motivation and the right frame of mind. Don’t gate keep, or elevate yourself to any higher plains, respect all fans’ views, learn to ignore the haters and just keep remembering what brought you into the space in the first place! Enjoy the environment you create and ensure others share the enjoyment with you, don’t let it become dull and stale – oh and keep posting, that’s kind of vital…
Caroline: I don’t know if our fan club is a success, but I focus on some items to try to make this community grow: Passion and admiration: Demonstrating genuine passion for the work and the artist in question is essential, in our case the persona of Aaron Paul. People should feel this passion reflected in every interaction and content shared.
Engaged Community: Cultivating an engaged community is essential. Allow and provide a space for everyone who wants to, to connect and share their love for the idol in common.
Frequent Content: Providing quality content consistently is essential to keeping a community interested and engaged, and I believe this approach has contributed significantly to the page’s rapid growth. Over two years, more than 1,000 posts were shared, with daily content that kept followers engaged. From the beginning,
I have always dedicated myself to responding to all comments and messages received, in addition to being available to provide photos or videos when requested. I maintain a respectful dialogue with all members, which may have contributed to attracting and maintaining active participation in the community.
Respect: Fostering an environment of respect and positivity among members is essential to maintaining cohesion and enthusiasm within the community. This not only creates a welcoming and rewarding experience for everyone involved, but also demonstrates our deep respect for the privacy of Aaron Paul and his family.
Although many people may follow the page in the hope of having some indirect contact with the artist, it is important to clarify that we respect limits and would never act in an invasive or disrespectful way. ‘Aaron Paul Fans’ is a warm, vibrant space where fans can share their admiration for the man we choose to support, whilst always maintaining an environment of mutual respect and genuine appreciation.
What do you find is the hardest part of running the page and website?
Caroline: Dealing with negative comments and harsh judgments can be challenging, especially when we are emotional people. I am working to develop a more resilient approach, remembering that the evil does not reside in me, but rather in the distorted views of those who judge. A difficult part is not knowing how Aaron Paul perceives our work here on the page and website. Although he occasionally leaves charming messages, I would like to know more often if he is following, if he likes what he sees, if he feels the affection we give him. However, I recognize that he is not obligated to interact or respond, but I still miss that connection.
Jilbo: I wouldn’t say any of it is particularly hard on the website front which I mostly look after – it’s always fun, maybe finding the time to do all the things I’m still wanting to do with my day job that can sometimes be a little busy lol.
We both sometimes worry if topics we write about are appropriate/going too far, we really need to self govern ourselves and there’s the second guessing that is a constant thing, we can sometimes tie ourselves in knots about certain wording or if people get what we’re doing and why, desperately not wishing to ever accidentally offend, upset or freak out our very subject matter (Aaron Paul!) with the things we might say or focus on.
Oh I probably should mention the fact me and Carol don’t speak the same language haha – google translate’s little quirks are probably the hardest part of this sometimes especially when something doesn’t work as well in English as it does in Brazilian Portuguese, and we need to fight the languages for a bit.
What is your favourite part of running the site?
Jilbo: Where do I start?! Obviously it’s just fun being a fan of such a cool talented human being, I have so much respect and admiration for his work, ventures and how it all started from a childhood dream.
Then I must also mention the friendship with Carol – since that day I reached out to her to offer a little helping hand we’ve just bonded, and the continued results of our friendship are there to see. We speak daily, no matter what and it’s very much a part of my routine despite being half a world away from each other, it’s become a part of my life that’s been nothing but positive during some tough times!
What inspires you to come up with so much fresh content day after day? It’s one thing when Aaron is busy making appearances and coming out with new work, but what about those dry times in between? What sparks your creativity with your posts?
Caroline: Aaron Paul is my biggest inspiration. Although his presence and news about his projects make things easier, in recent years he has remained more reserved on social media. Sometimes we go days without any news or appearance from him.
In these “dry” moments, I try to highlight old characters or create content that keeps the community engaged, just like the 30-day Challenge, which required daily publications with specific goals and themes. Additionally, the video edits have been well received, whether with specific or random themes.
From the beginning, my intention has never been to just show photos, but to bring emotion and meaning to everything we do. I believe this has attracted the attention of true Aaron Paul fans who have connected with this community. In the end, it all comes down to him, and that’s what the followers of this page want.
So, you have experience working on other fan sites; how does the Aaron Paul fan community compare to other fan communities? Have you noticed anything special or unique about AP fans?
Jilbo: My previous fan sites/communities activity were a fair few years ago so I’ve certainly seen differences – I’m a bit of a dinosaur in that respect, my first fan group I managed was purely email based! Before social media, back in 1998 into the early 2000s when I’d have 500 members sending over 1000 emails a day with conversations and fanfic – no joke!
The numbers today are far far larger as a community, but thankfully the engagement is much more streamlined – it’s all about likes and reach now, less about idle chatter, and honestly that’s by no means a bad thing, it’s just reflective of how people as a whole engage online now compared to the ‘olden days’ but that’s probably the biggest difference I’ve noticed.
I would also say as a difference to what’s else is out there ‘today’ I get a sense that AP fans do appreciate the extra effort Carol puts into her posts on Insta, and I know how much effort and time she puts into that content so that’s always nice to see – AP Fans Insta and website exists because the fans are out there showing us they are supporting it with their engagement and I feel that’s pretty special to see day in, day out (including a follow, and certain views by the main man which is always cool and appreciated!)
What do you think it is about our community that hooks fans and keeps them coming back?
Jilbo: It’s very much all about Aaron Paul – that’s probably the most obvious answer but in this case he’s someone who has an energy about him that so many seem to want to embrace, we say it a lot but it’s true when we mention that we chose wisely with our subject matter – there’s so much about Aaron Paul that is a good vibe and I think it explains why the posts and website remain popular with fans of him.
I also believe that again, Carol should take a lot of credit – she just has this natural calm approach to the posts she makes, with a seemingly clear idea of what to post, what to say and when, always thinking ahead and her posts always seem to hit the right mark!
It’s a thankless task but done with so much (Brazilian) love and admiration for our main guy. The website then finally provides a complimentary presence to support the Instagram account – a destination that lets us do more talking, observing, and provide all the vital info that fans of AP needs to know – that’s the idea at least lol.
Do you have any hopes for the future when it comes to the AP fan club?
Caroline: Yes, maybe a message from Aaron Paul to all the fans who are part of this community? Humm… now, speaking from the bottom of my heart, my goal is simply to continue honoring and celebrating Aaron Paul’s talent.
Although he has already achieved so much and does not need us to do so, but it is a joy for me to spread his name and legacy. And everyone who shares this affection, love and admiration for Aaron is very welcome and an integral part of this warm and welcoming community.
Jilbo: That it continues to be a fun thing to do first and foremost. That we get the chance to keep growing and naturally only wish for continued success for Aaron Paul to enable us to keep hero worshiping at a healthy distance.
I’d like to take this as far as it can, but I try not to get carried away – I’ve worked a lot with and around actors, running fansites as a fan unofficially and officially, and then in a professional environment for work – I’ve seen both sides, the good and bad, of fans and fandom so I’m happy with the here and now of where AP Fans currently sits.
We have freedom but are also ‘known’ about ie: AP has seen some posts but we have no idea if that’s good or bad lol. Having previously worked officially with an actor running their fan community it certainly was an experience I enjoyed (still friends with the actor!) so naturally I’d always be open to that development but where we are now is a nice place to be – if AP Fans can grow into something even more fun then I’m ready and here for it!
Well, I think I speak for all of us fans when I say all the hard work is greatly appreciated! Thank you both for all you do!
And if you too are a fan of Aaron Paul, be sure to check back to the site regularly for new content and—if you haven’t already—be sure to follow @aaron_paul_fc on Instagram!
Thanks for reading, and here’s to many more years of fandom fun!
-Tina From Canada
