In the street-racing thriller Need for Speed, actor Aaron Paul leaves behind his drug-addled Breaking Bad character Jesse Pinkman for something completely different.

Directed by former stunt man Scott Waugh, the fast-paced new release (adapted from the hit video game franchise) features Paul as a talented race driver and mechanic who, after being imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, seeks revenge for the death of his friend.

Paul's co-stars include Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots and Michael Keaton.

In the attached video, Paul and Waugh talk to CBC's Laura Thompson about transitioning from TV hit Breaking Bad and Paul's real-life potential as a street racer.