No one feels higher on life than the cast and crew of Breaking Bad right about now. (Well, maybe it depends on how hard they partied last night, but still.)
"It feels incredible," an Emmy-clutching Bryan Cranston told E!'s Terrence Jenkins backstage at the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards after the show's big win for Outstanding Drama Series.
"It feels like we've crossed the finish line and broken the tape. We're so happy with it," Cranston continued, holding his Emmy toward Jenkins. "You've gotta feel this, it's sharp!"
Asked if the triumphant moment was also a sad one, considering Breaking Bad signs off this Sunday after five relentlessly entertaining seasons, Cranston said that "it may be a little different feeling" next week, but they were doing nothing but celebrating on Emmys night.
Not to mention, this could all happen again next year—the remaining eight episodes of the series are eligible for the 2014 Emmys.
Earlier in the night, Cranston had congratulated copresenter Claire Danes on her win and joked that he still had his "fingers crossed" for his category, despite having already lost Lead Actor in a Drama Series to The Newsroom's Jeff Daniels.
"Right now, this is the best," he said backstage. "This is a salute to everybody involved in the show—and there are hundreds of people. The studio and the network, the whole crew and the people and the citizens of Albuquerque, N.M., who contributed to this. It's for everybody and that's why wer'e so happy. We're going to drink one drink for every single person...Everybody gets a shot."
"You have hopes and dreams, but I never even thought this show would go on the air," Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan said of his bleak yet funny, violent yet elegant drama.
"It's a crazy premise for a show and it's so dark and edgy," he continued. "You would think, 'This is never gonna fly, we're never gonna get to shoot a pilot.' When that happened, I couldn't believe it. When we got a season one, couldn't believe it. Season two, season three, onward and onward and now we're standing here, six years later, with more viewers than we've ever had, one week away from our final episode, with Emmys in our hands.
"I feel like I'm dreaming! Pinch me, I can't even believe it!"
"Oh, you said pinch you," Cranston deadpanned after lightly slapping Gilligan in the face instead.
Also asked about the planned Saul Goodman-centric spinoff, Better Call Saul, which was recently announced by AMC, Gilligan said it would be "awesome" to welcome back more familiar Breaking Bad faces in cameo roles. (Remember, whether or not Walter White survives his own series finale won't affect any prequel proceedings.)
"You'll have to talk to my agents about that one," Cranston cracked.
Tune into E! News tonight at 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. for complete coverage of the 2013 Emmy Awards.