Breaking Bad‘s Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are hoping to do some good
amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Inspired by Ryan Reynolds‘ recent pledge to donate a portion of his Aviation Gin sales to out-of-work bartenders, the former costars — who started the Dos Hombres mezcal company in 2019 — vowed to do the same with their online proceeds on Tuesday.
Sharing a photo of themselves sipping on the Mexican spirit together, the actors wrote in a same message on their respective Instagram accounts, “Good idea @vancityreynolds, let’s all pitch in. @DosHombres Mezcal is on board with #tipyourbartenders.”
According to the stars, they will donate 30 percent of all proceeds from online orders throughout May 1 to the United States Bartender’s Guild, which has set up an emergency assistance program to help bartenders affected by the coronavirus.
“We encourage all other brands to do so as well. Whatever your choice of drink, let’s all raise a glass to our commitment to #flattenthecurve,” Cranston, 64, and Paul, 40, wrote. “Please drink responsibly with none of your closest friends… for now.”
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As cases of COVID-19 continue to escalate across the country, several states have ordered restaurants, bars and other “non-essential” businesses to close down in order to keep people at home in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. The closures have left many people, including bartenders, without jobs or steady income.
Alcohol brands such as Bacardi Limited have since launched financial aid initiatives to support to struggling businesses affected by the closures, pledging $3 million to aid the restaurant and bar industry.
Cranston and Paul’s own pledge to help out servers comes just hours after Reynolds, 43, vowed to donate 30 percent of Aviation Gin’s online proceeds to the USBG. Aviation Gin kicked off their “Tip Your Bartenders” program with a $15,000 donation to the Guild.
“Until May 1st, for every bottle of Aviation ordered online, we’ll donate 30% of proceeds as a tip to your bartenders – who REALLY miss you btw. Visit http://AviationGin.com/delivered #TipYourBartenders #StayHomeSaveLives,” the Deadpool star shared on Twitter.
Last week, Reynolds also announced that he and wife Blake Lively donated $1 million to two organizations representing food banks across the United States and Canada.
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“Covid-19 has brutally impacted older adults and love income families,” Reynolds wrote on Instagram and Twitter. “Blake and I are donating $1 million to be split between FEEDING AMERICA and FOOD BANKS CANADA.”
“If you can give, these orgs need out help,” he continued. “Take care of your bodies and hearts. Leave room for joy. Call someone who’s isolated and might need connection.”
The actor tried to lighten the mood by ending his note with a joke, writing, “(Hugh Jackman‘s # is 1-555-😢-HUGH).”
He also captioned his post, “I think we can all agree, Covid-19 is an asshole,” before urging followers to consider making donationg to Feeding America and/or Food Banks Canada.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.
