All it took was a fake identity, advice from a television star and childlike enthusiasm, but suddenly Brice Evans was at a bidding war for a 3D television and a home gym.

During a Sept. 30 airing of the “Price Is Right”, Southern Illinoisans might have recognized a familiar face on the TV. Evans, a history education alumnus from SIU, was chosen to be on contestant’s row of the esteemed afternoon game show.

After successfully bidding on a home theatre system, the 28-year-old Evans—wearing a “Brice Is Right” t-shirt—jumped and shouted his way up on stage to shake Drew Carey’s hand and give a shout out to his grandma. The final game played was “1 Right Price”—a game where the contestant is shown a value and must choose the correct price between two items; promptly, Evans correctly chose the home gym causing the audience to go into a frenzy of excitement.

“Aaron Paul, you told me how to get here!” Evans shouted into the camera right before the cut to commercial break.

It was advice given by Paul — the actor who portrays Jesse Pinkman in the critically acclaimed AMC show “Breaking Bad” — that helped Evans win a spot on the game show. Paul previously appeared on the “Price Is Right” and shared some tips with Evans after the two ran into each other twice within three days of Evans’ Los Angeles vacation.

“He told me that I should jump in the air and pump my fists and say, ‘I fold jeans at the GAP,’ because that’s what he said.”

Paul had also worn a giant CBS sticker on his back while exuberantly jumping up and down, which helped him win a guest spot. Evans said he waited in the line five hours to get inside the studio and have a shot at appearing.

“I already knew how all of that was going to happen, but he kind of gave me a good talking point whenever it got time for that interview process,” Evans said. “I even told my girlfriend, ‘I just want you to know that I’m going to be the worst version of myself.'”

Evans was feeling put off by the condescending nature of celebrity culture leading up to the first time meeting Paul. He had just been denied a picture by Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore, who wanted nothing to do with him or his girlfriend, Athena. Then Paul passed by Evans outside of Amoeba Music; he was immediately star struck by the actor.

“I look next to me and Aaron Paul is walking with his wife. At first I looked at him; then I gave him the double-take, then the look of surprise; then he gave me the look of surprise back—kind of played off what I was doing.” Paul willingly took a picture with Evans; the two share a brief conversation about “Breaking Bad” before going their separate ways.

Two days later, as Evans was about to enter the Stanley Kubrick exhibit, he turned around to see Paul who is just as shocked this time. The actor was being interviewed by Nylon Guys magazine, which documented the incredible reuniting.

“When [Brice] first approached, Paul’s reaction is so enthusiastic that I assume the guys must know each other from way back,” the author wrote. “Turns out, they have met before — yesterday, when [Brice] approached Paul at Amoeba Music. Rather than use this as an excuse to end their conversation, Paul spends 15 minutes coaching [Brice] on how to get his name called on ‘The Price Is Right.'”

Evans tried not to disturb Paul while in the exhibit because he didn’t want to present himself as the relentless, unbearable fan, even though Paul was the last one to engage with Evans. As he was getting ready to leave, Paul yelled from 50-yards away, “good luck tomorrow on ‘The Price Is Right!'”

“That’s something he definitely didn’t have to do—drawing attention to himself. He’s just a super nice guy,” Evans said.

CBS posted a YouTube video juxtaposing the reactions from both contestants; the similarities are uncanny. Paul praised former host Bob Barker with the same enthusiasm as Evans did when he commended the actor for helping him make it on the game show. Both contestants share the same gusto after they bid $1200 to get on stage.

Even as the game show crowd yelled a wave of suggestions to Evans, he never felt overwhelmed, he said.

“I felt absolutely zero crowd pressure,” Evans said.

A week prior to being on the show, Evans helped his grandparents pick out a new TV after theirs was destroyed in a house fire in November.

“I knew that there was no way a 55-inch could be that much money,” he said. “I was put in a pretty good position with the prizes they presented me with, because I had a good idea of what they were worth.”

Unfortunately for Evans, he lost by a single spin of the big wheel to compete in the showcase showdown, though he was still able to give a shout out to friends, family and Lost Cross — a Carbondale punk house that hosts music — before his time on stage was up.

Evans teaches GED classes at John A. Logan and is the guitarist/vocalist in Jesse and the Pinkmen — a punk band he started after meeting Paul.