Bryan Cranston sets record straight on stolen 'Breaking Bad' scripts

(CNN) -- "Breaking Bad" fans feared the worst when scripts for the series' finale were stolen from star Bryan Cranston, but everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

Cranston, who was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, told CNN at the magazine's gala on Tuesday that the thief who broke into his car in December and snatched the iPad containing the confidential show documents didn't get very far.

"In this world of electronic incredible ability, went into my stolen iPad, with my permission, and erased the scripts that were on it," Cranston said. "Just those two."

And while it was initially reported that Cranston called 911 to report the stolen scripts - which is pretty much what it sounds like here - he says that he didn't actually call the emergency number.

"My car was broken into in an area that didn't have any cell service," Cranston recalled. "So I'm driving down the mountain to a gas station, and I say, 'Where's the nearest sheriff substation? And they tell me it's a little place, and I'm driving there, and I called my studio and told them what happened. And I'm going to the sheriff's station, and they're closed - that tells you how small of a place this is."

The sheriff's office had instructions for their off hours that told visitors to either call 911 in case of emergency, or dial another provided number - and Cranston said he picked option No. 2.

"And I'm dialing this number, and it says spell your name, tell us exactly what happened and we'll get back to you," he recalled.

After the incident, some criticized Cranston for calling 911 when it wasn't an emergency, and the actor said that, just to clarify, he never did: "It was just a recording that I left on the sheriff's device."

But although the "Breaking Bad" crew was able to recover the stolen scripts that contained juicy details for the series end this year, there's still one script that's missing.

"I did have a hard copy of one of our episodes, that's still out there, so someone has it," Cranston said. "But it's not one of the last episodes that will reveal what happens at the end, so the secret is safe."

No rewriting was necessary because of the break-in, and Cranston thinks the series ender is "going to turn out really well. For 'Breaking Bad' fans, we're really excited about it, and it's fitting in a 'Breaking Bad' way."