Bryan Cranston, the star from 'Breaking Bad': where is he now?

Bryan Cranston, incognito
Still Walter White in our memory
Back together
What do you think of the statues?
From Hal Wilkerson to Walter White
Bryan Cranston on stage
Charles Nichols in 'Power of Sail'
This duo is producing a substance in real life: Mezcal!
'Two Men' (Dos Hombres), Cranston and Aaron Paul
Cranston continues to act
'Your Honor'
Bryan Cranston's recent films
Did you see Bryan Cranston's movies of the past years?
Bryan Cranston in 'Asteroid City'
Asteroid City: release date?
Or how about the spy film 'Argylle'?
Lock, Stock and a Lot of Smoking Actors
After 50, he became Hollywood's most wanted actor
Cranston grew up in a troubled family
Bryan Cranston's childhood
Mom was
Odd jobs to get ahead
His dream was to become a cop
The face of ads in the 80s
His first steps as a film and television actor
Married to his co-star from 'Airwolf'
Doctor Whatley in 'Seinfeld'
Bryan Cranston in 'Malcolm in the Middle'
Director of several episodes
Father figure in real life
'Breaking Bad': his biggest role
Bryan Cranston in 'Breaking Bad'
Four Emmy Awards for Cranston in 'Breaking Bad'
A million-dollar job
'Breaking Bad': a successful franchise
Walter White forever marked on his finger
Anthony Hopkins is a latecomer in 'Breaking Bad'-fandom
His letter of praise went viral on social media
Here's some more to watch for Sir Anthony Hopkins...
Bryan Cranston in 'Argo'
A Golden Globe and several SAG and Tony Awards
'Trumbo' (2015): among his most acclaimed film roles
A promising future for Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston, incognito

Did Santa come early? Or is it Hollywood star Bryan Cranston deciding one day he wasn't going to shave anymore? What's the 'Breaking Bad' star up to these days?

Still Walter White in our memory

'Breaking Bad' has ended nearly a decade ago, but people still remember Walter White and his companion Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) like it was yesterday. In fact, Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins only started watching the show in 2022 and called it "the best acting I have seen – ever."

Image: AMC

Back together

In the summer of 2022, the two actors' life-size bronze statues were revealed in the convention center of Albuquerque, the place where a lot of the series takes place. Visibly pleased, the bearded actor and his neatly trimmed colleague Aaron Paul went down there to attend the festivities.

What do you think of the statues?

What do you think, do their bronze versions look a lot like the real men? Of course, think of Bryan Cranston without hair when you make the comparison!

From Hal Wilkerson to Walter White

Many great roles have brought Bryan Cranston fame, awards, and millions of dollars: from Walter White in 'Breaking Bad' to Hal Wilkerson in 'Malcolm in the Middle' and doctor Tim Whatley in 'Seinfeld.' But what is the American actor doing now?

Bryan Cranston on stage

You may have thought he'd retired, after failing to see him on the big or small screen for so long, but nothing is further from the truth. He's actually been focusing on the world of theater.

Charles Nichols in 'Power of Sail'

In 2022, Cranston was a lead actor in Paul Grellong's play 'Power of Sail.' He played the role of distinguished Harvard professor Charles Nichols in a story that tells a cautionary tale about hate speech under the guise of free speech.

This duo is producing a substance in real life: Mezcal!

But Bryan Cranston's current work goes beyond the world of acting. Together with his former co-star in 'Breaking Bad', Aaron Paul, he has founded 'Dos Hombres', a brand of mezcal - a traditional Mexican treat - that comes directly from Oaxaca, Mexico.

'Two Men' (Dos Hombres), Cranston and Aaron Paul

To get the idea off the ground, Cranston and Paul traveled through a large area of Oaxaca until they found the ideal place to produce their drink. The place turned out to be San Luis del Río, in the municipality of Tlacolula de Matamoros, where the duo is now making varieties of mezcal espadín and mezcal tobalá.

Cranston continues to act

Meanwhile, Cranston does what he loves to do: marvelous performances on the stage, on TV, and in cinemas. He's been on Showtime since 2020, playing Judge Michael Desiato in 'Your Honor.'

'Your Honor'

'Your Honor' has two seasons, the second of which Cranston and the crew began filming in the fall of 2022 in New Orleans. The actor announced in Dax Shepard's podcast in June 2022 that there would not be a third season of the drama series.

Bryan Cranston's recent films

But there's so much more! In the HBO movie 'All the Way' (2016), Cranston starred alongside Anthony Mackie. He played the lead role in the biopic about US President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Did you see Bryan Cranston's movies of the past years?

He's also starred in the movies 'Wakefield' (2016), 'Why Him?' (2016), 'Power Rangers' (2017), 'Last Flag Flying' (2017), and 'Jerry & Marge Go Large' (2022). The latter, with Annette Bening, came out on Paramount Plus in the summer of 2022.

Bryan Cranston in 'Asteroid City'

And there's more to come! Cranston is set to appear in an upcoming Wes Anderson movie: 'Asteroid City.' It's a romantic comedy with a spectacular cast, including Tilda Swinton, Maya Hawke, Adrien Brody, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Matt Dillon, and Jeff Goldblum.

Asteroid City: release date?

The shooting of 'Asteroid City' began in Spain in August 2021 and ended at the end of the same year. While still in the post-production phase, the movie is set to come out in late 2022 or early 2023.

Or how about the spy film 'Argylle'?

Matthew Vaughn (known from 'Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels' and 'Snatch') is making a spy film and Bryan Cranston is part of its incredible cast. Get this: the actors include Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dua Lipa!

Image: Apple Plus

Lock, Stock and a Lot of Smoking Actors

Here's the only image Apple Plus has released of the movie so far. The release date is not known yet either. But it is certain that Bryan Cranston has scored two amazing projects with 'Asteroid City' and 'Argylle.'

After 50, he became Hollywood's most wanted actor

Cranston has been an actor, voice actor, screenwriter, producer, and director for many years. It was only after he turned fifty, however, that the astronomical success of 'Breaking Bad' arrived.

Cranston grew up in a troubled family

Cranston's career may seem like a long list of successes, but his life was a long and hard road that began with a very complicated childhood. As he recounted in his memoir, 'A Life in Parts' (2016), he grew up in a broken family.

Bryan Cranston's childhood

Bryan Lee Cranston was born in Los Angeles on March 7, 1956, as the son of former boxer and actor Joe Cranston and radio actress Audrey Peggy Sell. After both failed in their respective careers, the couple started bickering at home until his dad left the family when Bryan was eleven.

Mom was "a ghost of herself"

As Cranston told the Sunday Times: "he chose not to be with us or see us or be a father... My mother chose to become an alcoholic and drown her sorrows and sadness and resentment. She was like a ghost of herself. And no one ever explained why he left."

Odd jobs to get ahead

The young man was forced to find a life for himself and he did it by working in any job he could find: as a farmer, newspaper delivery boy, security guard, longshoreman, and painter, among other things.

His dream was to become a cop

All those childhood jobs he combined with the studies that were supposed to lead to a career as a police officer. However, in his sophomore year in college, Cranston also began taking acting classes. And this is how he discovered his true passion in life: acting.

The face of ads in the 80s

Cranston began his acting career in local theaters, but he also appeared in TV commercials. His face may have been familiar to you thanks to brands such as Lay's, Excedrin, Honda Accord, and Coffee-Mate.

His first steps as a film and television actor

Cranston forged his career with small roles in numerous series and movies, such as 'One Life to Live' in 1985; 'Airwolf' in 1986; 'Falcon Crest' and 'Baywatch' in 1989; and 'The Flash' in 1991.

Married to his co-star from 'Airwolf'

On the set of 'Airwolf,' Cranston fell in love with fellow actress Robin Dearden. They got married in 1989 and had a daughter who, by the way, is studying theater so she can follow in her parents' footsteps.

Doctor Whatley in 'Seinfeld'

A special appearance by Bryan Cranston, and a breakthrough for him in comedy, was his role in 'Seinfeld' in the 1990s. The actor played dentist Tim Whatley in five episodes between 1994 and 1997.

Image: 'Seinfeld,' NBC / Amazon / Netflix

Bryan Cranston in 'Malcolm in the Middle'

At the turn of the century, Cranston would get a well-deserved sitcom 'of his own.' In 2000, he started playing Hal, the funny father of 'Malcolm in the Middle.' The series was a big success and appeared on American TV for years.

Director of several episodes

In the series, which lasted until 2006, Cranston even took up the job of director in several episodes. He had a close relationship with all of his co-stars.

Father figure in real life

Cranston built a special relationship with Erik Per Sullivan who played the youngest son, Dewey. He guarded the child actor against the excesses of Hollywood and made sure he would not be overwhelmed.

'Breaking Bad': his biggest role

While 'Malcolm in the Middle' was a big success, Cranston's most prestigious role, without a doubt, was that of Walter White in 'Breaking Bad'.

Bryan Cranston in 'Breaking Bad'

Starting in 2008, the crime comedy series told the tale of a chemistry professor who starts producing drugs after he finds out he has cancer and cannot pay the bills.

Image: AMC

Four Emmy Awards for Cranston in 'Breaking Bad'

'Breaking Bad' proved that Cranston was one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. He won the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series four times - three of them consecutive - in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014.

A million-dollar job

For his work in 'Breaking Bad', Bryan Cranston would earn 225,000 per episode, Celebrity NetWorth reports. Thanks to this lucrative role, Cranston's fortune is currently estimated at 40 million dollars.

'Breaking Bad': a successful franchise

Cranston would return as Walter White in a few episodes of the series' marvelous spin-off, 'Better Call Saul,' and in the movie centering on Aaron Paul's character, 'El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie' in 2019.

Walter White forever marked on his finger

Among the odd trivia relating to Cranston's role as Walter White is the fact that he's got the 'Breaking Bad' logo tattooed on his finger.

Anthony Hopkins is a latecomer in 'Breaking Bad'-fandom

In early 2022, Sir Anthony Hopkins wrote Bryan Cranston a personal email to say that he was binge-watching the show. "I have never watched anything like it. Brilliant!" he said. About Cranston's performance, the Oscar-winner claimed that it was "the best acting I have seen – ever." Now that's a nice email to receive!

 

His letter of praise went viral on social media

Although it was a personal letter, the mail leaked onto social media after Cranston shared it with the other cast members of 'Breaking Bad.' As Hopkins wrote, "if you ever get a chance to – would you pass on my admiration to everyone — Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, R.J. Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Steven Michael Quezada — everyone — everyone gave master classes of performance... The list is endless."

Here's some more to watch for Sir Anthony Hopkins...

Well, if Anthony Hopkins really likes Bryan Cranston's acting that much, he still has a lot of movies to catch up on! Cranston appeared in more than 50 productions, with titles to his credit like 'Saving Private Ryan' (1998), Steven Spielberg's war movie in which he plays an officer in the War Department.

 

Bryan Cranston in 'Argo'

There's also 'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006), 'John Carter' (2012), and 'Godzilla' (2014), among many others. In this image, you see Bryan Cranston with Ben Affleck as two CIA agents in the Oscar-winning 'Argo' (2012)

A Golden Globe and several SAG and Tony Awards

'Argo' was one of the movies that got him positive reviews and rewards. Besides the four Emmys for 'Breaking Bad,' he can boast of three Screen Actors Guild Awards: one for 'Breaking Bad,' one for 'All the Way' (where he played President Lyndon B. Johnson), and one for 'Argo.'  He also got a Golden Globe for 'Breaking Bad' and two Tony Awards in 2014 and 2019 for the plays 'All the Way' and 'Network.'

'Trumbo' (2015): among his most acclaimed film roles

Cranston's most acclaimed film role was that of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo who was blacklisted for his alleged leftist political beliefs in the late 1940s. The role earned him nominations for an Oscar, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe.

A promising future for Bryan Cranston

Considering the film projects he still has ahead of him, it is difficult to say whether Bryan Cranston is past his high point. In any case, we can be certain that there's life after 'Breaking Bad'!