Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston earned widespread critical acclaim and a 2008 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his brilliant portrayal of Walt White, a mild mannered high school chemistry teacher turned drug lord, in AMC’s Emmy-winning original drama Breaking Bad.

He was previously nominated for three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his performance as “Hal” on FOX’s award-winning comedy Malcolm in the Middle.

Before joining Malcolm, Cranston was making viewers laugh on Seinfeld as the recurring character of Dentist Tim Whatley. He also appeared in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan as a hardened one-armed Army Colonel and in Tom Hanks’ Emmy Award-winning HBO series From the Earth to the Moon, in which he was honored to portray Buzz Aldrin.

Cranston also starred in the mini-series I Know My First Name is Steven and North and South Book II, among others. He has starred in the series The Louie Show and Raising Miranda; and had recurring roles on Brooklyn South, and King of Queens. He has guest starred on numerous programs such as, Chicago Hope, Touched By An Angel, The X-Files, Rockford Files, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and many more.

His feature film credits include Little Miss Sunshine, Seeing Other People, That Thing You Do!, Clean Slate, Kissing Miranda, Dead Space, Private Offerings, and Terror Tract just to name a few.

Born to a show business family and raised in Southern California, Cranston made his acting debut at the age of eight when he appeared in a United Way commercial. But it wasn’t until he finished college that acting became a serious consideration. His earlier interests were law enforcement and sports, especially baseball. “I wanted to be a professional baseball player until I realized that I brought a new meaning to the word ‘mediocre,’” Cranston quips.

He earned a degree in Police Science, but then did some soul-searching while on a two-year cross-country motorcycle trip with his brother Kyle. Staying in Daytona Beach, FL for the winter, they discovered community theater, and began exploring every aspect of the stage. Soon they were cast in a summer stock company. "At that point, I realized I needed to pursue what I loved, not just what I was good at, so becoming a detective was out and acting was in,” Cranston conceded.

Cranston returned to Los Angeles and quickly landed a role on the television movie, Love Without End, which led to his being signed as an original cast member of the popular ABC series Loving.

He continues to pursue his love for theater as often as time permits. Cranston’s theatrical credits include starring roles in The God Of Hell at the Geffen Theater, Chapter Two at the Shadow Lawn Stage New Jersey, The Taming of the Shrew and A Dolls House for Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Los Angeles productions of Eastern Standard, Wrestlers, Barefoot in the Park and The Steven Weed Show, for which he won a Drama-Logue Award.

In addition to his acting capabilities, Cranston is also a dedicated screenwriter and director. He wrote the original romantic drama, Last Chance as a birthday gift for his wife, in which he also starred and directed. Last Chance was honored at many prestigious film festivals including winning Best Film Awards at Breckenridge, CO and Knoxville, TN, as well as Audience Favorites in Palm Springs, CA, Sarasota, FL, and Ft. Lauderdale, FL, among others. Last Chance is available in stores and at Amazon.com. Cranston also directed several episodes of Malcolm in the Middle, the Comedy Central pilot Special Unit, and the Season 2 premiere episode of Breaking Bad.

Additionally, Cranston has produced an instructional DVD called KidSmartz, which is designed to educate families on how to stay safe from child abduction and Internet predators. KidSmartz empowers families with knowledge on the subject, instead of frightening them into inactivity. Also, KidSmartz raises money for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, by donating half the proceeds from sales.

Read Part 1 of an interview with Bryan Cranston for Season 1 »
Read Part 2 of an interview with Bryan Cranston for Season 1 »
Read the transcript of a live chat with Bryan Cranston following Season 1 »
Read a pre-Emmy interview with Bryan Cranston »
Read a director interview with Bryan Cranston for Season 2 »
Read Bryan Cranston's answers to fan questions for Season 2 »
Read an interview with Bryan Cranston for Season 2 »