Bryan Cranston almost missed out on the chance to play the iconic character Walter White in Breaking Bad.
James Corden’s SiriusXM show “This life of mineThe 68-year-old actor revealed that Ferris Bueller’s Day Off actor Matthew Broderick was “considered” for the role before it was officially offered to Cranston.
“We shot the pilot for Breaking Bad in February and March of 2007,” he said. “If Malcolm in the Middle had gone on to eight seasons, we wouldn’t be here right now. Or you’d be sitting here talking to Matthew Broderick or whoever played Walter White instead of me.”
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Bryan Cranston (left) said that Matthew Broderick (right) was “considered” for the role of Walter White. (Getty Images)
“Broderick was considered, but I was chosen. [creator and showrunner] “No, he’s the guy,” Vince Gilligan said of Cranston. “I needed a champion on my side.”
Cranston, who played Hal on Malcolm in the Middle for seven seasons, had more time in his schedule to take on the role of White.
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In 2018, Cranston detailed his “enriching” experience playing White, and explained why he doesn’t look back on the role fondly.
Cranston played Walter White for five seasons. (Everett Collection)
“No, I don’t actually have any nostalgia for playing Walter White,” he told Fox News Digital at the time, “because it was such a fulfilling experience for me. It had such a rich, rewarding beginning, middle and end. We came to a conclusion, we laughed, we cried, we hugged, and we went our separate ways. … I don’t want to revisit anything, but just leave it as a fond memory.”
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In 2023, the actor revealed his plans to retire from Hollywood in 2026.
The actor revealed his three-year retirement plans in a June British GQ cover story at the time, in which Cranston said he wanted to close his production company, sell his half-share in mezcal company Dos Hombres and leave for a new country with his spouse.
“I want to shift the paradigm again,” Cranston told the outlet. “For the last 24 years, I’ve been with (my wife) Robin. [Dearden] She’s lived her life clinging to me. She was the plus one, the celebrity wife. She’s had to pivot and adjust her life based on mine. She’s benefited greatly from that, but we’re not equal. I want it to be equal. She deserves it.”
Cranston hopes to retire from Hollywood in 2026. (Samir Hussain/WireImage/Getty Images)
Cranston spoke about how the idea of spending time together excited him.
“I want to have that experience,” he said. “I want to go on a day trip, sit around a fire, have a glass of wine with new friends, and not read a script. It’s not like, ‘Oh, I’m going to read it and figure out what to do.’ No, that’s a pause. A stop. I don’t think about the script. [work]I don’t answer the phone.”
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Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this post.
