Breaking Bad: Bryan Cranston Doesn’t Miss Playing Walter White

Bryan Cranston can currently be seen in Wes Anderson’s new film, Asteroid City, but many fans know him best for playing Walter White in Breaking Bad. The series ran for five seasons, and Walter didn’t survive the finale. However, Cranston was able to reprise the role in the follow-up film, El Camino and the show’s spin-off series, Better Call Saul. Cranston recently answered fan questions in a video with GQ, and was asked how he came up with Walter White’s voice in addition to whether he misses the character. 

“I opened my mouth and started speaking,” Cranston said when asked about his Walter White voice. “What I did is I patterned Walter White after my father who was 30 years older than me. I felt that Walter White was older than his actual years. The way he carried himself, the way he was burdened by society. He felt like a much older man than he really was. So I thought, I think if I just take on the characteristics of my father, more rounded shoulders for an older man, a deeper, deeper voice, that’ll do it, that’ll convey what I’m hoping to convey. And then when he transitions into becoming Heisenberg, his shoulders go back, his voice goes stronger, and becomes more formidable to his enemies.”

He added, “I often get asked if I miss playing him, and I really don’t. It’s the feeling that you fully expressed yourself while the series was going on, and you spent it all while you were there. And I thought that Vince Gilligan wrote a beautiful beginning, middle, and end to that series, and so I didn’t feel like I needed more. And then all of a sudden, he called me and said, ‘We’re doing this movie, El Camino,’ which is the continuation of where the Jesse Pinkman character goes. I said, ‘Absolutely. I’ll do whatever you want.’ So Walter White shows up in there. Then they do Better Call Saul and we get a call for the last season. ‘We’d love you to come in and do it.’ ‘Okay, sure.’ Then I become Walter White again Recently we did a PopCorners commercial for the Superbowl, and I’m playing Walter White again. So even though I don’t miss him, I don’t get a chance to miss him. He keeps coming back into my life.”

Cranston concluded, “I think this character became so wonderfully and strangely iconic, surprising to me, that he’s kind of separated himself from the rest of the things that I do. So I feel good about that. And it was one of the most important turns in my career to take on that role and to do that. It changed the trajectory of my career for sure.”

Is Bryan Cranston Retiring? 

This month, Cranston was interviewed by GQ, and he made comments that led people to believe he was retiring. The actor talked about shutting down his production company, traveling, and dedicating more time to his wife, Robin Dearden. However, Cranston took to Instagram shortly after to clarify the comments and announce he is not actually retiring. 

“Hey everyone, I hope this little message finds you well. Some news came out that wasn’t entirely clear…even to me. So I wanted to set the record straight. I am not retiring. What I am going to do is hit the pause button for a year after I reach my 70th birthday in 2026. Holy crap – 70! I’m not even sure what ‘pausing’ means entirely, but at this moment, I think it means that by taking a year off it will provide several things,” Cranston explained on Instagram.