Breaking Bad: Bryan Cranston Reveals His Wife’s One-Word Reaction to Reading Pilot Script

Many know Bryan Cranston for playing Hal Wilkerson in Malcolm in the Middle from 2000 to 20006, but it’s the show that followed that made the actor a household name. In 2008, the world was introduced to Cranston’s Walter White in Breaking Bad, a role that would earn him four acting Emmys. Cranston has previously talked about almost losing the role due to his sitcom background, but it all worked out in the end. In fact, the actor recently took part in GQ‘s video series that saw him breaking down his most iconic characters, and he revealed that his wife, Robin Dearden, played a big part in convincing him to join Breaking Bad.

“I remember going to my wife. I always get her counsel, because we’re together, whatever I do affects her,” Cranston explained. “So I wanted to get her input on it. And I said to her, ‘Just know that this show would shoot in Albuquerque, New Mexico if it were to happen.’ And I handed her the script and she started reading the script. And I would peek in to see every once in a while and she was like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom to the end. And right when she got near the end, I came back into the room and she went, ‘shit.’ She just said ‘shit’ and I knew that was her approval.” 

Will Bryan Cranston Reprise Any of His Iconic Roles?

Last year, Cranston played Walter White once again in the final season of Breaking Bad‘s spinoff series, Better Call Saul. This month, he also reprised the character alongside Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman in a Super Bowl commercial. While Better Call Saul was likely the last time we’ll see Walter White in an official capacity, Cranston is interested in playing Hal Wilkerson again. 

With so many popular sitcoms getting rebooted, television lovers are waiting to find out which fan-favorites series will be the next to return. One show that has been coming up a lot lately is Malcolm in the Middle. In fact, Frankie Muniz recently revealed that Cranston was developing a reboot. The Breaking Bad star recently addressed the rumors and shared that “there was some talk about the possibility doing” a “reunion movie” for Malcolm in the Middle.

“I first proposed the idea of a reunion movie,” Cranston shared in the new GQ video. “The creator of the show, Linwood Boomer, is warming to it. If we come across an idea that all of us feel is really valid, not just – I have no interest to keep busy or pick up a paycheck – I want to do something that, ‘Man, that’s a great idea.’ And we get to see these people 20 years later. All the boys are now in their, at least in their thirties. They’re all grown men, married, children … It’s just an extraordinary situation for me. I was, in fact, a couple of them are nearing the age I was when I played the dad of those kids,” he added with a laugh.   

Are you hoping to see Cranston play Walter White again? What about Hal Wilkerson? Tell us in the comments!