Bryan Cranston nearly missed out on playing his iconic “Breaking Bad” character, Walter White. The 68-year-old actor revealed during an appearance on James Corden’s SiriusXM show “This Life Of Mine” that Matthew Broderick was “considered” for the role before Cranston was officially offered the part.
“We shot the pilot of ‘Breaking Bad’ in February and March of 2007,” Cranston said. “Had ‘Malcolm In The Middle’ gone an eighth season, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now. Or you’d be sitting here, but you’d be talking to Matthew Broderick or someone else who played Walter White instead of me.”
Cranston, who portrayed Hal on “Malcolm in the Middle” for seven seasons, was able to take on the role of White due to his schedule freeing up. In 2018, Cranston detailed his “rich” experience playing White and explained why he doesn’t miss the role.
“No, I actually don’t miss playing Walter White,” he said. “The reason is because it was such a complete experience for me. It was a very rich, rewarding beginning, middle and end. We came to a conclusion, and we laughed, and we cried, and we hugged each other. And we went our separate ways.”
In 2023, Cranston revealed his plans to retire from Hollywood in 2026. He shared his three-year exit plan with British GQ, expressing his desire to slow down and spend quality time with his spouse. Cranston wants to change the paradigm and level the playing field in their relationship, focusing on enjoying life without the pressures of work.
