Q&A: Bryan Cranston (Walt White) -- Part II
In the second part of our two-part interview, Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston talks about kissing Anna Gunn (Skyler White) and the period in his life when he was a wanted man.
Q: What are some of your favorite Breaking Bad moments?
A: Making out with Anna Gunn. I tell my wife, 'Honey, it's just a job. I'm going to the office.' Actually, I enjoy the classroom scenes, because it gives me an opportunity to enrich and solidify my character so audiences can see what was once a passion of mine. I'm a good teacher, and if anyone is prepared to listen, they might get as excited about chemistry as I once was.
Q: Those scenes also give the viewer a window into what the show is all about.
A: Yeah, that's the brilliance of them. And you want to be able to do that without hitting people over the head with it. You don't want to say, 'This show is about...' so you want to couch it in a related way. The lectures have a sense of relatability as to what you're going to see. There are moments, like when he's getting lost in talking about Chirality and all of a sudden, in trying to make them understand, it's like left right, good bad -- he catches himself, realizing, 'Oh Christ. That's me. I'm both good and bad.'
Q: Is it true you were once a wanted man in Florida?
A: Yeah. My brother and I were traveling around the country on motorcycles back in the '70s, and we needed money so we stopped for the winter in Florida and got a little apartment and took jobs in a Hawaiian restaurant. And there was a cook there, Peter Wong, who was an unhappy, rotten guy. So all the waiters and waitresses and busboys, we would sit around before our shift and we would talk about ways we would kill Peter Wong -- chop him up in his own Chow Mein, slice him up or put him in the deep fryer. Well, spring arrives and it's time for us to go. So my brother and I take off to continue our motorcycle trip. And no sooner did we leave than Peter Wong went missing. They found him in the trunk of a car, bludgeoned to death. And he was the kind of guy who carried a thick wad of money in his pocket -- I mean a really thick stash of cash. So during the police investigation they went to the restaurant, talked to all the waiters as a group, and then individually, and then asked if there was anyone who was no longer there. And of course they said, "the Cranston brothers" -- and until the police resolved that he was led astray by a hooker, then robbed and killed, we were, as they say, persons of interest.
Q: So when Walt White is standing on the open road in his tightie-whities, holding up a gun, he actually knows what it feels like to be a wanted man.
A: To feel wanted. And you know what? To feel dangerous. Danger is cool. The thing about Walt is that he's actually accepting of this condition, and the reason is that for the first time in 25 years he's feeling again. And even fear is better than numbness. So he's willing to accept it, and possibly encourage it. You get addicted to emotions. Our endorphins kick in and it's like a high. On the low end you might love roller coasters. On the high end you might be a bank robber or something. He's somewhere now in the middle of that right now.




















This show is incredible.
This show has to be one of the bess originals in the last few years. The real life aspects are quite well acted and just plain pretty truthful. Its also really interesting to see Cranston as a criminal instead of the comedian he has been so well cast in past perfomances. I cannot wait till episode 4. Actually letting the tension build every week has been great!
Caught this show while flipping channels. Stayed there and became ingrossed. When Cranston decided to release man in basement and ended up killing him, I needed to know more. What a show! Had never heard of it. Went to AMC.com to learn more and to catch up on what I'd missed. Cranston is great! What talent! One surely wants to stay tuned for next episode.
I think Cranston has a real feel for this role. Just reading his words, you can sense how different he is from Walt, and yet how closely he relates to him. It's always such a treat to see an actor who is totally invested in the lines.
This show grabs you from the instant you lay eyes on it. Bryan Cranston is brilliant. I'm already worrying about how long the show will run considering Mr. White's "expiration date".
I like this show...maybe I like "danger" also. But it reminds me of "Dead Like Me"....the feel of it.
Best show in a long while.
Klasi
hey man your a crack up and you are really really believeable. your one of the greatest actors of all time be happy and enjoy it. now that you've heard it from me it's officail have fun out there.
ps and lay of the payoti jk
Honestly had never heard of Breaking Bad prior to one night just flipping through the channels. I saw Bryan Cranston and being a big Malcolm fan I had to stop to see what it was he was in. It happened to be the first episode and it was captivating to say the least. Had it not been for my recognizing Bryan Cranston I would never have found Breaking Bad and would be missing one of the best shows on television today! Thanks....
You might enjoy this audio interview (and transcription) with "Breaking Bad" actress Anna Gunn: http://www.mrmedia.com/2008/02/anna-gunn-bad-and-actress-mr-media_22.html .
"Wanted Man" is right! This is the sexiest character I've ever seen!
I THINK WALT IS THE KIND OF EVERYPERSON GUY. HIS CHARACTER REMINDS ME OF SOMEONE. EVERYBODY KNOWS A WALT IN REAL LIFE.THAT'S ONE OF THE VERY THINGS THAT MAKE THIS SHOW SO GOOD.A GREAT ACTOR AND A GREAT WRITTEN CHARACTER. I ALSO THINK WALT JR IS A GREAT ACTOR. I WONDER IF HE IS CHALLENGED IN REAL LIFE. IF ANYONE KNOWS FOR SURE,SHARE IT!