Bryan Cranston Competed Against 2 Other Stars to Play Walter on Breaking Bad

The role completely transformed the actor, who had already enjoyed a productive career, into one of the most beloved and popular actors in Hollywood.

Cranston absolutely nailed the role of Walter White on Breaking Bad. The actor garnered multiple Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe awards for the performance, which will forever cement his legacy as one of the best actors of this generation.

Be that as it may, the path toward Cranston being offered the role by Breaking Bad series creator Vince Gilligan was not clear cut. In fact, Gilligan had considered other prominent actors for the role, including Matthew Broderick and John Cusack.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Breaking Bad - like many famous TV shows - had a long history and struggle before finally being picked up by AMC. From there, it was a matter of casting and Gilligan had to find an actor that could fill the shoes of Walter White. Gilligan was reportedly impressed with both Cusack and Broderick but ultimately settled on Cranston.

Initially, TV executives at AMC had an image of Cranston from his role in Malcolm in the Middle and therefore did not view him as a serious enough candidate for the role of Walter White. Nevertheless, Gilligan turned to an episode of The X Files (in which Cranston appeared in a guest role) and found plenty of evidence that Cranston was more than capable for the gritty role.

“We needed somebody who could be dramatic and scary yet have an underlying humanity,” Gilligan explained of White, who has evolved into one of the most notorious TV characters of all-time.

Today, it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone but Cranston in the role, but that was almost not the case. And, while we are certain that Matthew Broderick and John Cusack would have done well portraying the character, the right actor got the gig.

In the past, Cranston has had many things to say about his time on Breaking Bad and finding a way to get into the head of Walter White. The latter seasons of Breaking Bad sometimes made it harder for the 67-year-old actor to find the headspace as the character became more conflicted, therefore more corrupt. Cranston, who would often retreat to a “dark place”, in turn, delivered a performance that will never be forgotten.

Breaking Bad concluded in 2013, yet Cranston has continued to support the universe, also appearing in the Breaking Bad movie El Camino along with the spin-off Better Call Saul. Additionally, he currently stars in the Showtime original Your Honor.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter.