The Life Of Bryan

Malcolm in the Middle made him a household name, but it was his role in the gritty Breaking Bad that made the critics take notice. At 62, James Mottram discovers, it seems that Bryan Cranston is only just getting started…

- James Mottram

BRYAN CRANSTON IS HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE. While most actors might see their career tail off as they get older, it’s been the reverse for Bryan, who turned 62 in March. Sitcom Malcolm in the Middle and cult show Breaking Bad—for which he won four Emmy awards as the nefarious drug-dealer Walter White—have turned him into a star. “I feel like my feet are on fire,” he says. “I feel like someone has given me this opportunity and I’ve got to keep going and going. Until they tell me to stop, I’m going to keep trying new things.”

We meet in the rather fancy Hotel de Rome in Berlin, with Bryan dressed casually in a crisp white shirt and dark slacks. Clean-shaven, his hair neatly combed, he comes equipped with a booming voice and a broad smile. His looks, he says, are the reason he’s managed to avoid stereotyping since Breaking Bad finished; he received an Oscar nod for his portrayal of a blacklisted screenwriter in Trumbo and has appeared on the London stage—he’s currently treading the boards in Network.

“I don’t have a distinctive shape,” he says. “I’m not short and bald. I’m not exceedingly tall. I’m average height, average weight…” Before you roll your eyes, know this is no “woe is me” tirade from a prima donna performer. “For an actor—what I want to do— it’s perfect,” he beams. “I don’t want to be a personality actor. I want to hide in a character. I love it when people say to me, ‘I didn’t even know that that was you.’ ”