Bryan Cranston filmography and biography
Date of birth: 7 March 1956, San Fernando Valley, California, USA
Bryan Cranston trivia
- Has one daughter named Taylor Cranston.
- His father is actor Joe Cranston. Younger brother of
Kyle Edward Cranston.
- A couple other titles he voice for were "Royal Space Force - The Wings
of Honneamise", and "Macross Plus".
- Once did voice acting for the English dubbing of Japanese Animation (or
Anime), under the name "Lee Stone".
- In the original Armitage III Polymatrix 4 episode home video release
(also know as an OAV), he's listed as "Lee Stone", but in the movie
edition of the same name, he's listed under his real name "Bryan
Cranston".
- Became an ordained minister when he was in college as a part-time job.
- Got his start at the Granada Theatre in the San Fernando Valley,
California.
- Produced his "Kidsmartz" safety video with his
Malcolm in the Middle crew during one of their weeks
off.
- Such a big baseball fan that his wife threw him a surprise 40th birthday
party at Dodgers Stadium.
- Always grows a beard and mustache during his
Malcolm in the Middle hiatus.
- His favorite episode of Malcolm in the Middle is the
first season episode "Rollerskates." He spent six weeks before filming
learning how to rollerskate.
- Impersonated Brad Garrett (I)'s
Everybody Loves Raymond voice shortly after losing to
him for the second year in a row at the 2004 Emmy Awards. The crowd
laughed hysterically, as did Brad Garrett (I) himself.
- Presented the category "Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series" at
the 2004 Emmy Awards with his Malcolm in the Middle
co-star Jane Kaczmarek. Bryan had been eligible for that
category (for directing the Malcolm in the Middle
episode "Stereo Store") but did not receive a nomination.
- Was singled out by frequent Malcolm in the Middle
director Todd Holland (I) during his Emmy speech in 2001.
Cranston had been overlooked that year, and Holland proclaimed that he
would "stand up here soon." Cranston was subsequently nominated for the
first-time the next year.
- Directed three episodes of Malcolm in the Middle during
its fifth season. The episodes were "Vegas," "Dirty Magazine," and
"Experiment".
- The last name of the first Blue Ranger on
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was named after him. He
did various work as part of the crew (voice-overs, etc.), so the Blue
Ranger's full name became Billy Cranston.
- Has a dog named Sugar, saved from a local Los Angeles pound.
- Enjoys traveling to Hawaii.
- Met his wife Robin Dearden on the set of the show
Airwolf. He was playing the villain of the week, and
she was his hostage (held at gunpoint).
- Attended and graduated from Canoga Park High School, Canoga Park,
California in 1974.
- Honored as Grand Marshal of the 2006 Sherman Oaks, CA, Street Fair by
the Chamber of Commerce for his leadership in the community and his
protection of children through KidSmartz.
- At one point considered becoming a police officer, and went to high
school, and was friends with, Daniel Cameron.
- Played Erik Per Sullivan's character's father on
Malcolm in the Middle, and wrote recommendation letters
for his college applications.
Bryan Cranston quotes
- I've got a whole mantel just waiting for those awards to come, a whole
big mantel. There's just so much available space. I've got the light
fixtures hanging from the ceiling, all ready to shine on them. I dust
it off every day.
- The only thing I say a prayer for is for health and safety for my
family. Some people even include happiness and a hope for something
else. Not me. I think everything else is on your own. That's the way I
look at it. If you can just maintain health and safety, you're in good
shape. And anything else, you have to create.
- My wife is the cook, really. I'm a good helper and I clean like nobody's
business. I can load a dishwasher like nobody else.
- I don't want to say it's not important to win [an Emmy], because it is.
Would it be important to me personally to win? It would be wonderful; I
would be delighted. Is it important for an actor's career? I would say
Yes.
- You know, this business is pure luck. It truly is. There is a tangible
amount of luck that is necessary for a successful career, and the only
way that luck happens is if you're prepared for it and you stick with
it. If you drop out of the scene, your opportunity for luck diminishes
greatly. No one's going to say, 'Hey you're an insurance salesman. Come
and do this movie.'
- I think the best-written films or television series have a measure of
the opposite of what they are. We have some darkly comic moments
sprinkled throughout Breaking Bad, as we had some sweet
sentiment or serious drama sprinkled throughout
Malcolm in the Middle. I think any good movie does
that, any good play. You have to break it up. You can't have one train
going in one direction all the time. Audiences are more sophisticated
than that.
- I love playing pompous asses. I think I would like that on my tombstone.
"He was the definitive pompous ass."
- I love playing the know-it-all guy who is also kind of stupid. That guy
who thinks he's great, but he's not. That's a wonderful character to
play. Kind of the Barney Fife type. He'll tell you what's going on, but
inside he's very insecure. That's always a fun character. And I loved,
for pure fun and enjoyment, my character Hal on Malcolm. Because I
found his emotional core, and once I found that, I could leap off from
that and the writers started to write for it. And that core was fear.
Hal was afraid of everything. Every single thing. He was afraid of
heights, he was afraid of failing as a father, he was afraid of getting
fired... Someone would walk into the room and surprise him, and he'd
yelp, because he was afraid of noise-afraid of a lot of things. That
lent itself to a lot of humor, but it was also a true emotion that you
could lock in on.
- Stars have much more power. I'm the star of my show
Breaking Bad, and I have the power to try to sway
opinions. Absolutely. And that's the reason you want to become a star
as an actor, to be able to have more control of your destiny. Actors
basically are the type of person that with three seconds left, we want
the ball. Give us the shot to make it or miss it. We'll take the lumps
if we miss it, but we want the chance to get the glory. An acting coach
of mine, Shirley Knight (I) - a great actress - said that it's
the actors' arrogance. We want the chance. Give it to me. We know
plenty of people in life, back in Little League or whatever, who'd say,
"Oh, please don't hit it to me. Please don't hit it to me. Oh dear God,
please don't make me have to make this decision. Please don't make me
get onstage". There are those people, and then there are those of us
that say, "Give me the shot. Let me take it".
- It's all about the written word. Whatever's well-written. It doesn't
matter if it's features, or children's stories... it's all about the
written word. And it could come in any different form, but that's the
criteria. That's it for me.