When Breaking Bad exploded onto our screens in 2008, it rocketed Bryan Cranston’s career to stellar heights, though he’d already dipped his toes in the waters of several successful films. Now that the dust has settled on that iconic series, let’s dive into 15 absolutely wild facts about the man, the legend, Bryan Cranston.
From Humble Beginnings to Hollywood Hustle
Born in California in 1956, Bryan’s folks were Peggy Sell, a radio actress, and Joseph Louis Cranston, an actor and producer with some Hollywood cred. Interestingly, his parents weren’t exactly pushing him towards Tinseltown, so Bryan didn’t actually jump into his acting journey until after he’d finished college. He even snagged a two-year degree in police science, but instead of chasing bad guys, he and his brother hit the open road on their motorcycles after graduation!
Before their two-wheeled adventure, the Cranston brothers hustled as waiters in a Florida eatery. Things got a little wild when they left town: the chef ended up murdered, making Bryan and his brother temporary suspects! Talk about a plot twist that almost went full Heisenberg *before* Heisenberg.
Life, Love, and On-Screen Shenanigans
Standing at a respectable 5’10” (that’s about 1.79 meters for our metric friends), Bryan Cranston’s personal life has had its own share of drama. At 21, he tied the knot with Mickey Middleton, but that union fizzled out five years later. Fate had other plans though, as he later met Robin Deardon on the set of *Airwolf* and they’ve been together ever since. They’re proud parents to Taylor Deardon Cranston, who’s busy studying Theater Studies at the University of Southern California and even snagged an extra gig in a *Breaking Bad* episode that her dad directed!
Back in his early acting days, our main man was a busy bee, lending his voice to dubbing gigs and popping up in commercials. Picture this: a young Bryan in a skunk costume, taking a shower on camera. Bizarre, right? But absolutely true!
An Affinity for America’s Pastime
Bryan’s a massive baseball fanatic and a die-hard supporter of the LA Dodgers, even collecting memorabilia like it’s his job. His love for the game runs so deep that his wife actually threw his 40th birthday bash right there at Dodgers’ Stadium. He famously quipped in an Emmys acceptance speech that, as much as he adores baseball, he loves his wife and daughter even more.
From Malcolm’s Dad to a Blue Ranger
Beyond his iconic role in *Breaking Bad*, Cranston is widely recognized for playing Hal, the hilariously eccentric dad in the super successful sitcom *Malcolm in the Middle*. Hal, often overshadowed by his formidable wife Lois, had some truly flamboyant moments, like rollerskating to Queen in a sparkly disco suit. Bryan himself claims this episode was his ultimate favorite to film, and get this, he spent six whole weeks perfecting his roller-skating moves beforehand!
And here’s a fun nugget for the nostalgic among us: Bryan Cranston even did voice-overs for *Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers*. If your memory’s sharp, or maybe you’re still secretly binging it, you’ll recall the blue Power Ranger was named Billy Cranston. Yep, the team actually named the character after our voice actor – so, in a way, he was kind of a Power Ranger himself!
He’s also a pet parent to a dog named Sugar, whom he rescued. And as for public recognition, the star actor was given the honor of Grand Marshal at the Sherman Oaks Street Fair in 2006.
