Cranston details inspirations in new memoir

Bryan Cranston seems so far apart from the murderous Walter White that one wonders how he was able to channel such darkness with Emmyworthy ferocity in Breaking Bad.

But in his new memoir, A Life in Parts, Cranston details a real-life incident that helped him get in character: an unhinged ex-girlfriend who threatened his life and made him have violent thoughts about her.

“She threatened my life. She threatened to kill me and it was a constant thing and there were times when I thought I was going crazy,” Cranston said of the woman. (Later he married actress Robin Dearden and they’ve been together 27 years.)

It’s one of the more revelatory moments in the book, released earlier this month. The Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated Cranston covers everything from his early childhood to his signature role on Breaking Bad to personal challenges.