‘I hope I can come to India someday to work, and to explore the country’
I’d love to come to India, and not just for a short trip. I want to visit to experience the culture, meet the people, travel and try the food. BRYAN CRANSTON ACTOR
Actor Bryan Cranston started his career in the late 1980s, and he is one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, thanks to his work in films such as Argo (2012) and Trumbo (2015) — both of these films had a strong political connect — as well as in the sitcom, Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006), about a genius boy in a dysfunctional family. But what put Cranston, now 61, in TV’s hall of fame was his portrayal of Walter White, a chemistry teacher-turned-drug lord, in the drama series Breaking Bad.
The show turns 10 years old this month, so we caught up with Cranston, who won a Golden Globe in 2014 for this role, to talk about his career, his plans to visit India, and, of course, Walter White.
Have you ever been to India? Any plans to visit the country soon?
I’d love to come to India, and not just for a short trip. I want to visit to experience the culture, meet the people, travel and try the food.
As of now, I have no idea when I’d be coming to India. Honestly, I don’t allow myself to have any great holidays. I hope I get the benefit of coming to India someday to work and be able to stay there and explore the country. I’ve also watched a couple of Indian films; they were really entertaining to me.
You voiceacted for an Indian animation film, called Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Ram, back in 2001. What was that experience like?
Yes, I did the English translation of that film; it was very interesting. I enjoyed the storytelling. And from an actor’s standpoint, to be able to tell a story only through your voice as opposed to being on camera was very challenging. But I really enjoyed doing that.
When you were offered the role of Walter White, what did you expect from the show?
Eleven years ago, when we shot the pilot (of the series, aired on AXN), the intention was just to tell a good story. It was impossible for me to know whether anything could be successful. I didn’t even know whether we could go beyond the pilot episode. It was very possible that we might have not got the go-ahead. I knew this, because we were attempting to do something unique. We’re very grateful that we got a chance to go on for six years to tell this story.