“I didn’t know I did do it”: Bryan Cranston Reveals 1 Secret Trick Behind His Acting in ‘Breaking Bad’ That Helped Him Convincingly Play the Ultimate Monster on Screen
- Bryan Cranston is the heart and soul of the show Breaking Bad.
- Speaking to Rain Wilson on his podcast Soul Boom, Cranston shed light on how they used to shoot each episode of Breaking Bad to maintain authentic reactions and suspense for the viewers.
- The Office veteran Rain Wilson embarked on the audio storytelling journey and started his own podcast called Soul Boom.
The show may be titled Breaking Bad but when it first premiered on television, it surely broke records and redefined the way people enjoyed television shows. With its intricate story and carefully crafted characters, the show dives into sensitive topics in a very serious tone, making it thrilling and dramatic at the same time.
Bryan Cranston brought to life a character so authentic and unique, the kind of which was never seen before. Walter White’s personality evolves into something completely different by the end of the show, making Breaking Bad an examination of human behavior and how people tend to act in dire situations.
Bryan Cranston dissects his process to portray Walter White in Breaking Bad
Bryan Cranston is the heart and soul of the show Breaking Bad. Without him, it would have been a lackluster show with nobody to drive the narrative. It was indeed harder to pull off a character like Walter White, but Cranston does it effortlessly. His years of experience in the industry coupled with his incredible versatility makes every role seem like the easiest job of his life.
Speaking to Rain Wilson on his podcast Soul Boom, Cranston shed light on how they used to shoot each episode of Breaking Bad to maintain authentic reactions and suspense for the viewers. He shared,
He’s (Vince Gilligan) working at a much deeper level than you would ever read before and so that’s what he did in every twist and turn of Breaking Bad, we’re reading these things like gifts every episode it’s like oh my God and surprising even me reading this going oh my God you’re kidding like when I poisoned the kid the week before we’re doing a scene where I go to Aaron Paul (Jesse) and I put the gun to his head and I say ‘If you think I could do this and pull the trigger how could I do this what are you talking about.’ I could not do well I didn’t know I did do it so I’m just going by what I thought and then I read the next script two days later and I’m reading it I’m going oops I did poison a kid.
The scripts for each episode were shared before filming began so that the actors could remain in the moment without letting the masses know that they were aware of what would happen next. This further makes it easier for the actors to mold their personalities according to the scene they are about to shoot, rather than let the future determine how they are going to perform.
Cranston was able to deliver that chilling gun to the head scene because he believed he was not a monster. But his demeanor soon changes when he learns that White actually did it, and now the actor has to pivot his strategy and make it seem like a thrilling twist.
Breaking Bad is streaming on Netflix.
What is Soul Boom?
The Office veteran Rain Wilson embarked on the audio storytelling journey and started his own podcast called Soul Boom which is available on Spotify and Apple Music. The actor talks to other people from the industry to uncover unknown facts and anecdotes that can delight his listeners. The conversations often range from industry topics like stories and acting techniques to deeper angles including religion and political happenings.
Wilson releases weekly episodes with famous celebrities and enjoys a wide audience that tunes in regularly to relish gossip and meaningful conversations. The next guest on the podcast will be revealed soon, so fans can tune in to hear the insights.
