These 2 Actors Were the First Choice to Play Walter White Before Bryan Cranston Landed the Role
- Bryan Cranston wasn’t the first choice for Walter White.
- John Cusack and Matthew Broderick almost played the iconic role.
- But Cranston’s performance as Walter White is unforgettable.
When you think of Walter White, it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone but Bryan Cranston in the role. The bald head, the glasses, the Heisenberg persona—it’s iconic. But here’s a little secret: Cranston wasn’t the first choice.
In fact, the role was almost given to two other actors before Cranston even got a chance to put on those tighty-whities. Imagine John Cusack from High Fidelity or Matthew Broderick from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as the man who would become the infamous drug kingpin of Breaking Bad.
So how did Cranston, who was best known for playing a goofy dad on Malcolm in the Middle, land one of TV’s most complex and unforgettable roles? It wasn’t easy, and it definitely wasn’t a done deal.
Which Actor Was Chosen Before Bryan Cranston to Play Walter White?
Let’s start with John Cusack. The actor behind iconic ’80s films like Sixteen Candles, Con Air, and High Fidelity was seriously considered for the role of Walter White. You might not think of Cusack as a dramatic actor, but he’s played some pretty serious roles over the years and had earned a lot of respect in Hollywood by the time Breaking Bad was being created.
In fact, he was one of the top contenders for the role. But for years, it was believed that Cusack turned down the role. But a few years ago, Cusack cleared up the confusion with a tweet.
Turns out, the actor never turned the role down—he was just never officially offered the part. It seems like the producers were already pretty sold on Bryan Cranston, so they didn’t even get around to making an offer to Cusack.
Could Cusack have pulled off Walter White? Probably. He’s got the acting chops, but for whatever reason, the role never went his way. If things had gone differently, maybe Cusack would’ve been the one cooking meth, not Cranston.
Who Was the Second Actor Considered for the Role of Walter White?
If John Cusack wasn’t the right fit for Walter White, what about Matthew Broderick? You know, Ferris Bueller himself? Broderick was another actor who came close to landing the role.
By the time Breaking Bad was in the works, Broderick was already famous for his roles in films like The Freshman and The Producers. However, despite his success in film and on Broadway, Broderick didn’t have much experience with TV at the time.
Still, Broderick was reportedly seriously considered for the role of Walter White. In fact, according to The Sun, the star was actually offered the role, but he turned it down. Why? No one knows for sure, but it’s likely he wasn’t interested in doing a long-term TV series, or maybe he just didn’t feel the part was right for him.
Either way, Broderick never made any public statements about the role or why he turned it down. It’s fun to imagine what a Ferris Bueller-style Walter White would have looked like, but we’ll never know.
How Did Bryan Cranston End Up Getting the Role of Walter White?
Alright, so if Cusack and Broderick weren’t the right fit, then how did Bryan Cranston, the man known for playing a goofy dad on Malcolm in the Middle, end up getting the role of one of the most famous antiheroes in TV history? The answer to that is a little surprising.
Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, was actually the one who pushed hard for Bryan Cranston to be cast as Walter White. Gilligan had worked with Cranston before on an episode of The X-Files, where Cranston played a villainous character named Dr. Daniel Goodman.
In that episode, Cranston played an antisemitic, terminally ill character who takes Mulder (David Duchovny) hostage. It was a completely different kind of role from what Cranston had done before, and it left a big impression on Gilligan. He told The Hollywood Reporter:
We needed somebody who could be dramatic and scary yet have an underlying humanity so when he dies, you felt sorry for him.
So, when it came time to cast Walter White, Gilligan fought to make sure Cranston got the role. But there was one problem: the producers were skeptical. They saw Cranston as a comedic actor and were worried he wouldn’t be able to play a complex, dramatic character.
To convince them, Gilligan showed the producers the X-Files episode where Cranston played the bad guy. After seeing it, the producers were sold. Cranston was officially cast as Walter White. And the rest, as you know, is history.
Why Bryan Cranston is the Perfect Walter White
At first, it might seem hard to picture Bryan Cranston as Walter White. After all, he was best known for playing Hal, the goofy dad on Malcolm in the Middle. But Cranston proved to the world that he was more than just a sitcom dad. His performance as Walter White wasn’t just good—it was legendary.
Cranston brought something special to the role of Walter White. He managed to make the character both terrifying and sympathetic. As the series went on, we saw him slowly transform into someone much darker, and Cranston made that transition feel completely believable.
What really set Cranston apart, though, was his ability to show the two sides of Walter White. He could be loving and caring one moment, and then ruthless and dangerous the next. From the heartbreaking death of his girlfriend Jane to his iconic I am the one who knocks speech, Cranston was able to show the full range of Walter’s personality.
It’s no surprise that Cranston won four Primetime Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Walter White. Cranston didn’t just play Walter White—he became Walter White, and that’s why he’s considered the best choice for the role.
Breaking Bad is available to watch on Netflix!
