Bryan Cranston

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Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston, September 2008
Born Bryan Lee Cranston
March 7, 1956 (1956-03-07) (age 53)
San Fernando, California,
United States
Occupation Actor, voice actor, screenwriter, film director
Years active 1982–present
Spouse(s) Mickey Middleton (1980s to late 1980s; divorced)
Robin Dearden (late 1980s-present)

Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal in the FOX situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he has won two Emmy Awards. Other notable roles include Dr. Tim Whatley on Seinfeld, Doug Heffernan's neighbor in the The King of Queens, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin in From the Earth to the Moon, Ted Mosby's boss on How I Met Your Mother, and other roles in numerous movies and television programs.

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[edit] Personal life

Cranston was born in San Fernando Valley, California, the son of Peggy Sell and actor Joe Cranston.[1] He grew up in the Los Angeles area, graduating from Canoga Park High School. Cranston studied police science in college.[2] Cranston is married to Robin Dearden, whom he met on the set of the show Airwolf (1984). He was playing the villain of the week, and she was his hostage (held at gunpoint). They have a daughter, Taylor Dearden Cranston (born February 12, 1993). Cranston was previously married to Mickey Middleton, a writer.

[edit] Career

He began his acting career after college in local and regional theatres, getting his start at the Granada Theatre in the San Fernando Valley, California. Cranston has worked regularly since the late 1980s, mostly in minor roles. His advertising work includes commercials for Lay's potato chips, Excedrin, Honda Accord, and Coffee-Mate. His voice acting includes English dubbing of Japanese anime, under the name "Lee Stone". He was an original cast member of the ABC soap opera Loving, where he played Douglas (Doug) Donovan from 1983 to 1985. Cranston also starred in the short-lived series Raising Miranda in 1988.

His largest role prior to Malcolm in The Middle was as astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the HBO series From the Earth to the Moon. Cranston has also played astronaut Gus Grissom in the film That Thing You Do!, and appeared as Nick Wrigley, the irresponsible uncle who steals Santa's sleigh to have a crazy ride to practically destroy Christmas in 'Twas the Night, a Disney Channel Original Movie that was released in the winter of 2001. He also appeared in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan as a one-armed military officer.

His recurring role as Dr. Tim Whatley, Jerry's dentist on Seinfeld, earned him fans. Several episodes focused upon his relationship with Jerry and his paranoia about the dentist, in bizarre situations such as when he becomes obsessed with the notion that Tim and his female assistant were molesting him while he was unconscious during dental surgery, or when Whatley converts to Judaism and starts telling Jewish jokes while retaining the right to tell Catholic jokes as well (according to Jerry, Tim is attaining "total joke-telling immunity").

He has also had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens as Doug Heffernan's annoying neighbor, Tim Sacksky. He works as a water purifier salesman and in one episode he recruits Doug to sell them as well.

Cranston directed several episodes of Malcolm in the Middle and received three Emmy nominations for his performance on the show. In a March 2009 interview on Anytime with Bob Kushell, Cranston discussed the episode "Jessica Stays Over" where he was covered in bees. Cranston stated that he was stung twice.[3] Cranston reprised his role in a cutaway gag in the Family Guy episode I Take Thee Quagmire, killing Lois with a refrigerator door because of her incessant babbling, thus "freeing" himself and the kids. Cranston also wrote and directed the 1999 movie Last Chance. He appeared in Little Miss Sunshine as a business colleague of Greg Kinnear. He also had a guest role in late 2006 on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, playing main character Ted's obnoxious co-worker and former boss Hammond Druthers. He recently had a role as Lucifer in the ABC Family miniseries, Fallen.

He has done voice acting for English dubbed anime series, including Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honneamise, Macross Plus, and Armitage III Polymatrix.

Cranston has guest-starred in many television series, including The Flash where he plays a white-collar criminal searching for his estranged wife and daughter; Sabrina the Teenage Witch in which he was a lawyer attempting to free Sabrina from a contract; the sixth season episode of The X-Files, "Drive", playing a bigoted man who is being driven insane by high-pitched sonar waves; and Babylon 5 as Ericsson, the captain of a White Star vessel ordered into a suicide mission to plant misinformation within the enemy ranks.

In September 2008, Cranston narrated a pre-teen adventure/fantasy audiobook called Adventures with Kazmir the Flying Camel.[4]

Currently, Cranston has the starring role on AMC's original series Breaking Bad in which he plays a high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He teams up with a former student to manufacture methamphetamine. On September 21, 2008, Cranston won the Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series for Breaking Bad. He won this same award for a second time on September 20, 2009.[5]

He was cast in George Lucas "Red Tails," a fictional story inspired by the historic and heroic exploits of America's first all black aerial combat unit.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Film

Year Film Role Notes
1987 Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise Matti Tohn English dub of Japanese film
Amazon Women on the Moon Paramedic #1
1988 The Big Turnaround Unknown
1990 Corporate Affairs Darren
1991 Dead Space Darden
1994 Erotique Dr. Robert Stern
Clean Slate Club official
Macross Plus Isamu Alva Dyson English dub of Japanese film; released direct to video
Credited as "Lee Stone"
The Companion Alan Direct to video release
1996 Time Under Fire Braddock
That Thing You Do! Virgil 'Gus' Grissom
Street Corner Justice Father Brophy
1997 Strategic Command Phil Hertzberg
Armitage III: Poly-Matrix Eddie Borrows English dub of Japanese film; direct to video release
1998 Saving Private Ryan War Department Colonel
1999 Last Chance Lance Also writer, director and producer
2000 The Big Thing Roberto Montalban
Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama Ram English dub of Indo-Japanese film
Terror Tract Ron Gatley
2004 Seeing Other People Peter
Illusion David
2005 Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D Buzz Aldrin
2006 Little Miss Sunshine Stan Grossman
Intellectual Property CSE Radio Host
2007 Hard Four Bryce Baxter
2009 Love Ranch TBA In production
Red Tails Major William Mortamus In production
2012 John Carter of Mars Civil War colonel In production

[edit] Television

Year Series Role Notes
1982 CHiPs Billy Joe Episode 6.9: "Return to Death's Door"
1983-1985 Loving Douglas "Doug" Donovan Main cast member
1985 Cover Up Frank Lawler/Tommy Maynard Episode 1.17: "Who's Trying to Kill Miss Globe?"
One Life to Live Dean Stella
1986 Airwolf Robert Hollis Episode 3.17: "Desperate Monday"
North and South: Book II Colonel Austin Episode 1.6
1986
1990
1996		 Murder, She Wrote Brian East
Jerry Wilber
Parker Foreman		 Episode 2.20: "Menace, Anyone?"
Episode 6.12: "Good-Bye Charlie"
Episode 12.17: "Something Foul in Flappieville"
1987 Hill Street Blues Unknown Episode 7.21: "A Pound of Flesh"
The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman Dr. Shepherd TV film
1987
1991		 Matlock Brian Emerson
Dr. Harding Fletcher		 Episode 2.11: "The Gift"
Episode 6.4: "The Marriage Counselor"
1988 Raising Miranda Uncle Russell Appeared in nine episodes
1989 Falcon Crest Martin Randall Episode 8.18: "Enquiring Minds"
I Know My First Name Is Steven Officer Dickenson TV mini-series
Baywatch Tom Logan Episode 1.8: "Cruise Ship"
1990 Hull High Mr. McConnell Episode 1.8
Jake and the Fatman Lyle Wicks/Miller Episode 4.3: "Exactly Like You"
1991 The Flash Philip 'Mark' Moses Episode 1.13: "Be My Baby"
Dead Silence Professor Harris TV film
1992 L.A. Law Unknown Episode 6.11: "All About Sleaze"
1993 Moldiver Launch Control Center Technician
Additional voices		 English dub of Japanese series; released direct to video
The Disappearance of Nora Unknown TV film
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story Unknown TV film
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Voice of Snizard
Voice of Twinman		 Episode 1.14: "Foul Play in the Sky"
Episode 1.38: "A Bad Reflection on You"
Super Dimension Century Orguss 02 Imperial Officer English dub of Japanese series; released direct to video
1994 Armitage III Eddie Borrows English dub of Japanese series; direct to video release
Men Who Hate Women & the Women Who Love Them David TV film
Days Like This Benny TV film
Tekkaman Blade Sgt. Miles O'Rourke English dub of Japanese series
Viper Garrett Berlin Episode 1.9: "Wheels of Fire"
Walker, Texas Ranger Hank Episode 2.18: "Deadly Vision"
1994-1997 Seinfeld Dr. Tim Whatley Appeared in five episodes
1995 Extreme Blue Ned Landry TV film
Kissing Miranda Special Agent Falsey TV film
Touched by an Angel Dr. Tom Bryant Episode 1.11: "The Hero"
Brotherly Love Russell Winslow Episode 1.2: "Such a Bargain"
Land's End Matt McCulla Episodes 1.1 and 1.2: "Land's End" Parts 1 and 2
Nowhere Man Sheriff Norman Wade Episode 1.8: "The Alpha Spike"
1996 Eagle Riders Joe Thax Dub of Japanese series
The Louie Show Curt Sincic Episode 1.1: "Take Two Donuts and Call Me in the Morning"
The Rockford Files: Punishment and Crime Patrick Dougherty TV film
1996
1998		 Diagnosis Murder Walter Mason
Martin Rutgers		 Episode 3.10: "Living on the Streets Can Be Murder"
Episode 6.5: "Blood Will Out"
1997 Moloney Unknown Episode 1.12: "Clarity Begins at Home"
Babylon 5 Ericsson Episode 4.5: "The Long Night"
Dogs Unknown Pilot
Goode Behavior Record executive Episode 1.20: "Goode Music"
Sabrina the Teenage Witch Witch Lawyer Episode 1.24: "Troll Bride"
Pearl Isaac Perlow Episode 1.21: "My So-Called Real Life"
Total Security Jason Nichols Episode 1.10: "Wet Side Story"
Alright Already Robert Episode 1.3: "Again with the Pilot"
1998 Brooklyn South IAB Lt. Gordon Denton Episodes 1.11: "Gay Avec" and 1.15: "Fisticuffs"
From the Earth to the Moon Buzz Aldrin TV mini-series
V.I.P. Colt Arrow Episode 1.1: "Beats Working at a Hot Dog Stand"
The X-Files Patrick Crump Episode 6.2: "Drive"
Chicago Hope Jesus Episode 5.9: "Tantric Turkey"
Working Larry Prince Episode 2.8: "The Consultant"
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show Ronald 'Cheesy' Meezy Episode 2.11: "Honey, I'm the Sorcerer's Apprentice"
1999 3rd Rock from the Sun Neil Diamond impersonator Episode 4.14: "Paranoid Dick"
The Pretender Neil Roberts Episode 3.16: "PTB"
1999-2001 The King of Queens Tim Appeared in four episodes
2000-2001 Clerks: The Animated Series Additional voices Appeared in three episodes
2000-2006 Malcolm in the Middle Hal Main cast member; appeared in all 151 episodes
Also directed seven episodes
2001 'Twas the Night Nick Wrigley TV film
The Santa Claus Brothers Santa Claus TV film
2003 National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Family Reunion Woodrow Snider TV film
Lilo & Stitch: The Series Mr. Jameson Episode 1.25: "Nosy: Experiment #199"
2005 American Dad! Publisher Episode 1.15: "Star Trek"
2006 Special Unit N/A Director
Big Day N/A Directed episode 1.5: "Stolen Vows"
2006-2007 How I Met Your Mother Hammond Druthers Episodes 2.6: "Aldrin Justice" and 2.13: "Columns"
2007 Fallen Lucifer
The Light Bringer		 TV mini-series
2008 Family Guy Himself/Hal Episode 4.21: "I Take Thee Quagmire"
2008- Breaking Bad Walter H. White Main cast member, also directed episode 2.1: "Seven Thirty-Seven"

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.filmreference.com/film/31/Bryan-Cranston.html
  2. ^ LilHil (2009-03-02). "Bryan Cranston Interview". UGO Networks. http://tvblog.ugo.com/tv/breaking-bad-bryan-cranston-interview. Retrieved 2009-04-05. 
  3. ^ "Anytime with Bob Kushell feat. Bryan Cranston". Anytime with Bob Kushell. 2009-03-31. No. 3, season 2.
  4. ^ "Behind the Story". Camel Back Publishing. 2008. http://www.camelbackpublishing.com/behind.html. Retrieved 2009-04-05. 
  5. ^ Joyce Eng (20 September 2009). "Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Cryer Win First Emmys". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Kristin-Chenoweth-Jon-1009931.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-20. 

[edit] External links


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Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor – Drama Series

James Gandolfini (2001) · Michael Chiklis (2002) · James Gandolfini (2003) · James Spader (2004) · James Spader (2005) · Kiefer Sutherland (2006) · James Spader (2007) · Bryan Cranston (2008) · Bryan Cranston (2009)
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