Say his name all you want, but Bryan Cranston sports a whole new look as Lyndon B. Johnson in HBO’s upcoming biopic, All the Way. Cranston, who won a Tony for this role on Broadway, will portray the “accidental president” during the 11 months after John F. Kennedy’s assassination. So, we will see Cranston’s LBJ push the 1964 Civil Rights Act and forge his own presidential campaign until he “earns” his rightful place in the Oval Office.
The running joke amongst Cranston fans is how he’s enjoyed a full, diverse career, but will never escape his Breaking Bad image. Although he certainly has no problem embracing Walter White, because he knows where his household name recognition is buttered. Cranston’s an actor who never shies away from immersion, and he has fully embraced this role. Director Jay Roach assures People that Cranston will deliver:
“Physically and emotionally Bryan completely channels LBJ. We just filmed him and Lady Bird in the Oval Office, after JFK’s assassination. LBJ has arrived as the ‘accidental President.’ He’s almost overwhelmed. In spiritual support, Lady Bird touches his cheek. We melted, like we went back in time and witnessed a private, heart-wrenching moment between these two great people.”
Melissa Leo will step into the shoes of First Lady Claudia Alta Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson, and here’s a real kicker… Anthony Mackie will play Martin Luther King, Jr. There’s a costume I want to see, but in the meantime, feast your disbelieving eyes on Cranston as LBJ.
Not too shabby at all, and certainly not far off from the original.
(Via People)
