As of yesterday, there were 54 days left until Breaking Bad‘s glorious return to our sad, blue lives. Fifty-four is also the number of episodes of Breaking Bad has aired up to this point, which can only mean one thing: Megan Draper is dead. OK, two things: Megan Draper is dead and, jeez, only 54 episodes? Feels like 59 to me.
Breaking Bad pre-season hype will soon turn into a deafening roar — no complaints here; there’s never too much Hank Schrader — but we’re still in the calm before the storm caused by a bomb strapped to a wheelchair, so every interview and teaser feels like a gift from the Pink Bear in the Sky him/herself. Last night, Bryan Cranston took part in an Ask Me Anything on Reddit where he answered questions about being Bryan Cranston and why it’s awesome being Bryan Cranston, all while raising money for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which, in his words, “has helped recover more than 183,000 missing children.” He’s still the best.
If you could do a whole new season for either Breaking Bad (a season 6) or Malcolm in the Middle (a season 8), which would you chose, and why?
Wow. How about breaking in the middle? Season 15.
(Via)
You may not remember, but late last summer you went to a popular restaurant in Culver City (the one with the outside seating that’s first-come, first-serve). You pleasantly asked if you could sit at our table since there were no other seats left, and we happily obliged. After glancing at you about five times, I realized who you were. Having just completed a marathon of Breaking Bad’s entire run, I awkwardly asked if I could shake your hand, and you did!
My husband told you that he’s been trying to get his big brother (also sitting with us) to watch your show for months, and that he still hadn’t. Then you said, in a menacing, methodical voice (aka Heisenberg), “Your brother’s a pussy.”
Did your brother finally start watching the show or does he still have a vagina?
Edit: not that having a vagina is a bad thing. It just needs to be with the appropriate person.
(Via)
Do you think, given the proper equipment, you could produce crystal meth?
That presumes I haven’t already.
Do you have any recommendations for tighty whitey/button down combos? My Hanes don’t match my Nordstrom’s dress shirts. And don’t even get me started on when I wear them with my Timberlands.
Haha! I wish I could comment but I’m in negotiations to represent those brands. See them in a JC Penney’s catalogue soon.
(Via)
My coworker Bob claims he is dating your niece. We live in northern California. Can you confirm or deny this?
Bob is a f*cking liar. I have a job opening for him.
How could Hammond Druthers not see that the majestic skyscraper looked like a giant penis?
Anything tall and thick looks like a penis to him.
(Via)
Does Breaking Bad end the way that you wanted it to?
Breaking Bad ended the way Vince Gilligan wanted it to… which is exactly what I wanted.
(Via)
How did it feel to get that pizza throw perfect on the first try?
Well, I would have patted myself on the back but I was holding a pizza. Yeah, I did it in one try. It was a real pizza (a super xtra large) and very heavy. I just got lucky and it landed in the right place on the very first try so we let it be that way.
What’s the funniest thing that’s happened on set in your career?
There was a guy who was hit by a crane and killed instantly. I couldn’t stop laughing.
That might be the darkest answer I’ve ever seen on an AMA. I love it.
Dark?
(Via)
What are you most proud of during your career as an actor?
That I was able to make a living as an actor nearly my entire adult life.
(Via)
You seem to be such a funny person on and off set – what’s it like for you to switch from doing something so funny like Malcolm in the Middle to something so deadly and serious like Breaking Bad?
What I discovered is that everyone has a dark side. It might be unrealized, untapped, but if the right buttons are pushed anyone can become dangerous and I just opened up to it. Now I don’t want to say that I killed people in preparation for the role… but I can’t deny it either.
I have a child due in a month – what should I name him?
Heisenberg. Call him “Little Berg.”
Edit: If you can’t go that far, then Walter sounds nice. And if it’s a boy…
(Via)
What would you be if you weren’t an actor at first?
Now? I don’t know. But I thought about being a police man when I was younger. I was pretty close to becoming one too but in college I took some acting classes and I found that the girls were much prettier there than in police science.
(Via)
Why wasn’t Frankie Muniz casted as Jessie?
Because he was on the road drumming for his band King’s Foil.
(Via)
Mr. Cranston, have you seen Samuel L Jackson’s video where he does your “I am the danger” monologue? What is it like finishing Breaking Bad? Are you sad to see it go, or excited to move on and do other projects?
How is the Stig, I wonder? I did see Sammy’s monologue and I’m going to be making one of my own from one of his monologues at some point to help with the Alzheimer’s research and finding the cure. I sympathize with him because my mother also had Alzheimer’s and it’s a horrible disease but he found a very interesting way to bring attention to it.
In a way I’m sad to see it go but in another way I’m so proud of it. To me it’s like retiring after winning the Super Bowl.
(Via)
What is your all time favorite movie, TV show, and food?
All-time favorite tv show is Breaking Bad, I don’t know if you guys have heard of it before. When you say The Godfather, everybody says “oh The Godfather“, but it was really remarkable. I loved The Andy Griffith show for its simplicity and warmth, but I also love Louis for its sardonic humor. My favorite food is typically what I am eating at the time. But if I had to chose one, I’d have to go Italian. How can you not love pasta?
(Via)
At what point in the series do you believe Walter White officially broke bad?
My feeling is that Walt broke bad in the very first episode. It was very subtle but he did because that’s when he decided to become someone that he’s not in order to gain financially. He made the Faustian deal at that point and everything else was a slippery slope.
(Via)
What is your personal opinion on Walt, both as a character and a person. Do ever read the script and think to yourself “i’m playing a real scumbag”? Also, please… Does Hank flush?
First of all Mr. Pickles. Thanks for pointing out our age difference… you little sh*t. Speaking of that, no he doesn’t flush. And further more I think Walt is just misunderstood. He’s a lovely person.
(Via)
Was this whole thing just an elaborate plot by Walt to get Jesse to learn chemistry?
Ha! You know there are many ways to teach people and you just have to find your own way end to stimulate the minds of young people. This was a ruse Walt designed way back when… “someday I’ll pretend to be making Crystal method, get him to be my partner. Yessss, that’s it.”
(Via)
Welcome to reddit!!
Hello Bryan, I just want to first off say I am a huge fan and you are a truly talented individual, and I read somewhere that you were a villain on the Power Rangers. If true please tell what it was like.
I’m doing action chops write now to depict that. I did voice work for the Power Rangers years and years ago. Someone once told me they named the blue Power Ranger after me, his last name was Cranston. I found out years later that was true.
Bryan, what was your favorite moment during Breaking Bad and why?
My favorite moment? I’ll say my favorite meth moment was the teaser in season 3 where Windy was the song and they had the meth whore, Wendy, trying to score and she would give head to anyone who would drive by in order to get her fix. Juxtaposed with that bubbly song were these horrible acts where she’s squatting in the alley, taking a pee. It was just nasty, nasty visuals and I thought it was brilliant.
The Association – Windy ( Breaking Bad ) from weirder on Vimeo.
Have you ever pranked Aaron Paul on set? For some reason I think that he’d be super gullible.
Oh yeah. There was one episode when where someone was giving us a problem and I told him to take care of it and he didn’t know specifically what I meant by it. I said “I need you to take care of it” and I reached into my waistband and pulled out a gun and put it on the counter. He understood the message. Then during the scene where I said “I need you to take care of it” I reached into my waistband and pulled out a dildo.
Who would win a bar fight: Frankie Muniz or Aaron Paul?
Hahaha. The woman who would throw them both out of the bar.
(Via)
What brand of razor do you use to shave your head?
I use a straight razor. Every man should shave his head at some point and walk around.
(Via)
