Bryan Cranston has had one of the most astonishing careers in the film and television industry, with his performance as Walter White in Breaking Bad considered by many one of the greatest acting turns in history. Indeed, that epic crime series elevated the American into one of the top stars in the business, turning him from a bit-part player into a leading man.
Prior to landing the role of the cancer-stricken chemistry teacher in Vince Gilligan’s show, Cranston was best known for his work on Malcolm in the Middle. Now, the actor is set to return to where it all began with a revival of that classic series.
Malcolm in the Middle Miniseries Set for Release
It could be argued that without Cranston’s turn as Hal in Malcolm in the Middle, he may not have gone on to have such a glittering career. For six years and 151 episodes between 2000 and 2006, the Los Angeles-born actor showed his range and let other filmmakers and television producers know what he was capable of.
Now, almost 20 years later, he’s returning to that role in what promises to be a nostalgia-driven revival. The new miniseries will catch up with Hal and Malcolm and all the other memorable characters from the original. It’s set to be a direct continuation of the story, with the family getting back together for Hal and Louis’ 40th wedding anniversary party.
Many of the other actors from the series didn’t go on to find the same success as Cranston, so it will be interesting to see them back as their iconic characters after all this time. However, a few of the original actors, such as Erik Per Sullivan, will not be returning this time.
Cranston Will Always Be Remembered for Breaking Bad
Fans of Cranston’s work will be happy to see him returning to one of his most iconic roles, but there’s a huge audience out there who’d love to see him back as what they regard as the greatest character of all time. The ending to Gilligan’s show was arguably perfect, though, and it would be hard to come up with a good reason to bring the character back again.
The good news is that Breaking Bad has lived on in other ways, helping more people to discover Cranston’s legendary character through other means. For instance, Better Call Saul is up there with the best spinoffs of all time, and that series brought more viewers into the Breaking Bad universe.
The series has also been transformed into game format, such as the mobile strategy game Breaking Bad: Criminal Elements. There’s even Breaking Bad slot games, with bonus bingo titles based on the show including Breaking Bad Cash Collect and Link and Breaking Bad: Mega Fire Blaze. Games such as these show the show’s impact on popular culture and the entertainment industry as a whole. These games are still some of the top-listed games in this market, despite Breaking Bad having concluded in 2013.
At 69 years old, Cranston is showing no signs of slowing down. Along with the Malcolm in the Middle revival, he’s also set to appear in three upcoming movies in the next few years. Right now, you can catch him in Wes Anderson’s new release, The Phoenician Scheme.
