It’s odd to consider that “Breaking Bad” was rejected by a number of networks before it could become the massively popular show that it eventually become. The show is mainly credited with defining what is meant to be called “the golden age of TV,” offering pre-streaming viewers a polished premium drama that exemplifies the exact kind of high-caliber entertainment that is frequently lacking in today’s too crowded media landscape.
Not to mention, “Breaking Bad” started or significantly boosted the careers of a number of its performers, chief among them Bryan Cranston, who portrayed Walter White/Heisenberg, a chemistry teacher on a meth-dealing journey to become a drug lord. Following the success of his groundbreaking series, Cranston has grown into a megastar, but not just the former “Malcolm in the Middle” star benefitted from the “Breaking Bad” boost. Since the show’s 2013 cancellation, the careers of several of the actors involved have flourished. While some of them may not have achieved the same level of fame as Cranston, they have all secured more opportunities than they would have if their resumes hadn’t included the AMC series.
If that even slightly piques your interest, maybe we can get you to join us on a less-meth-fueled expedition as we examine what became of the “Breaking Bad” cast members over ten years after the show concluded.
Bryan Cranston played Walter White across all 62 episodes of “Breaking Bad,” masterfully depicting a chemistry teacher and family man’s descent into criminality following his terminal cancer diagnosis. On paper, the idea of a high school teacher becoming a drug kingpin sounds a little far-fetched. I have to admit that after watching the season 1 episode in which Walter White and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) attempt to dissolve a body in a bathtub only to have the cadaver burn through the ceiling and spill onto the floor below, I was on the verge of tapping out based solely on the absurdity of it all. But I’m glad I didn’t, not only because the series overcame the more improbable moments and proved to be one of the finest TV shows ever aired, but because I would have missed Bryan Cranston proving himself to be one of the best actors in the game, landing four Outstanding Lead Actor Emmys for his work on the show.
Since then, Hollywood has, understandably, put Cranston in pretty much anything to which he’ll say yes. After “Breaking Bad” wrapped, the actor starred in numerous films, earning himself a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for playing Dalton Trumbo in 2015’s “Trumbo.” He also starred in “Godzilla” (2014), “The Infiltrator” (2016), and “The Upside” (2017), in which he co-starred with Kevin Hart. More recently Cranston appeared in Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” (2023). The actor has stayed close to TV throughout that time, too, producing and infrequently appearing in “Sneaky Pete” and starring in Showtime drama.
Aside from his film and TV roles, Cranston also appeared in several stage productions post-“Breaking Bad,” including a 2014 Broadway production of “All the Way” in which he played President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 2023, Cranston announced he’d be taking a well-earned break from acting in 2026 while we all wait to see if “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan can ever meet Cranston’s one condition to portray Walter White again. For now, the 68-year-old can take his break safe in the knowledge he’s established an enviable filmography in the years since “Breaking Bad.”
