LOS ANGELES, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Bryan Cranston's role as a
cancer-stricken chemistry teacher who manufactures
methamphetamine on television's "Breaking Bad" has earned him
three Emmy Awards and a massive cult following.
Before the show he was best-known as the father on the
comedy series "Malcolm in the Middle," but his role as a
sympathetic bad guy has made Hollywood take notice.
Now the 56-year-old actor is sought for feature films,
having starred in "John Carter," "Red Tails," "Rock of Ages" and
"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted."
Cranston has his most high-profile film role to date, as the
evil Chancellor Cohaagen in a remake of the 1990 Arnold
Schwarzenegger blockbuster "Total Recall," which opens in the
United States on Friday. It stars Colin Farrell in the
Schwarzenegger role as the ordinary man who discovers he is
actually a super spy.
Cranston spoke about the new film and what he plans to do
when "Breaking Bad" ends next year.
Q: You play the evil Chancellor Cohaagen in "Total Recall."
What was it about the role that attracted you?
A: "The idea of having a bad guy for the sake of being a bad
guy, I don't relate to that. I always need to justify the
characters' actions. If you can't then the character stays
outside of you and you're never comfortable because you never
quite understand that character. An actor needs to ingest a
character, to swallow it and let it sink down into the center of
your body and live there in order for you to truly be
comfortable."
Q: So after you ingested Cohaagen, what's he all about?
A: "I wanted to have Cohaagen understood. He believes in his
own cause so he can justify his actions and his point of view
and his agenda: 'I am right. My world is great. Come on in.'"
Q: What was the most challenging aspect of playing the role?
A: "The hand-to-hand combat with Colin Farrell. I've always
been an athlete, so I pride myself in being able to do it. But
it was the physical nature of the hand-to-hand combat and the
orchestration that had to be done. Then I got pink eye from
splashing around in that water (where the fight takes place).
Everybody was walking in and out of that water and it became
this dirty Petri dish. I got pink eye in both eyes!"
Q: You've won three consecutive Emmys for your performance
on "Breaking Bad." Does that alter a career?
A: "It does. That kind of attention gets you noticed. Having
notoriety like an Emmy or getting nominated for a Golden Globe
puts your name out there. Then when someone is talking about
roles and you're in the news, you're out there in the zeitgeist
and then it's, "Bryan Cranston? Bring him in!"
Q: So you credit the show for your feature film resurgence,
including last year's "Drive," "Contagion" and the upcoming Ben
Affleck-directed "Argo"?
A: "I think 'Breaking Bad' busted down those doors where
people either didn't know me at all, or knew me as the silly dad
from 'Malcolm in the Middle.' But even getting 'Breaking Bad'
was an issue. Had I not had the good fortune to work with (show
creator Vince Gilligan) nearly 10 years ago on an episode of
'The X-Files' it wouldn't have happened. I played a despicable
character who you still kind of cared about and he remembered me
from that."
Q: "Breaking Bad" is currently in its fifth season. The
sixth and final one begins shooting in November and will air
next summer. Are you looking forward to reprising Walter White
one last time?
A: "I want to get on the roller coaster again, yeah. Then
when it comes to the last stop, I'll step out and say, 'That was
great!' Then we'll hug, we'll cry, we'll laugh, we'll say
goodbye and move on."
Q: Are you already plotting what you'll be doing after that?
A: "There are plans. I wrote a script that I'm going to
direct. I adapted it from a novel ('Home Again' by David
Wiltse). It's a family drama, a family in crisis and a murder
mystery. As soon as 'Breaking Bad' is done, we'll go into
pre-production. Hopefully we'll have our cast rounded out by
then."
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to check off your
career bucket list?
A: "I haven't done Broadway yet. I hope to within the next
couple of years. I've had opportunities but either the material
wasn't quite right or the timing wasn't quite right. But now
that I know 'Breaking Bad' will (stop shooting) in March of next
year, I will be able to walk away proud of that series and not
do another one for at least a couple of years -- to just push
back from that and see what opportunities there may be for me in
theater."
Q: In September, you'll be attending the Emmys where you
have your fourth nomination for playing Walter White. Is the
pressure on or off?
A: "I never thought the pressure was on me because I don't
think in those terms. To anticipate a gift is bad form, so just
allow it to be a gift. If it's supposed to be yours then someone
will give it to you. If not, then not. It's not going to make me
happy or unhappy."
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Matthew Lewis)