Bryan Cranston Would Play Walter White Again — But Only Under One Condition
Bryan Cranston, 69, has revealed the one major thing that would make him step back into the iconic role of Walter White from *Breaking Bad*. In a 2023 interview with Awards Radar, resurfaced by TV Line on January 1, Cranston opened up about what it would take for him to reprise the legendary character once more.
“I thought when I was saying my tearful goodbyes to everybody that that was it,” Cranston shared. “Then *El Camino* came up. ‘Oh, I guess I’m gonna be Walter White again.’ And then *Better Call Saul* came up, ‘Oh, I guess I’m gonna be on.’ And then PopCorners commercial comes up. ‘You guys want to play it together?’ ‘Sure!’ It’s just fun.” He emphasized, “So now I’d be a fool to say, ‘Yeah, we’re done.’ ”
The *Malcolm in the Middle* actor also noted that “nothing’s on the horizon” at the moment, adding that neither he nor *Breaking Bad* creator Vince Gilligan “need a paycheck.” However, Cranston did reveal the one key condition that would influence his return to the *Breaking Bad* universe.
“If there was something that he [Gilligan] woke up from a dream, and went, ‘Oh my God,’ and he pitched me on it, and I too had the ‘Oh my God’ reaction, then I’d look at it,” Cranston explained to Awards Radar. He continued, “It’s not often that you get an ‘Oh my God’ reaction when you read or hear a pitch. If you’re stunned and astonished by something, you should pay attention. So, if that happens, I don’t assume that will, but if that ever did, I’d listen.”
Cranston previously returned as Walter White in the 2019 Netflix follow-up movie *El Camino*, which starred Aaron Paul and acted as a continuation immediately after the show’s series finale. Additionally, *Breaking Bad* characters, including Dean Norris’ Hank Schrader, have made appearances in the *Better Call Saul* spin-off series fronted by Bob Odenkirk.
Back in 2020, Cranston expressed eagerness to reprise his role, telling Collider he would play Walt “in a second” and had already spoken with Peter Gould and series co-creator Vince Gilligan about appearing in *Better Call Saul*. Both Cranston and Paul reprised their roles during the final season of *Better Call Saul* in 2022.
All five seasons of *Breaking Bad* are currently available to stream on Netflix. Fans hoping to see Cranston don the infamous Walter White hat once again will have to wait — but, as Cranston suggests, the perfect pitch could change everything.
https://people.com/what-bryan-cranston-has-said-it-would-take-for-him-to-return-to-breaking-bad-universe-walter-white-11878286
