Throughout its five-season run from 2008-2013, Breaking Bad skyrocketed Bryan Cranston’s career to enormous heights, and his character’s impact is still present to this day. And it’s not unlikely to assume that his career might not witness another character of the same caliber as Heisenberg, but the fact that his greatest work is behind him doesn’t really bother the actor.
Reflecting on the impact of Walter White, Bob Odenkirk, who has similar accomplishments to Cranston following his part of Saul, compared White’s greatness to that of Captain Kirk.
Bob Odenkirk Elevated Walter White to the Same League as Captain Kirk
While Bob Odenkirk failed to bag Emmy Wins like Cranston for his role in the Breaking Bad universe, like Walter White, his character of Saul Goodman is unanimously beloved by millions. And the Nobody Star, who deemed the Seinfield Star as his spiritual mentor, elevated Walter White to the same level as Star Trek‘s Captain Kirk. The BCS Star further explained that Bryan Cranston should embrace the character’s legacy and not regret that his best is behind him. He told GQ:
“He’s watched careers and he’s watched them up close, and he’s seen actors up close. He knows you gotta ride the various waves that come and go. Nothing’s gonna beat Walter White for world impact. It’s like Captain Kirk, you know? So what do you do with that? Well, you don’t get all upset about the fact that it’s that important to people and that it will always be.”
Although it has been a decade since White’s story wrapped, Cranston did reprise the role for a brief appearance in BCS and he hasn’t shunned the possibility of donning the fedora again in the future.
Bryan Cranston Hasn’t Shut the Possibility of Donning the Fedora Again
Considering that BCS beautifully wrapped up every possible plot point, ending the BB universe on a pretty high note, which is a rarity for TV Shows, hoping for Walter White to return seems a big stretch. But the Emmy winner doesn’t underestimate Vince Gilligan’s brilliance, stating that he’ll be down to reprising the role again if Gilligan ever comes up with anything solid. Cranston told Awards Radar:
“If there was something that he [Vince Gilligan] that he 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.”
Even if Gilligan and he do decide to expand on their magnum opus, it’s not going to be anytime soon following the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, as Cranston stands in solidarity with the actors.
