For fans who know him only as Walter White on “Breaking Bad,” Bryan Cranston’s early on-screen appearances may come as a surprise. He’s played a philandering psychiatrist on “Matlock,” a bigoted roofer on “The X-Files,” and even Snizard on “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.”
In a Profile in this week’s magazine, Tad Friend explains that Cranston’s rise was equal parts “design and devotion.” Cranston spent years doing commercials and making guest appearances, with lucky breaks—like his appearance on an HBO miniseries—coming only as a consequence of his hard work and his willingness to play a range of characters. It’s this broad range that Cranston has become known for, and although Cranston will always be remembered for his role as a meth kingpin, it’s clear from these clips of his earlier work that he’s so much more than Walt.
