Many actors find themselves pigeonholed into one genre, for some this works but for others it's a case that casting agents and audiences forget that they are actors and not solely the characters they've seen on screen and associate them with. Case in point, when Breaking Bad first began, before Walter White became a household name and Bryan Cranston's performance widely regarded as one of the best in television history, Cranston was constantly referred to as "the dad from Malcolm in the Middle". It seemed critics couldn't initially get their head around the fact that this goofball sitcom character would be trading in the jokes for a career in the meth manufacturing.
Of course, just referring to Bryan Cranston as a sit-com actor was not entirely fair back in 2008, when Breaking Bad began, as he'd had a long and varied acting career by that point. A 25 year long career to be exact, one which had seen him play against type multiple times. Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad, cast Bryan Cranston because he'd worked with him previously on The X-Files, in a role entirely different to that of Hal from Malcolm in the Middle. Cranston had also by this point played Lucifer in the 2007 mini-series Fallen, was in the films Saving Private Ryan and Little Miss Sunshine, had guest starred on Diagnosis Murder, Seinfeld, Baywatch and Murder She Wrote, played Buzz Aldren in From The Earth To The Moon, voiced characters on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and was an original cast member of the ABC soap opera Loving where he played Douglas Donovan from 1983 to 1985.
The fact is, Bryan Cranston has always had range. Able to make any character his own and sell any scenario he's placed in. Something he did to great effect whilst honing his skills and paying the bills in a range of 1980s commercials. None may be finer than this 1983 offering for the hemorrhoid relief ointment, Preperation H...
Airing before Bryan Cranston landed his first proper TV gig in Loving, although he'd already by then had minor guest roles on shows like CHiPs, Cranston's versatility shines through. He may or may not have hemorrhoids but you sure believe that he's an expert on the treatment of them and sells that product so well that I might just grab me some Preperation H in case I ever need to relieve a pain and itch for hours.
Of course, we could stop there but after relieving his inflamed hemorrhoidal tissue, Bryan Cranston needed a good shower. Luckily for him, his newly acquired commercial wife has found out about Shield deodorant soap, it can turn any pre-Heisenberg drug kingpin from stinky to sexy...
I think you'll agree, the skunk costume was a nice visual touch there.
But wait, there's more! You remember the season of Breaking Bad that revolved around the plane crash? I'm really hoping their stunted journey didn't begin on this airfield below with Bryan Cranston furiously trying to swat a bug whilst directing a plane to the runway. He really is in desperate need for some bug spray, as Cranston's wonderful facial expressions attest...
After all those shenanigans, Bryan Cranston needs a coffee! What's a man to do when there's no milk in the fridge? Cranston will tell you...
Better not mistake that Baby Blue for Coffemate, eh?
Time for something harder, as Bryan Cranston seamlessly transforms from mild mannered office worker to rolled-up sleeves douchbag, trading his coffee for Coors and some sports trivia...
And one final Bryan Cranston awesome commercial for you, this is from 1982 and may well be the first he starred in. Like Jack Black before him, who in the same year got really excited about Pitfall, a early 20's Bryan Cranston straddles a chair for some hot Atari 2600 Mega Force action...
That's the ear worm for the day sorted then.
I think you'll agree, from these fine examples above of Bryan Cranston pre-fame work, he deserved a best actor Emmy long before his multiple wins for Breaking Bad.
For your sheer range, Bryan Cranston we salute you.
No comments:
Post a Comment