Bryan Cranston, the Emmy-winning actor best known for his iconic role in ‘Breaking Bad’, says the hit series wouldn’t exist without ‘The Sopranos’, as it allowed characters like Walter White to take centre stage.
In multiple interviews recently, Cranston suggested that while he believes he has already said goodbye to Walter White, the door is not entirely closed, indicating that he’s open to stepping back into the character’s world but only under very specific circumstances.
“I think what … David Chase was able to do, in creating a character like Tony Soprano was certainly paving the way to allow the space for someone like Walter White to exist. It was groundbreaking,” Cranston told ‘The Dan Patrick Show’.
According to Cranston, Soprano and White are relatable because of their humanity, and that viewers don’t have to condone their actions to understand them.”Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan has echoed these sentiments — in fact, he argues that ‘The Sopranos’ walked so his series could run.
“Our show owes a great debt to ‘The Sopranos’, like all the other shows that centre on a flawed or somewhat antagonistic protagonist,” Gilligan told The Daily Beast. “If ‘The Sopranos’ had not existed, I don’t think ‘Breaking Bad’ would’ve been a harder sell — I think it would’ve been an absolutely impossible sell.”
In an earlier interview, Cranston suggested he was open to reprise Water White. “I don’t know if we’re done,” Cranston said, explaining that neither he nor series creator Gilligan is motivated by money. Instead, he added a return would require something powerful enough to justify reopening such a beloved and completed story.
Since the show’s conclusion, Cranston has reprised the role in carefully chosen moments, including ‘El Camino’ and select scenes in ‘Better Call Saul’, often alongside co-star Aaron Paul. These appearances, he said, were driven by story rather than nostalgia.
While there are no current plans for a new ‘Breaking Bad’ project, Cranston’s comments suggest that if the right idea ever emerges, one that feels unexpected, necessary and bold, a return to Walter White’s world might not be completely out of the question.
