8 Actors Who Unexpectedly And Brilliantly Played Against Type
7. Bryan Cranston As Walter White (Breaking Bad)
Its hard to believe now, but there was a time when finding a Bryan Cranston character knocking at your door was more likely to leave you laughing at the inevitable hilarious slapstick routine that followed, rather than quaking in terror at the idea of standing face-to-face with the ice cold Heisenberg. In his previously best-known role as the hapless Hal in Malcolm In The Middle, Cranston perfected the art of playing a slightly off-kilter suburban dad. It seems fair to assume that, having worked successfully with Cranston on an episode of The X-Files, series creator Vince Gilligan had seen this performance and his twisted mind concluded that surely experience in such a role could come in handy when it came to playing Walter White. Memories of the daft but lovable Hal certainly added to the horror of watching White transform from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to cold-hearted career criminal over the shows five seasons. Of course, Hal had his own criminal tendencies though they never went beyond punching the odd clown or stealing a car. Everyone can agree that those are a far cry from disposing of a body in acid, blowing up your enemies or poisoning a child just to get your own way.