9. Bryan Cranston (Walt) Malcolm In The Middle
This is the one that will probably be most familiar to everyone reading this article. Two years after his stint on The X-Files, Cranston starred as Malcolm's father, Hal, in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. Cranston's foray into comedy proved successful, garnering receiving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. This was a success mirrored by the show, which lasted for 7 years and 151 episodes before ending in 2006. As mentioned previously, Vince Gilligan had to persuade AMC to cast Bryan Cranston as at this point in his career he was mostly famous for comedy, and this is the prime reason (there is another reason also, which we'll get to later). Cranston plays the inept and dependent father of Malcolm, and plays it to his signature comedic ability, which anyone who has seen a Breaking Bad gag reel or an interview will know is unique blend of wit, intelligence and immaturity. If you've ever seen Malcolm's roller-blading scene set to We Are The Champions, you'll know what I mean.