20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Breaking Bad

8. John Cusack And Matthew Broderick Were Considered For Walter White

It's hard to imagine anyone other than Bryan Cranston playing Walter White. Before Breaking Bad best known as the Dad from Malcolm In The Middle, Heisenberg showed just how wide-ranging the actor's skills were, giving him a free choice of other roles. But he wasn't the only actor considered for the part; AMC were initially unsure about Cranston's suitability, with John Cusack and Matthew Broderick both sent scripts of the pilot with an eye to them taking the lead.

The network's trepidation towards Cranston stemmed from his comedic past, but to Vince Gilligan he was perfect; the head writer had worked with the actor years previously on The X-Files and once his name popped up he knew he'd found his Walt. Interestingly, Aaron Paul was also almost not cast in the show, deemed too good looking to play a meth addict.