This one is truly from a mum. Her handle is "PutDownThatLaptop"!
Erm...Oh!
Hi! It's Bryan Cranston and I'm here in London, taking some questions from Mumsnetters.
I wrote a book!
It's called 'A Life in Parts' and so it was a collection of short stories.
A memoir if you will.
And so let's get right to the questions!
This is Barricade. Barricade asks "You've had a long a distinguished career: Acting,
voicing, producing, directing, in cinema, television and stage. How different, and how
much of a challenge, was it writing your latest autobiography?"
Erm, these were stories that I've been telling all my life.
So it actually wasn't that daunting, not as much as I thought it was.
If I had the responsibility of looking at a blank screen and trying to fill 275 pages
and beginning, middle and end it would have been different.
But this one, as a collection of short stories, so each story I've been telling a lot so I
just sat down to write that one story and when I was done with that
I would start another story.
So it wasn't really that bad, in fact it was very cathartic. I really enjoyed the experience.
Ok this is from MegaMum212. Hello MegaMum!
"We're imagining you writing this book in Walter White's camper van
in the middle of the desert. Where did you do most of your writing?"
Err... a lot of it was on airplane flights. There's something about, you're sort of captive
anyway. You're there. You're in a seat. You might as well do a little work.
I also enjoyed it because, writing was very creative for me but I was able to do it alone
and my life has become so social that I crave some time alone and out of the public eye.
So I was able to create while being in solitude too to a degree.
Er this is from Monty79. "What career would you have chosen, if you didn't become an actor?"
That's easy, a wizard.
This is from Gunuph. Gunuph.
And Gunuph asks: "What's your favourite line of dialogue that you've had to say?"
Errm, probably the line:
"You clearly don't understand who you're talking to so I'll fill you in.
I am not IN danger Skylar. I AM the danger."
I'm actually surprised that I remember that line.
Okay so this is from Ffon. F-f-o-n: "How does it feel to have played one of the most badass
characters ever and to pe-"
I think Ffon means Hal from 'Malcolm in the Middle'
"and do people ever ask you if you actually know how to make meth?"
Er yeah I get that question quite a bit and the drug enforcement agency. Law enforcement
agency in the states, their chemists, actually were our consultants and taught us how to
make Crystal Methamphetamine.
Okay next question!
This is from Icklekazz
Icklekazz writes "We have a saying in our house, that everything in 'Malcolm in the
Middle' can be related to everyday life. Have you ever accidentally replicated a scene from
'Malcolm in the Middle' in your own life?"
Erm....well not accidentally but erm... do you remember this?
Uh-oh! Pow!
So there was a game we played, the circle game and if you hold the circle below your
waist and someone look at it, you get to slug them!
Yeah it's a boys game.
And we were getting letters from schools all over the world saying "how DARE you teach
this to our students. Everyone's doing it! Stop it immediately!"
And we're like "well there's a way- Just don't look at it! And you don't get slugged!"
And we have a letter from SusanChurcHouse.
And Susan writes: "You were the 'regifter' in the Seinfeld episode The Label Maker. But
what's the best gift you've ever been given?"
Er that's also very easy for me, it would be my daughter Taylor.
It's just miraculous to see your child being born. It's embedded in my memory, hopefully
it'll always stay.
Thank you!
TorTheCatLady. TorTheCatLady. And TorTheCatLady asks "Have you ever been the subject of mistaken
identity, if so who have you been mistaken for?"
Erm, the thing that pops into my mind that I wrote into the book was, there was a time,
a short period of time when I was mistaken to be a possible murder suspect.
I'm not joking. That's not a joke. I was for a short period of time, considered to be a
murder suspect. So...
I'll just leave it at that.
This is from VilootShesCute. VilootShesCute!
"Say my name, Bryan. Oh go on, pleeease..."
...VilootShesCute
There you go.
This one, this one if from BootyGirl. And BootyGirl writes: "What is the one piece of
advice you live by?"
I think erm...I wrote a screenplay, I wrote a movie that I directed several years ago
now called "Last Chance" and it's a romantic drama.
I wrote it for my wife as a gift and she was the star and I played her husband. And before
I write something I always feel like I have to have a theme. And this theme was, I was
mulling it around in my brain and I realised "This really is...not a cautionary tale but
it is a life lesson" It is something I try to live by and that is "It's more important
to have a dream than to achieve the dream."
Yes, it would be lovely if everybody was able to achieve their dream. But that's not THE
most important thing.
What gets us up in the morning and what puts drive into our day and fulfils our hope is
that we have a dream.
It's better to have that dream and pursue it than it is to achieve it.
And I think that's...that's what I've tried to live by.
That's it for now. I wanna thank you Mumsnet for setting this up.
I hope you enjoy the book. In it you'll read passages about my life that are honest and
I hope you except that.
It's not an autobiography where everything is sweet and wonderful and everything works
out right, because I don't relate to that.
We all had challenges in our life and I write about those challenges. So at least you'll
be, you'll get an honest depiction of who I am.
I appreciate it. Thank you for this time. Ta-ta!