Bryan Cranston

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade Featuring Bryan Cranston

Episode Details:

• Title: Bryan Cranston
• Release Date: June 11, 2025
• Hosts: Dana Carvey and David Spade
• Guest: Bryan Cranston
• Presented by: Audacy

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1. Introduction to Bryan Cranston

The episode kicks off with Dana Carvey and David Spade enthusiastically welcoming Bryan Cranston to the show. Dana remarks on Bryan's timeless presence and legacy in the acting world, setting the stage for an engaging conversation about his career and experiences.

Notable Quote:

• Dana Carvey [05:08]: "Brian Cranston is a name you want to say. It feels good to say it."

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2. Bryan Cranston's Acting Journey

Bryan delves into his early days in acting, sharing his transition from aspiring police officer to full-time actor. He recounts his time at a junior college studying police science and how an acting class sparked his passion for performing.

Key Points:

• Initially pursued a career in law enforcement.
• An acting class during his second year changed his career trajectory.
• Traveled across the country on a motorcycle, taking various jobs before committing fully to acting.

Notable Quote:

• Bryan Cranston [29:30]: "I took an acting class, and it just spun me out of control."

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3. Overcoming Challenges in Stand-Up Comedy

Dana and David share their own experiences with stand-up comedy, highlighting the challenges they faced in auditions and performances. Bryan empathizes, discussing his brief stint in stand-up and the fears he had to overcome.

Key Points:

• Bryan did stand-up for about nine months in the early '80s to conquer his fear.
• Shared anecdotes about bombing auditions and the vulnerability of performing solo.
• Emphasized the importance of persistence and learning from failures.

Notable Quote:

• Bryan Cranston [12:23]: "I rose from being terrible to being mediocre."

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4. Transitioning to Television and Breakthrough Roles

The conversation shifts to Bryan's significant roles in television, notably his time on "Malcolm in the Middle" and his iconic portrayal in "Breaking Bad." Bryan discusses the serendipitous nature of opportunities in show business and how luck plays a role in career advancements.

Key Points:

• Consistent work after landing a role on a soap opera at 25.
• The unexpected opportunity to star in "Breaking Bad" during a transitional period.
• The philosophy of not viewing auditions as job interviews but as opportunities to present one's best work.

Notable Quotes:

• Bryan Cranston [07:53]: "Luck has a weird way of working."
• Bryan Cranston [26:31]: "Whenever anybody wants or needs something, they don't have control... I'm just going to hold on to that."

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5. Philosophy on Auditions and Success

Bryan shares his unique approach to auditions, emphasizing authenticity over desperation. He advises aspiring actors to present their best work without seeking validation, and to view auditions as a chance to showcase their talent rather than secure a job.

Key Points:

• Encourages actors to focus on delivering their best performance without overthinking.
• Highlights the importance of control and not relying solely on external validation.
• Discusses imposter syndrome and maintaining humility despite success.

Notable Quote:

• Bryan Cranston [27:58]: "Do not go in there to get a job. Go in there to do a job."

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6. Working with Wes Anderson and Collaborations

Bryan discusses his collaborations with director Wes Anderson, elaborating on the unique working style and the challenges of executing Anderson's specific vision. He praises Anderson's auteur approach and the creative dynamics on set.

Key Points:

• Describes the meticulous nature of Wes Anderson's directing.
• Shares experiences of rehearsing and adapting to Anderson's fast-paced dialogue.
• Highlights the camaraderie and structured environment during shoots.

Notable Quotes:

• Bryan Cranston [35:55]: "Wes Anderson is probably the most unapologetically Texan you've ever met."
• Bryan Cranston [42:46]: "There's no system. They just grab you on the way to the bathroom."

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7. Hosting Saturday Night Live

The trio reminisces about Bryan's experience hosting "Saturday Night Live." Bryan shares his nerves and excitement, detailing the behind-the-scenes moments that made hosting the iconic show a memorable experience.

Key Points:

• The adrenaline rush of stepping onto the SNL stage.
• Interactions with the crew and the spontaneous nature of live hosting.
• The importance of trusting the process and enjoying the moment.

Notable Quotes:

• Bryan Cranston [61:27]: "That 90 minutes was over in... it felt like two seconds."
• David Spade [62:32]: "And it was fun."

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8. Reflections on Acting and Industry Insights

Bryan reflects on his acting philosophy, the evolution of television, and the impact of groundbreaking shows like "Breaking Bad" and "The Wire." He emphasizes the unpredictable nature of the entertainment industry and the importance of seizing opportunities.

Key Points:

• The transformation of television into a medium capable of deep, serialized storytelling.
• Discusses the potential reboot of "Malcolm in the Middle" and the dynamics involved.
• Shares insights on maintaining longevity in an ever-changing industry.

Notable Quotes:

• Bryan Cranston [63:35]: "It was incredible... and how deep dive involved you are in every moment of that."
• Dana Carvey [65:03]: "There is whimsy to this life. And whimsical things happen in show business."

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9. Closing Remarks and Future Projects

As the conversation winds down, Bryan hints at future projects and expresses gratitude for the enduring support from fans and peers. Dana and David wrap up the episode with lighthearted banter and well-wishes for Bryan's upcoming endeavors.

Notable Quotes:

• Dana Carvey [66:32]: "I love it all. Yep. Thanks, guys."
• Bryan Cranston [66:24]: "It's been a pleasure."

---

Conclusion:

This episode of "Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade" offers an intimate look into Bryan Cranston's illustrious career, his philosophies on acting and auditions, and his experiences working with esteemed directors and on iconic shows. The hosts and Bryan share candid stories, personal insights, and reflections that provide listeners with valuable lessons and a deeper appreciation for the craft of acting.

Transcript

[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

So I'm home, Dana, and I'm looking for something to eat. I don't want to make anything. And do you know what cachava is? Kachava.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yep.

[David Spade]

It is. Yeah, it's like energy drink. It's a shake. It's. It's a to go thing. If you want to get some nourishment, you want to go just, you know, you don't have tons of time. There's chocolate. You put a. There's chocolate flavor. You can put a little oat milk in it, frozen banana, spoonful of peanut butter. You know, stuff like this. It's super healthy. And I just got it in the mail and I'm like, where was it yesterday? Because this is what I do in the day. I pop in. I'm very busy, Dana.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, I talked to your publicist.

[David Spade]

I know. I make you call them.

[Dana Carvey]

No, you are busy. And this is for busy, busy people. Who doesn't want a very healthy, delicious drink when you're running around and going, get just busy. That's all.

[David Spade]

I'm just saying, get back on the streets. Stop by the house. It's exactly what I'm looking for. And it's got 25 grams of plant based protein, 85 plus superfoods. And none of the junk, none of the soy, no artificial anything. Just ingredients you'll actually recognize like chia seeds, goji berries, maca root. Right.

[Dana Carvey]

It's easy, it's delicious, and it keeps you full for hours. And if you've ever tried green powders or protein shakes that taste like lawn clippings.

[David Spade]

Yeah, the lawn bag. That's right. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

This. And I have. This is not that. Fuel your daily adventures with kachava. Go to kachava.com and use code fly for 15 off your next order. That's Kachava K A C-H-A-V A dot com. Code fly for 15% off.

[David Spade]

Brian Cranston, Dana.

[Dana Carvey]

Brian Cranston.

[David Spade]

I'm a big fan of Brian Cranston, and, you know, I don't really run into him out there in the world, and most of these people usually kind of bump into here and there, but I, um. Maybe they were doing Malcolm in the Middle on CBS Radford lot when I was doing Just Shoot Me. It feels like it's synced up around the same time.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Super cool. Super light on his feet. Always is laughing. Doesn't take it too seriously for being a really good dramatic actor and comedic actor.

[Dana Carvey]

No, he doesn't take it seriously at all. And you try to pay him a compliment. He's very, very humble about it. I'm not sure he can really grasp how great he is, but it's hard to not gush a little bit because he was so brilliant in Breaking Bad, and I think it's a quintessential show. Just someone really fun to hang out with. Had a great sense of humor, told us all about his adventure, trying to be a standup comedian for a full year. And that's a very interesting story and where he came from and how he started in a soap opera in New York and when he felt like he made it.

[David Spade]

Yeah. Oh, Malcolm in the Middle was huge. And he got. Was it Breaking Bad within a year? It's so weird how those time frames. Because Malcolm in the Middle seems like forever ago. Breaking Bad does not seem like that long ago, but I guess within a year he got it.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. And then it just goes to the idea of. I call it whimsy or luck in show business. And he kind of talks about these pieces of his career. There's this sort of like just planets lined up for him. And of course, the Phoenician.

[David Spade]

It's out right now with Wes Anderson. The Phoenician scheme, was it?

[Dana Carvey]

Sorry about that.

[David Spade]

With Benicio Del Toro, who I love.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. And Tommy. Tommy Hanks or Tom Hanks to you.

[David Spade]

Tombo.

[Dana Carvey]

Tombo Hanson.

[David Spade]

And, uh, yeah, so great chat. We all cracked up, as always, and hope you like it. And here's the guy.

[Dana Carvey]

Here is Mr. Bryan Cranston.

[David Spade]

Shit. That dude's here already.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, fuck Bryan Cranston. God damn it. Don't say anything. He can't hear us yet. He can't hear us yet.

[Bryan Cranston]

I can't hear anything.

[Dana Carvey]

Here's the thing.

[David Spade]

Not one thing.

[Dana Carvey]

This guy.

[David Spade]

Brian Cranston.

[Dana Carvey]

Brian Cranston is a name you want to say. It feels good to say it.

[Bryan Cranston]

You're God.

[Dana Carvey]

Brian Cranston. Our whole goal is not to bore you.

[Bryan Cranston]

So how's that going so far?

[David Spade]

I think we're, you know, I just watched your monologue of Brian Cramston. Brian Cranberry, the SNL mono God.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, God. Thanks for coming on. You're a, you know, you're, You're Brian Cranston. When did you first realize that? Like, I'm Bryan Cranston.

[David Spade]

Yeah. When do you put in it?

[Dana Carvey]

When did you kind of go, hey, I'm Bryan Cranston. I'm Brian Cranston. I'm Brian Cranston. Yeah. I want to know the moment, because we don't have a real structure here. I'm assuming sometime during Breaking Bad. It must have hit you at some point. This is fantastic. This show's great. And I'm, I think I'm really killing it here. This is, this is fucking. You know what I mean? You must have had a moment, or maybe it was a gradual series of moments. When I got an snl, it worked out for me. I was sort of like, oh, wow, I'm actually on snl, and it's doing pretty well for me. So the same kind of thing. Was that. Was it there or was it Malcolm in the Middle? Was it, Was it Seinfeld or, I assume, Breaking Bad? I'll let you talk.

[David Spade]

There you go.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, you know, I mean, those elevations along the way when you're hoping that you have opportunity. I think I, I started to talk to some young actors a while ago, and also those of us who have been around a while, and I, I, I said, I think I realized what it was. When you first start out, you have tremendous ambition, but low opportunity and. Right. It's like you want to conquer everything, but it's like you're struggling to find an audition. And then if you get really lucky, as we all have, I think the opportunities grow sometimes larger than the ambition. And that's where I find myself now, is putting out the same amount of energy, but going, oh, my God, okay, yes, I will read that script. I will get to that at some point. You know, I instruct my agents now. I said, listen, please don't send me anything that you don't really love. So, you know, let them do that work. To be able to say, oh, this script is really, really great, so you should take a look at it. But I think It's a question I actually had for you, for both of you.

[David Spade]

Thank you.

[Bryan Cranston]

Can I do that? Can I?

[Dana Carvey]

We love that.

[David Spade]

We like it better.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, it's better for us.

[Bryan Cranston]

You know the interesting thing of when you feel like you've, you've made it. When I was 25 years old, I got a job on a soap opera here in New York. And you know, it's churn, man. You're just one script. You do the script, you throw it out, read so hard, Next day, next day, next day, next day. It's. It's a lot of churn that you're going through. But there was something about feeling like, oh man, I could do this. I feel like I can do this. And it was from that moment on at 25, that I've only worked as an actor since. And so I wanted to find out from you guys if that's the way you felt when you got on snl. Did something click? Did you cross over a threshold that you went, holy shit, this is it for me?

[Dana Carvey]

David?

[David Spade]

My answer would be, it was such a slow grind. I think Dana popped quicker on snl, but I, I was doing standup. Then I got on an hbo Young Comedians, and I got an snl then I was a writer first. And so it took me to getting through SNL and having to make one more jump to something that worked because I wasn't quite solidified yet. Like, you can always make one misstep off SNL and you get one like, free pass, hey, we'll give you a movie, we'll give you a TV show or something. And if that doesn't work, to generate that heat again is so fucking hard. And so I got to a sitcom and then when the sitcom started to work, that one old one just shoot me. It was probably on around one years or something. But when that got to like year three, I started breathe again and go, okay, this might be what I do. You know, I don't think I'm going back now. But when was yours, Dana? Cause that was, that was. It took that long. To be honest.

[Dana Carvey]

I bombed a lot. You know, I just started doing standup. There wasn't ground lanes or theater groups up in San Francisco in those days, so I was doing standup. But I didn't find out until 10 years later, literally almost from my first set to getting snl, like, oh, this is where I belong. So when I got an SNL and I'd done these characters as a stand up, and then I put the wig on and the dress, the church Lane stuff. It was like, this is. This is really fun. And we'll talk about when you host it, but. And also your lbj, which is, I think, is extraordinary. I was watching you do one of.

[David Spade]

The best LBJs out there.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, the only one where you.

[David Spade]

You, Fred Travelina.

[Dana Carvey]

And, well, he was doing it as an actor. I. I mean, I.

[David Spade]

No, I know Hollywood wanted to use me.

[Dana Carvey]

I. I screen tested for Amadeus, you know.

[David Spade]

For real?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did a sitcom with Mickey Rooney, Nathan Lane in New York City when I was 25 years of age at, at. At Studio 6A in Rockefeller Center. And then eight years later, I got on the there. So to answer your question shortly, it's like once I got in snl, I felt like a fish in water, like I really belong here, you know? And so that was. That was it for me, you know.

[Bryan Cranston]

How old were you then, Dana?

[Dana Carvey]

I was 51. No, I. I was. I was 31 and my first set in a shitbox comedy club where these comedians came up and I thought, well, they're not that great. It was a. No, it was in Berkeley and I, and I, I scrolled on a nap and I do a Howard Cosell, I do John Wayne, you know, and then a guy came up and levitated the room and it was Rob Williams. And then I crumpled the paper or the napkin, put it back in my pocket because I didn't know there was only one of him. But basically it was the classic 10 years of this. But the standups always have a baseline, like a band. You just go back to the clubs, go to the theaters, do stand up. So it's. It's a nice little side job.

[Bryan Cranston]

It is, it's foundational for you. I did stand up for about nine months back in 1980. 81. And I did it only because it scared the shit out of me. Yeah, what you guys do was. Was something that terrified me. So I thought, wow, the only way I'm ever going to get over this fear of it is to dive in. So I rose from being terrible to being mediocre in. In those.

[David Spade]

That's a big jump.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, it's a big jump.

[David Spade]

It is in stand up.

[Dana Carvey]

It is big.

[David Spade]

Everyone do the job.

[Dana Carvey]

Get.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Consistent. Laughs.

[David Spade]

You know, was it New York?

[Bryan Cranston]

It was in LA, back in 81, when they had. There were places like the Playboy Club. Was. Was there in Century City, the last stop, of course, the Comedy Store.

[David Spade]

And improv is Laugh Stop in Newport.

[Bryan Cranston]

There was, it was.

[David Spade]

There was one in Newport right then.

[Bryan Cranston]

There was one in the Valley, where I. I had a great night. My best night was in the Valley. I did. I love it, you know, about eight minutes or something. And killed. I got in my car, I drove to the improv. I begged the guy. You got to get me on.

[Dana Carvey]

I did not.

[David Spade]

I'm on fire.

[Bryan Cranston]

I'm on fire, right? He says, well, I could stick around because someone may not show up. And so.

[David Spade]

Come on, you're blowing it.

[Bryan Cranston]

I know. So I. So he says, I think. I think. What's his name? He's not going to show up. So in about 45 minutes, you can go on. Okay. Okay. 45 minutes. 45 minutes. I walked around the block in that neighborhood. I walked around the block in that neighborhood doing my set, just trying to recall it exactly as I did it. That got such a great reaction, and I felt great. And I got up. It wasn't the same.

[David Spade]

Not the same. Yuck. It's so weird. Crowds are like fingerprints. They just. They're all a little bit different. And then you go, I just was on the road, and I'm like, one night, these three jokes work the best. The next thing, these three. So overall, it's about the same, but you go, why? Why didn't they bite on that? Did I say it wrong? Is a different attitude, different. Something about it. It just. It didn't work.

[Bryan Cranston]

And you could. You could drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh.

[Bryan Cranston]

Anyway. And I started. I. I started turning down auditions because I was drinking too much. You know, I was in the clubs, and. And if I had a good night, someone would offer me a drink. If I had a bad night, someone would offer me a drink.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah.

[David Spade]

And they're all free, which is great.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. And you're just going. And then sleeping until noon or one and turning down auditions. And finally I just went, wait a minute. Wait a minute. What am I doing? And I realized that what you guys had innately was not me. It was not in my being. I was trying to overcome a fear, and all of a sudden I realized, wait a minute, I did that. Oh, let me go back to.

[David Spade]

That was the point. Yeah, you did that. Which is a huge thing I remember. Does it scare you? With acting, does it scare you, or is the fact you have a few takes so it's a little easier?

[Bryan Cranston]

Well, it's. It's just a different muscle, Right? You. You and you. You're attracted to certain types of performing, and you find something that you do well, and it's, you know, inspiring. I. I didn't. I didn't. Wake up thinking, oh, I gotta get on stage and try it to tell this joke. I. I love being different people and getting into their skin and doing the research and figuring out what made that guy tick and why was he important and all that.

[David Spade]

So what, are the police coming to your house right now?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, that's usually a. That's from our parent company. It's just saying, pick up the podcast a little bit.

[David Spade]

It's a little bit of they put a siren in.

[Dana Carvey]

It's a little bit like, I'm just curious for a second, because you become one of our great actors. It sort of maybe happened secretly or whatever, but I know you would never put yourself probably with your. Your nature into the. The people you watch growing up, you know, and then you realize, you must realize at some point you're doing work as good or better than a lot of your heroes.

[David Spade]

Right?

[Dana Carvey]

I'm talking. I know what age group we're in. You know, there's.

[David Spade]

You're the people.

[Dana Carvey]

You're dying now, and Spencer Tracy would have loved you. Jimmy Stewart, just so. That's kind of surreal, isn't it?

[Bryan Cranston]

To realize that I still don't feel that. I don't know, maybe it's just the way I was raised, but there is that imposter syndrome that I think many people go through, that you go, wait a minute. I don't always know what I'm doing, but people think I do.

[David Spade]

You can get away with a lot.

[Bryan Cranston]

Oh, my God.

[David Spade]

And your acting choices are like, so genius. I forgot my line is throwing a dart.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, that stutter you did. I was searching for the word I didn't remember.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, when you spaced out when you.

[David Spade]

Looked off, you know, so real.

[Dana Carvey]

David, as a small business owner, you don't have the luxury of clocking out early.

[David Spade]

I do not.

[Dana Carvey]

Your business is on your mind 24 7. So when you're hiring, you need a partner that grinds just as hard as you do. The hiring partner is linked in jobs. When you clock out, LinkedIn clocks in. LinkedIn makes it easy to post your job for free, share it with your network and get qualified candidates that you can manage all in one place.

[David Spade]

You know, I will give you an example. When I was hired growing up, every job I had, I got fired from. And if they had LinkedIn, they probably.

[Dana Carvey]

Would have got a perfect rest.

[David Spade]

Someone better, you know, but they get me and I'm some scrub. But now it's more advanced, like someone like Heather, who's very good at her job. You get someone like LinkedIn would get her and say, here's someone that really works hard and knows what they're doing. But a lot of times you don't get that.

[Dana Carvey]

No, it's just. It's the new way of doing this. LinkedIn's new feature can help you write job descriptions and then quickly get your job in front of the right people with deep candidate insights. Either post your job for free or pay to promote promoted jobs. Get three times more qualified applicants.

[David Spade]

At the end of the day, the most important thing to your small business is the quality of candidates. And with LinkedIn, you can feel confident you're getting the best. Based on some LinkedIn data, 72% of small businesses using LinkedIn say that LinkedIn helps them find high quality candidates.

[Dana Carvey]

You can let your network know your hiring. You can even add a hashtag hiring frame to your profile Picture and get two times more qualified candidates. Find out why more than 2.5 million small businesses use LinkedIn for hiring today. Find your next great hire on LinkedIn.

[David Spade]

Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com candidates that's LinkedIn.com candidates to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

[Brian Green]

Hey, podcast universe. It's Brian Green from the mediocre comedy podcast sensation the Commercial Break. Recently, TCB celebrated five years of existence, and we did it in style by doing 12 episodes in one day. That's right. We recorded and published 12 episodes in one day. We had some show friends like Tig Notaro, Reggie Watts, and Tom Papa stop by to have a discussion with us. We took listener calls and reviewed all six seasons of the Commercial Break. And if you're hearing this message, we likely stayed awake for the entire thing to. So if you're on a long road trip on that family vacation where you try and get away from your family, or you're generally trying to avoid responsibility like some podcasters we know, you can go to wherever it is you listen to your podcasts and check out TCB's endless day. The Commercial Break is also available on Audysee's free app. You can download it onto your phone or go to tcbpodcast.com TCB's endless day. It ended. So it's kind of a terrible name, but it's 12 hours of pinchable entertainment. Best to you.

[David Spade]

When did Bob Odenkirk first come to you go. Oh, that was a great take.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, Brian, you're killing it.

[David Spade]

Oh, my God, that's so great. People are gonna love it.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, that's funny.

[David Spade]

That's so funny.

[Bryan Cranston]

When he was hired for Breaking Bad. He hadn't seen the show yet. And I just ribbed him about that. I go, so he got hired to be on a show, and the episodes were readily available to you, but you chose readily. You chose not to be. So anyway, but he, He. He learned quickly. And, boy, what a. What a lovely thing that's happened to him, you know?

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

And I, you know, when he, when he was offered Better Call Saul, he asked if he can go out to lunch with me. And I said, sure. And he said, I'm not that guy. I'm not the hey, follow me, I'll lead you to the promised land kind of guy. And I said, you know, I didn't know that I was that either, but there is the need for that person to kind of take care. To kind of be the dad of a. Of a company show of a show. You're number one on the call sheet. It's kind of saying, there it is for you to take.

[David Spade]

It's like quarterback.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

You look up to you, even whether you don't know you know it or not.

[Bryan Cranston]

Exactly.

[David Spade]

Exactly.

[Bryan Cranston]

So I said, there's. There's a. Going to be a vacuum. If you don't take it, someone else will or it'll be taken up by someone who you don't necessarily think is. Is the right person. You know? So it's, you know, just. I said. When I, When I first started getting some comments of, of my work, I used to push back. Hey, you're really good. No, no, no. I used to say that. Oh, you're a. You're a really becoming a television star. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm just an actor. Just. And I found it did terrible things. First of all, it made the person wrong, which is not a good thing. Feel bad.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

And feel bad. Force them to then continue the fight.

[David Spade]

More compliments.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm being serious, Trick. So what do you say now?

[Bryan Cranston]

Thank you.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Dana Carvey]

That's it.

[David Spade]

You don't want to go on a set and be run by number nine on the call sheet.

[Dana Carvey]

Let me ask you a question about the. And I don't know exactly. I know the Malcolm in the Middle this and that, but was. You were the lead. Lead in Breaking Bad and you were in the flow all day long. I mean, the, the pacing of yourself, but also when you're someone who comes in and does a guest spot or has one line, you're waiting all day, that's that. I mean, you get into a flow, right, where you're just that character for so many hours. Is it harder? Better? Obviously it's, how do you hand, how do you handle the sheer exhaustion and do you get almost hypnotized even deeper into the, into the world because you're just doing so much of it?

[Bryan Cranston]

Well, as you guys know this, so for the listeners, it's, it's basically you, you find your rhythm when you're needed, when you can rest, you, you develop a system of how and when you're going to rise to an occasion and when you can shut down a little bit. But I always thought, and we've all been on shows where you have the, the person coming on the show who has one line and they know nobody and they have to come in and nail that line. And that's one of the hardest things to do.

[David Spade]

Yes.

[Bryan Cranston]

So I would always try to greet.

[David Spade]

Every co star, sabotage them.

[Dana Carvey]

No, go ahead.

[Bryan Cranston]

And, and just try to make them feel at ease because number one, it's the right thing to do to help this person. But number two, it also helps your.

[David Spade]

Show that they're very important. Those people that come in, it's really hard to get, they get it right and they're a vibe that they don't know. They're just getting in the current going, are we playing everything like this? And you're like, no, no, no, no, no, no, we're all down here, like, but they don't know. And then you're, okay, let's make it all the day.

[Dana Carvey]

All the makeup's kind of wearing down and the people have been filming all day long. The crew looks wasted. They're exhausted. They're coming in to land that line.

[David Spade]

Yeah, it's, it's, yeah, they bring them in, you're up. It's like, ah, right before we wrap.

[Dana Carvey]

Now just relax.

[Bryan Cranston]

Okay.

[Dana Carvey]

Never thought of it.

[David Spade]

Think of that. Great.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, but so you, so how old were you when you really made it? Made it in your mind because you, you struggled for a while.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. But you know, I, I, I, I expected to struggle, so I guess I didn't feel like I was struggling.

[David Spade]

So, but after the soap opera, were you saying like that that was 25, so you kind of consistently worked after that. So that's really making it right.

[Bryan Cranston]

Very consistent after that. I've never had to do anything but act after that point. And that kind of confidence going into whatever you're doing next is brilliant. And it was a savior. And then about 30, I guess, 35 years ago or so, I stumbled upon a philosophy that I realized, oh, I was doing everything wrong. I was Thinking that an audition was a job interview and that because I'm an actor and they're casting for a movie or a TV show or something, that's, that's a job. And I'm going to go in to try to get something. And I realized by doing that, you're putting, you're giving up your energy and you're, you're, you're sending it away from you. And so I thought, oh, whenever anybody wants or needs something, they don't have control, they're giving up control because they need something. They need a job, they need validation, they need something. So I thought, oh, I'm just going to hold on to that and I'm not going to want something to give them something. I worked on this scene, I think I can do it. But you know, it's their option. Here, here's an idea. You take it. If that works for you, fantastic. If it doesn't, we'll see you later.

[David Spade]

Oh, like we're 50. 50. I'm going in. This is good. You want my product, Take it.

[Bryan Cranston]

Exactly.

[David Spade]

Goodbye.

[Dana Carvey]

And in the modern era, I like that you can audition with your phone or with a friend, which is kind of nice. Like, here's how I'd play it. You can see me. You know, a lot of people get roles that way as well.

[David Spade]

You can tweak it a little bit.

[Dana Carvey]

That helps. I hated going in those rooms and I always bombed and it was horrible. I bombed in front of Paul Newman terribly. And Joanne Woodward.

[Bryan Cranston]

God, what did you do?

[David Spade]

Holy. Well, I, I had no Paul Newman.

[Bryan Cranston]

The superstar take a, in front of them or something.

[David Spade]

Were you there?

[Dana Carvey]

I think Robbie Benson got the part. I had no training. I, I, you know, at all. I was just a stand up and so acting terrified me. So I went in. They put us off in pairs. They auditioned. So I went with a lovely young woman. We read the scene. I was all over the place. I knew I was bombing. Joanne Wood was there with the dog. Paul Newman with red socks. Really tall. Red socks.

[David Spade]

Red socks.

[Dana Carvey]

And then Paul Newman was so sweet. We just bombed. And then he, he spent 10 minutes saying, well, I appreciated that. He was just so nice about it. But the air was thick and so I walked out with my partner. I just, I just met and I said, well, that didn't go well. And she was like, yeah, yeah, it didn't go well, did it? You know, I mean, I really ruined her audition.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

So anyway, what you just said, I hope, I hope young actors listen to that, that you're just showing them Something you're not really trying to get a job.

[Bryan Cranston]

It's. It's the. The difference is do not go in there to get a job. Go in there to do a job. Yeah, that's it. If you can just say, this is my job. I'm going to create something. It's either funny or it's. It's appropriate to this character. Here. Here's my idea. There it is.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

If you like it, great. If you don't, that's okay.

[David Spade]

I like that. You don't look so desperate.

[Bryan Cranston]

Narrow desperation.

[David Spade]

That's my. My angle is desperate and thirsty. Because when I would go in, I would try to joke them. I didn't know what I was doing. So this is. Dana probably does, too. We spend eight minutes talking about the 405 and how the crazy drive. And then they're laughing. And then I read it. And when it stops, laughing goes. Oh, forget.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, that happened to me.

[David Spade]

I'm trying to win him over with the meeting.

[Dana Carvey]

I made Suzanne Plechette laugh so hard. I had 15 minutes. I'm doing void. I'm doing everything. And. Well, let's. Oh, I'm excited to hear you read. And then it was just dead silence. And, you know, I mean, so I'm just curious. I thought. Again, I'm curious about our guest today. I think I heard you say at one point that I'm just gonna do this show business. This is. You made a decision. Wherever it goes, I'm just gonna do this. And what. What was that? After the soap opera went back to.

[Bryan Cranston]

No, I was. I was actually going to a junior college in la. I had no money, so I was studying police science. I was going to become a cop and detective.

[Dana Carvey]

You look like you could play a detective.

[David Spade]

Yeah, you look pretty cool.

[Dana Carvey]

We'll get to that. You must have played a copper.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, played lots of cops. And. And I. I didn't know what to do. So I was going to become a cop and transfer to a university to finish before I went into the lapd. That was the general plan. But my second year of this junior college, I took an acting class. And in the class, my job was to kiss this really pretty girl. I am making out with this pretty girl, and I'm thinking, oh, my God, this is amazing. And so after. After that semester, now I'm 19, and I went, I have no idea what I want to do. That just spun me out of control. And so I hopped on a motorcycle and traveled around the country for a couple of years, getting jobs and celebrating the kids. Yeah. Just. Well, no, I was so confused. So in a way at the time I felt like I was running away. And I suppose I was because I didn't know what it was. I wanted to put all my energy in. And it wasn't until I was on the Blue Ridge Parkway of Virginia waiting out a rainstorm on my motorcycle underneath a picnic covered picnic bench with a slab of cement and me. And I stayed there for five days because it just never stopped raining. And it was at that time I had this epiphany that, okay, I am going to go after something that I really feel I can be in love with, but I wasn't necessarily good at yet, as opposed to something I was good at, which was police work. But I didn't love it. And so that was the distinction to me. And I thought, okay, here it goes. I'm going all in. There's no God.

[David Spade]

That's ballsy too. One of them's like a set job and the other one is iffy. Very, very iffy.

[Bryan Cranston]

It will always remain that way.

[Dana Carvey]

When did you first get a. Without giving numbers, a check where you kind of went, holy shit. You know, compared to regular, you know, I was a waiter, busboy, dishwasher, all the. All the rest. But you know, like, wow, that's amazing. They're actually. I love this. And they're paying me a lot of money to do it. It's very heady thing.

[Bryan Cranston]

Well, night. I was doing some community theater and some summer stock and dinner theater and stuff like that. But it was in 1979 is when I got my SAG card and started working and making a living. And I did commercials and I did industrial films and whatever would pay the rent and. And all that stuff. That's, you know, it was fun.

[David Spade]

When did you get paid too much money?

[Dana Carvey]

When did you want to give some of it back? Because clearly this is wrong.

[Bryan Cranston]

There are some of those jobs, now that you say, no, no, no, wait, what you want.

[Dana Carvey]

What did you get for Godzilla 2017?

[David Spade]

What did you get? We don't ask.

[Dana Carvey]

No, we don't. We. You don't answer that question. I'm sorry.

[Bryan Cranston]

I do know that, you know, I. I did. When I was coming up, I worked, did voices for the Power Rangers. I did so many voices for the Power Rangers that they renamed. When they changed all the names from a Japanese name to Americanized sounding names, they said, why don't we name the Blue Power Ranger Cranston. Billy Cranston. Not Brian. Really. Do you mind? I said, I don't mind. We didn't think it was going to go anywhere. And it goes there. So the Blue Power Ranger, Billy Cranston is. Is named after me because we did. I did so many of those. Those voices.

[David Spade]

Let's go, team.

[Bryan Cranston]

Let's go.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, I love that show.

[Bryan Cranston]

Defeat me. I will kill you.

[David Spade]

You. Oh, I love it.

[Dana Carvey]

You've kind of done ev. Everything, haven't you? Voiceovers, sitcoms, movies, theater.

[Bryan Cranston]

It's you.

[Dana Carvey]

You.

[Bryan Cranston]

You have to expand your ability to work or else you're really narrowing the field, I think, man. Right.

[David Spade]

Dana, it's award season, which means we're due for some classic red carpet combos like strapless dresses and statement necklaces or acclaimed directors and long acceptance speeches.

[Dana Carvey]

But you know what? Look always pairs perfectly together. Discover and cash back. You see, Discover automatically matches all the cash back you've earned at the end of the first year, which is a.

[David Spade]

Look that will always serve. It pays to slay. It pays to discover. See [e-mail] credit card. We are supported by Ring. With Ring you can see more and do more with doorbells and cameras that help you see more to exciting features that help you know more to the app that lets you connect more. Pan around your home for the perfect view with pan tilt indoor cams, 360 degree coverage. Type what you're looking for and find it almost instantly in your recorded events with smart video search and get quick.

[Dana Carvey]

Video preview alerts to know what's happening without even needing to go into your phone. These things are amazing. I mean you put them, you put them up, you sleep really well. With Ring, you can see more and do more. Learn [e-mail] Some features require a subscription and are available only on select Ring devices. Exclusions apply. Learn [e-mail].

[David Spade]

Well, I think you're in this new Phoenician.

[Dana Carvey]

Is that the Phoenician scheme?

[David Spade]

Phoenician scheme, which is very interesting movies which I will see this one because you're in it and we're buddies now but also because it's just those are so cool those movies that he does.

[Bryan Cranston]

He is. Wes Anderson is probably the most un. Texan, like Texan you've ever met. Yeah, he's very Natalie dressed. He's very. He's very erudite and polite and. And worldly and he, he. It's not to say. Let me clarify. It's not to say that Texans can't also be that. But sure, the sensibility send all your letters to.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

But you know, and so I've done. This is the third project I've done, Wes Anderson and he's. It's brilliant. He's such an auteur. You cannot go into it thinking, oh, I know where he's gonna twist this or turn that. It's. He blows your mind with bananas. Where he goes with stuff. Yeah, it's crazy.

[David Spade]

I think I saw that last one maybe Astro something with Scarlett Johansson.

[Bryan Cranston]

Asteroid City.

[David Spade]

Yeah, yeah, Asteroid City. And went and saw the theater. It was so fun and so cool and it just like wakes you up, like, okay, here's a movie. Okay, pay attention. I was in that everything.

[Bryan Cranston]

Thank.

[David Spade]

Set dressings. Everything very good. You did a great job. And I love Bono also. Bono in this one.

[Dana Carvey]

He's cool.

[David Spade]

What a cool guy. I've run into him along the way here and there.

[Dana Carvey]

But what are your. What are your thoughts on your co star?

[David Spade]

Yeah, so give us some Bonicio.

[Bryan Cranston]

So Tom Hanks and I play brothers. We play brothers in the Phoenician scheme. And we are shooting this in Germany and so we go over to Germany and we're in every scene together. So we're rehearsing together and stuff. And, and we had basically in this, in this movie, Phoenician scheme. It's kind of light lift for us, but Benicio has a shit ton of dialogue. Very specific, very Wes Anderson y. You know, the way it's carved and moved, it's like, wow. And so we're. I was just saying if there's anything I could do for you, man, you let me know because you're carrying the load here. And he would just nod and look and he would cram. And so it's challenging work because of the fact that he is so specific and is in his shooting style and his symmetry of his, of his camera angles and everything. It's, it's, it's amazing. But the film works.

[David Spade]

Venetian scheme really does those things. I've already heard people that have seen it immediately, of course.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, you can tell it's. It's one person is making the movie. I mean, Sam, I know that he's. It just sort of hit me researching that sometimes he collaborates with Roman Coppola.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And I did a commercial with Chevy Chase and Molly Chan, whatever, for a phone company. And Roman was directing it and he had an immaculate scene suit on and he was such a gentleman. It was just very interesting to watch him do that. And so when I saw him connected to Wes Anderson, there is an eloquence about them that is a type of.

[David Spade]

Director out there also. It's Nice to be in a movie, Brian, where they're not just like, who do we get to direct this? You know, because it's going to look so specific to a director when he does it. You just watch the trailer and you go, oh, that's okay. That's what that is, you know, and that's. That pulls people right in, I think. And to be an actor, to be in it would be. What a blast.

[Bryan Cranston]

It's cool. I mean, there is some pressure behind it. Like when we were shooting Asteroid City in Spain.

[David Spade]

Oh, that was Spain.

[Bryan Cranston]

Shot in Spain for the California desert. Yeah, the California Nevada desert.

[David Spade]

But I believed it.

[Bryan Cranston]

He worked. He. Wes lives in Paris most the time, so. And he doesn't like to fly, so he takes his. His big bus coach that he has all decked out, and he travels that way. So he usually stays on the continent.

[Dana Carvey]

What a. What a life. He's in Paris with a bus. And he has complete control over his work. And he gets like 10 superstars.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

So the budget for the acting. I heard Hank's got 20 million for this one. Or is that.

[Bryan Cranston]

What.

[David Spade]

Interesting.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, how does he manage? Because you're doing it for the love of the art, I mean. Right. And he gets just the greatest Bill Murray and you guys.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, we all make the same amount of money. And I honestly can't even tell you what that is, but I know it's not much.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, it's like.

[David Spade]

I believe it's just more like if he wants you and you do it.

[Dana Carvey]

That'S such a great thing that he has. It obviously must be just a hell of a nice person. Do you want to be around.

[Bryan Cranston]

And it's a great hang because there are no trailers. You all go and you're in one, like, really souped up kind of tent with the rugs and. And nice comfortable chairs and speaking lamps and. And, you know, and everybody just kind of hangs out together. And you go in. You only work usually about eight hours or nine hours a day. That's it. Within reason. And then at night, every night, there is a long rectangular table and all the actors and all the department heads and the writers and producers and Wes, we all have dinner together every single night with wine and.

[David Spade]

So where do you watch porn? That's my.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. Where? How?

[David Spade]

Why not Where? How? Who has to ask someone? It's so embarrassing. Can we do it at dinner? Do we have to wait?

[Bryan Cranston]

I do. Anyway, I thought, you know.

[David Spade]

Yeah, you'll find, you know, you'll figure it out.

[Dana Carvey]

How do you personally, or I guess it's project like to be directed, you know. Do you like a soft touch? You like someone in your face? Cranston, I don't believe a word you're saying. I don't get it. Or does Wes Anderson kind of just sort of wander around and sort of give you subtle notes? Or are you like it all?

[Bryan Cranston]

I mean, the, the first, first day I worked on Asteroid City, I had a quite a large speech to give. And I got through it in his tricky dialogue. And I thought I did pretty well. And he did too. He came to me and he said, yes, Brian, that was very, very good. Now I just need it much, much, much, much faster. And it was like, oh, to hear that. Oh my God. So you're going so fast you don't even hear hear yourself. You don't even think. You're thinking and you're. And getting it out. So the work is. The work is.

[David Spade]

It's hard with dialogue. People forget you're memorizing. It's so hard to get every word right. Especially if you're working for a writer director. And you go, I've had one where he came back and he said you were great. You missed this one word here. Let's go again. And I go, one word. It was like one word that didn't change anything. Yeah, but that's the way I wrote it. I go, got it.

[Bryan Cranston]

You said instead of exactly.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, I hate that. That's why I hated movies. But you go in the morning for the master shot and then you're, you're in your close up eight hours later, and the script supervisor says, no, your elbow was on top of the chair. Oh, really? I mean, that's why have you done movies where it's like a moving master, minimal shooting, that kind of freedom?

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, yeah. And that's fun. You know, I don't know if you remember this, Dana, but we work together.

[Dana Carvey]

Why Whoa. I remember running into at Letterman.

[Bryan Cranston]

Right, well, we've done that. But no, like Dave said.

[Dana Carvey]

What was I first on the call sheet? Where was I?

[Bryan Cranston]

Sir? You were.

[Dana Carvey]

Was I nice? Wayne's Opportunity Knocks.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, kind of. No, it wasn't that.

[Dana Carvey]

Clean slate.

[Bryan Cranston]

Clean slate. Whoa.

[Dana Carvey]

You were in that, that movie? That's your probably your lowest grossing movie.

[David Spade]

No, that's crazy.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm so sorry. If I could write you a check, actually I'm gonna do a Venmo. Where are you?

[Bryan Cranston]

I, I, I played the very pivotal role of Club official.

[David Spade]

Yeah, Dana, what would that be? Do you remember we were at, we.

[Bryan Cranston]

Were in Santa Monica at, On the beach.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes, I remember that.

[Bryan Cranston]

Right. And. And I don't remember anything else. Not a thing.

[David Spade]

Tana doesn't remember Santa Monica.

[Dana Carvey]

I don't remember a thing. So I play a character with amnesia who's terrible. Went to this acting coach and his theory was, you don't have amnesia. Your character is pretending to have amnesia, but you don't. Your character does not have amnesia.

[David Spade]

Was that real from the movie?

[Dana Carvey]

This is Roy London, God rest his soul. He's this great actor. So that was his way of getting you out of your own way. So then there was a guy playing a blind person. We were filming at the beach and he had the stick and he's playing a blind person. And I say, I said to him, you know, I. I don't really have amnesia. I'm just pretending. And he goes, I'm not really blind. He gone to the same acting coach. Whatever. I just. But yeah, that was. That was ridiculous. That was me making a foolish choice right off of snl. I had way too much heat, no experience, and I wish I could take it back. If we could have switched in that you became the lead and I was guard number one, it might have had a chance.

[Bryan Cranston]

No, I was club official.

[Dana Carvey]

Club official. God, Wikipedia sucks sometimes. Oh, my God.

[Bryan Cranston]

That was written by Robert King. Yeah, Robert King.

[Dana Carvey]

He's great.

[Bryan Cranston]

Worked with since. Yeah. I was partners with him on. On a series called your Honor, and he's terrific.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah, That's a great show. I've never seen. I've never seen you bad. I don't know if you like.

[David Spade]

Oh, you were kind of bad.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Let's see. What was.

[Bryan Cranston]

What was it?

[David Spade]

It was the one we circled. No, but by the way, when I heard a Malcolm in the Middle reboot. Is it.

[Dana Carvey]

That's right.

[David Spade]

What is it on what is on Disney plus?

[Bryan Cranston]

It's going to be on Disney. Yeah. Since they bought out Fox. We were originally owned by Fox.

[David Spade]

Oh, yeah. How do they do that?

[Bryan Cranston]

So now we're owned by Disney and they bought four episodes of this reboot. I don't think it'd reboot. It's something I was pushing for for the last 10 years because I thought that that audience.

[David Spade]

It was that hard. Wow. Well, fun.

[Bryan Cranston]

No. Linwood Boomer, who is the creator of the show, when I first pitched it to him, he said, no, I'm not interested. No. About a year and a half later, I said, what about it? He goes, no, I really don't think it's something I want to do. And I went, really? It's starting to improve. And then a third one. The third time, three years after that, it was like, well, you know, if someone else wrote it, maybe I'll look at it. And I just started wearing him down until he said, I've got an idea. And I said, good.

[David Spade]

Love it.

[Bryan Cranston]

Go get it. We just finished it. We shot that a month ago. And it's amazing how these boys, who were my boys on that show, are now around the same age I was when we first started.

[David Spade]

Oh, no. Really?

[Bryan Cranston]

They've got children of their own.

[David Spade]

There's a kid on their name. Eric. Is there?

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Eric Sullivan.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. Eric Purr.

[David Spade]

Sullivan played Little Joe Dirt in an old movie. I did.

[Bryan Cranston]

That's right.

[David Spade]

He played me as a kid.

[Bryan Cranston]

Now, David, did you remember that or now that you were doing the research?

[David Spade]

I didn't. I remembered he was on it. That back then he's really cute and funny and he walked on little cowboy boots and in the movie. But now that you say it again, I'm like, oh, that's right. He's probably, you know, older now, but.

[Bryan Cranston]

He is the only one who's not who didn't come back to act in the show.

[David Spade]

Oh, for real?

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. I talked to Eric and I. I said, hey, we got the show. It's going to come back. He goes, oh, that's fantastic. And I go, yeah, so we're looking forward to having you back. He goes, oh, no, no, I don't want to do it. But it's fantastic.

[David Spade]

Really?

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. Because he's. He's actually going to Harvard and he's.

[David Spade]

A normal person now.

[Bryan Cranston]

Well, I don't think he's. He's not normal because he's really not my circle normal. He's. He's really, really smart, and he's getting. I think he's getting his master's at Harvard right now. He said, oh, God, no. I haven't acted since I was 9 or something, so I'm. I'm not into it. Yeah.

[David Spade]

Wow. Because he's like, it just makes us all feel so dumb that we're actors. He's like, I don't want to go do that stupid again. Like, no, it's pretty smart what we do. And you're like, no, not really. It's not that hard. Oh, cool, though.

[Dana Carvey]

Pick a topic. Okay. Snl, you hosted.

[Bryan Cranston]

Oh, God.

[Dana Carvey]

And. And just because it was all over the place a couple years ago during the strike, that just the idea of AI and robots integrating with our industry and where it seems to be going is fascinating to me because we keep seeing these digital short films by Alphabet, Google, where you're like, you know, what. What the hell? I mean, it's getting surreal. We are actually digital copies right now. I just wanted to be full disclosure, so. But it is kind of bizarre, isn't it, just to watch the future.

[Bryan Cranston]

It is. It just feels like something a little impersonal. But, you know, I remember it so fondly and being invited to host at that time when Breaking Bad was at its, you know, peak. And I immediately said yes. And it's such a rush. I mean, I know you guys have talked about this on the podcast before and everyone's experience, but it was. It was incredible. And how. How deep dive involved you are in every moment of that and that, you know, from that. From the first time I'm sitting in. In Lauren's office in that chair in the middle, and everybody, all the writers are on the floor and behind the curtains and things. And I thought the pitches that were going on that first day, that Monday were actually supposed to be sincere.

[Dana Carvey]

Some of those are fake pitches.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. Most they go, I just want to say this because it'll be rejected and let it die a cold. Someone said, okay, so you're a barista at Starbucks and you finish your drink and you call out, trevor, Trevor, ice mocha latte, Trevor, Trevor. And no one ever shows up. That's. That. That was a spin.

[David Spade]

That's a whole pitch.

[Bryan Cranston]

That was the whole pitch. I went, huh. I bet this is gonna be a long week.

[David Spade]

Yeah. People think of that at Starbucks on the way to the meeting. They're like. Because they have. I think the problem is you end the show Saturday. You don't wake up until Sunday at three in the afternoon. You do your laundry, and then you're in front of Brian Kran. You're like, I haven't. I will think of something for him. I just have not.

[Dana Carvey]

I would say a guy walks up and says his name is Trevu. Trevu. No, not Trevor. Trevor. And then another guy walks up. Taniv. No, Trevor. Trevor.

[David Spade]

I'm Tevu.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm just trying to complete this.

[David Spade]

We can write it. We'll write it.

[Dana Carvey]

Lauren will be listening to this. We'll have him back, you know, after, you know, the Wes Anderson kick will get good numbers with the Malcolm people. What do they have nicknames for Malcolm in the Middle of fanatics, like Malka Knights or Middlers?

[Bryan Cranston]

They probably do, but I. I don't. I don't know. I'm not aware of that stuff yet.

[David Spade]

Listen, I've got A closet, Dana. With a bunch of stuff in it.

[Dana Carvey]

Boy, have I seen your closet. I got winded running across it.

[David Spade]

Yeah, yeah, listen, it's mostly half shirts and sailor hats. But you know what? I need a few good solid pieces to spruce it up. Comfortable, well made, versatile. You gotta go to Quince. That's why I keep going back. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

They're lightweight layers, David. And elevated basics have become a go to, especially in the summer.

[David Spade]

Right now, listen, they have organic cotton silk polos. Soft, breathable. Just feels like a step up from regular clothes. You know, you've seen what's out there. There's linen shorts that look great. Their pants are perfectly cut and that you could wear them to something casual. I know you go to a lot of beach parties or you go to dressier night out. A nicer beach party.

[Dana Carvey]

Sounds good.

[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[Bryan Cranston]

Oh yeah.

[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

Oh, my God. Learn how to become an icon. Basically.

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

So what were you, what, what was your monologue like? Did you, when you were coming out there? I mean, did you have a strong one?

[Bryan Cranston]

I have, I did have some ideas and John Mulaney wrote it.

[Dana Carvey]

I remember that guy.

[David Spade]

Did he do that barbershop kind of Quartet 1 or whatever you did? Yes, the singing.

[Bryan Cranston]

That's right. The barbershop kind of. And he said, you know, what if we take the, the point of view that people kind of know you but they don't really know you? And I said, yeah, okay. He's like. Because I was getting that. Are you the guy from Malcolm and the Method? You're the dad. You're the guy. You're the guy. It wasn't associating name with face.

[Dana Carvey]

Breaking Bad was on at that time, right?

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

But still kind of going up.

[Bryan Cranston]

You're kind of that guy. Oh, you're woke.

[David Spade]

You're the guy from Breaking Bad, right?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

And it's not until someone actually knows your name connected to your face that you go, okay, things have changed. Which, which goes back to your original question, Dan, is that, that's when you go, oh, things have changed. But we did, yeah, we did the monologue and I just wanted to do anything. I had a couple pitches for them which I pitched ideas which were almost immediately shot down.

[David Spade]

Shut down.

[Bryan Cranston]

I had a Great pitch, which I.

[Dana Carvey]

Think I'm a circus clown. And do you remember the pitch?

[Bryan Cranston]

I do remember the pitch, but let's.

[Dana Carvey]

Hear it, and let's see. If it's really that bad, we'll grade it.

[Bryan Cranston]

Okay, so 1 to 10. So myself and a date and another couple. We can't believe we got reservations for this restaurant. It's supposed to be amazing. It's called in the Sauce. And it's like, wow. And this very snooty waiter comes in and says, are you ready? Can we see a menu? No, we don't give menus. We serve you food. You eat the food, you leave. It's like, oh, okay. Yes, yes, yes. And he said, it's all about the sauce. So he puts down a crudite, and we dip it in the sauce. And it's like, oh, my God. Just amazing. Crudites taken away. Here comes the entree. Eating the entree. We're eating. Oh, my God. This sauce is absolutely insane. We're overeating. We eat too much. We throw up. We dip the barf in the sauce. Oh, my God. It's all about the sauce. Is that no matter. No matter what you're eating?

[David Spade]

As long as we know.

[Dana Carvey]

No, I like. It's in the sauce. It's in the sauce.

[David Spade]

What if it's Soylent Green at the end?

[Bryan Cranston]

It's. It's like, you know, you have a severed finger and you dip it in the sauce.

[Dana Carvey]

Whatever. I got you.

[David Spade]

Yeah, still good.

[Bryan Cranston]

Still good.

[David Spade]

That didn't get past Monday meeting.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, it didn't get past money. Now I truncated that pitch. Now it goes much longer.

[David Spade]

I can do a longer version.

[Dana Carvey]

Sauteed pig snout to take a bite. Oh, this is horrible. Dip, spin, sauce.

[David Spade]

Yeah. Get everyone to come in with a funny accent. You're halfway there.

[Dana Carvey]

Did you get to play big, big broad accents? Italian. Get that out of your system? And just because you have a great.

[Bryan Cranston]

Ear, I mean, you know, it's like that your. Your listeners know the system now. So, I mean, Tuesday is the big writing overnight, right? And then Wednesday, the binder. The binder of 60 sketches.

[David Spade]

Terrifying.

[Bryan Cranston]

And each writer is. Can I talk to you a second? Okay. Now you're a pirate, you're a p. And you're.

[David Spade]

There's absolutely no system. They just grab you on the way to the bathroom.

[Bryan Cranston]

Just grab you, you know, and so you. You're just making big choices, you know? Okay, I'm going to do a New York accent, a Southern accent, an English accent. I'm a pirate. I'm A baseball player.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

Just, you know, and so I don't know what I was doing. It was just one after another after another. And it's dizzying, as you know, and then. But. But, you know, he's weighing Lorne. Kind of knows what he wants already. And then. And then I'm shuttled into the room. Shuttled. Seth? Yeah, kind of.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes. Lauren's office.

[Bryan Cranston]

Seth and Steve came in.

[Dana Carvey]

Steve Higgins. ATH Meyer.

[Bryan Cranston]

Steve Higgins. Yeah. And Seth. And we're. We're looking at the board and he's. And Lauren saying, well, is there any particular sketch that you felt connected to? And I said, yeah, that this other one is Laundromat one. Yeah. That's not as strong as this one, though. You know.

[David Spade]

He hopes you agree. And then you're like, no, actually, you're wrong.

[Dana Carvey]

What you just picked would never work.

[Bryan Cranston]

Here's one.

[David Spade]

Shows better.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, you're a novice. It's not your fault. But we'll take care.

[David Spade]

Is there anyone you don't like? That'll be the Marcy.

[Dana Carvey]

Any more popcorn?

[David Spade]

Yeah, Brian, he's starving. Help him.

[Dana Carvey]

He. But yeah, I mean, it is. There's nothing like it. We've. It's been called an athletic event on the show by some people, like a sporting event. It's tactile. It's. It's high risk. I. I don't know. I mean, just. We got to get you back on. I want to co host with you and David.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah, I would love to go back on because it is. You know, Steve Higgins said there's two things, two pieces of advice I can give you. And I had known Steve before because I worked with his brothers, Al Higgins and David Higgins, who were connected to Malcolm. Al was one of the writers of Malcolm. Dave Higgins was one of the actors on the show. So Steve says two things. First and foremost, trust the cards. Don't think you can go off the cards. And I got this. I know what it is, because they're constantly changing. Cues are changing, lines are changing. Trust the cards. And second, don't try to be perfect. Allow it to not be perfect. Allow it to be wherever it's going to go.

[David Spade]

It's part of the fun. Yeah.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. And so I took that advice, and I think by doing so, I mean, I had a blast. And, man, that 90 minutes was over in. It felt like two seconds. It felt like, you know, 85 minutes. It was amazing.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, the energy that comes because you grab. You're going. When you host that show, you're pretty wiped, wiped out. By the time the dress and all this stuff and you're coming out, you're like, damn. And then, of course, it just. It just comes when you need it.

[David Spade]

As soon as you hear that, and it's adrenaline.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. And then to hear. For the first time, I'm backstage at that door with the facade and people are scribbling their names on. The thing is. And you're waiting behind the door, and I'm standing there going, oh, my God. I'm about to host Saturday Night Live. Oh, my God. And I just. I just took a couple deep breaths, and then I hear Don Pardo's voice going. And the host, Brian Cranston, you know. And I went, that freaked me out. And the door opens and out we go.

[David Spade]

And it was fun.

[Bryan Cranston]

Oh, God. Like shot out of a cannon.

[David Spade]

Yeah. Well, Brian, terrified, before you go, I definitely want to tell you it's great. First of all, great to have you. And second of all, to have a line like, I won't get it exactly right. But that scene when you say, I am the danger. Everyone knows it, everyone talks about it. It's great to have a show. It's already. Everyone's all over it. But then to have such a cool thing, what a blast.

[Dana Carvey]

It possessed me. I was completely possessed by that show. The acting and Aaron Paul, all of it was just so new and different. I try to think, because I was talking to someone, I got Sopranos, Breaking Bad. You know when they say television's better than movies?

[David Spade]

You know, like to be up in that category.

[Dana Carvey]

I thought Ozarks was really good. There's been a lot of other shows, but I can for sure say Sopranos, Breaking Bad. Like, if you have people haven't seen Sopranos, you gotta watch that. Haven't seen Breaking Bad, you gotta watch that. And I think they're seminal. I think they're.

[Bryan Cranston]

Yeah. The Wire also is the Wire.

[David Spade]

Yeah. There are others where it's, like, not arguable. People like, okay, okay.

[Bryan Cranston]

It almost didn't happen for me either. We were. We were finishing Malcolm in the Middle, seventh season, and Fox said, keep all the sets up. We might pick it up for an eighth season. Then they turn around and a month later said In May of 06, now, we had a good pilot season, so we're done with Malcolm. Thank you very much. We're all a little disappointed. We would have been. It would have been fun. But later that year is when Vince Gilligan wanted to see me for Breaking Bad. And we shot the pilot for Breaking Bad in February and March. Of 07 had Malcolm in the Middle gone that eighth year. I'm not doing Breaking Bad. Someone else is. I try to tell that to young actors all the time to say, luck has a weird way of working. So just when something happens that you think is bad luck, it may be putting you in a position to have better luck. You don't know.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, that's. I love Paul Newman for a lot of reasons. You know, his charitable work. But he always. People would try to go how great Kulan Luke and how great you are. He goes, it comes down to one thing. Dumb luck. You know, whether that's completely true or not. But, you know, there is whimsy. Whimsy to this life. And whimsical things happen in show business. You never, never know.

[Bryan Cranston]

But you still should not have taken a. On his Red Sox.

[David Spade]

No, that's crazy.

[Dana Carvey]

That was.

[Bryan Cranston]

That was a mistake.

[Dana Carvey]

I know. But I did have a dream last night. I'll leave you with this. I had a dream last night because I thought of you as, in a way, like, archetypal. Like you could. You could have been an actor from the 40s and 50s or whatever, just because of who you. How you look. You're timeless, in a way. And Henry Fonda came to me in the dream, and I said, well, what do you think of these young actors? Bryan Cranston? He said, well, he's as good as anybody's ever been. He sure knows his way around a camera. Would have loved to have done a movie with Bryan Cranston. And then I woke up, you know, I said to my wife, I just heard Henry Fonda talking about Bryan Cranston. So I just wanted to do that for you.

[Bryan Cranston]

Thank you.

[Dana Carvey]

No one asked me to do Henry Fonda anymore.

[Bryan Cranston]

That's a perfect Henry Fonda. Unfortunately, you got to be 60 to. To know who he is.

[Dana Carvey]

They only remember Jimmy Stewart. They don't remember Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant. It's Jimmy Stewart because of the Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life.

[David Spade]

Brian looks like a little bit like Springsteen today.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Don't you think? A little bit.

[Dana Carvey]

He does look a little bit. There's an underbod there. He has got an underbo.

[David Spade]

Cool.

[Bryan Cranston]

We were.

[David Spade]

Ryan. Thank you, buddy.

[Bryan Cranston]

All right. Thank you.

[Dana Carvey]

Just such a pleasure and good luck and everything. And I'm gonna go see this Wes Anderson picture. I'm gonna see this scheme.

[Bryan Cranston]

The Phoenician scheme.

[David Spade]

Phoenician scheme. And we got Malcolm coming out soon.

[Dana Carvey]

I love it all. Yep. Thanks, guys.

[David Spade]

Okay, bud.

[Dana Carvey]

Have a good day. Be well buddy. You too.

[David Spade]

This has been a presentation of Odyssey. Please follow, subscribe, Leave a Comment A Like a Review all this stuff. Smash that button, whatever it is. Wherever you get your podcasts. Fly on the Wall is executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Jenna Weiss Berman of Odyssey and Heather Santoro. The show's lead producer is Greg Holtz.