Taking on a certain role can make or break a career. Just ask Bryan Cranston, who changed the trajectory of his, when he took on the role of Walter White. It was a major risk but we can safely say it all worked out.
However, there are certain roles that few actors want to attempt, like Donald Trump. Not only is it met with controversy, but the portrayal is a task in itself. Just ask Pete Davidson, who flopped in a major way on 'SNL' trying to take on the role.
"It was bad," Davidson told Variety. "First of all, I’m 10 pounds, so I looked insane. They made us all get dressed up and tanned up. I sounded like Thunderlips from Rocky III... It was a nightmare. If I could get my hands on this tape, it’s embarrassing as f***."
Surprisingly, Cranston wasn't as against the role, and in fact, in 2016, he did express interest in playing Trump. However, in recent years, things have changed. We'll take a look at why he won't play Donald and if he'll change his mind down the road.
Cranston Changed His Career Taking Risky Roles
Oh, how different things could've been for Bryan Cranston. He was playing the role of Hal at the time in 'Malcolm in the Middle' and rumors began to swirl about a possible additional season. Had the season taken place, a certain role would've never presented itself, and we're talking about the iconic Walter White role in 'Breaking Bad'.
Cranston took a major risky saying yes to the project but as it turns out, AMC had their doubts about his casting, given the past projects he had worked on. According to show's creator Vince Gilligan, it was always Cranston's job given their past together on 'The X-Files'.
"Bryan comes in and he just nails it. As soon as he’s done, as soon as he walks out, we’re shaking his hand and I looked at the other guys and said, ‘OTW,’ which [means] off to wardrobe, it’s what you say when you essentially you’re like, ‘That was the guy. Stop looking now.’”
According to Cranston, success with a certain role starts at the audition process. Actors shouldn't view it as a job but instead, as a way of presenting themselves.
"You’re not going there to get a job. You are going there to present what you do. You act. And there it is. And walk away.”
“And there’s power in that. And there’s confidence in that. And it’s also saying, I can only do so much. And then, the decision of who might get a job is so out of your control, that, really when you analyze it, it makes no sense to hold onto that.”
Once Cranston adopted the strategy, his career changed for the better.
"That, to me, was a breakthrough. And, once I adopted that philosophy, I never looked back. And I’ve never been busier in my life, than once I grabbed onto that. That’s it!”
Although he's willing to take on risky roles, there's one he would still shy away from.
No To Trump Role... For Now
He loves taking risks and embracing roles. However, as he admitted alongside Michael Desiato, the timing wouldn't be right.
"I mean, as of right now, no, he's too much in the public eye. Every single talk show host does an impersonation of him. He is ubiquitous to the point of overkill. And that's not good for an actor to take on a character that's so indelible. I was once offered to do the Scarecrow and a play version of The Wizard of Oz. And I thought, oh, my gosh, that will be exciting."
Cranston did admit that his opinion on the matter might change in a couple of years, especially given everyone's current feelings against Trump.
"I think the same thing is right now for Trump until 10 years from now, if you ask me that five to ten years from now, hopefully when he's no longer in the public arena, is there any other public figure you'd like to play?"
As it turns out, just a couple of years earlier, Cranston was very much into the idea of playing Donald, proving timing is everything.
He Wanted To Play Trump In 2016
While making an appearance years earlier on the Today show, Cranston busted out one heck of a Donald Trump impression. Not only that but he also expressed interest in playing the role of Trump, "He’s huge,” Cranston told Carson Daily. “He’s this Shakespearean character, this serio-tragic-comedic character. Who wouldn’t want to take a bite out of that?”
The mood has definitely changed over the last couple of years. Though we can safely say, whoever, Cranston tries to portray, he quite often does not miss the mark.