#CONAN: Bryan Cranston Full Interview - CONAN on TBS

A lot of times you can't find anything at night and we saw this park and there's this fence and these beautiful trees and there's all this grass there, so we threw down our sleeping bags and climbed the fence and went out onto the grass away from the trees. We didn't want anything to fall on us and we went to bed and the next morning we thought oh, it's like the sun is starting to come up and we start waking up and I look and there's a golf ball and then there's another golf ball. ball there sorry we were one of the hazards so you're on a driving range you're essentially on a golf course it's crazy and then one time we did the same thing and we were so tired we thought we had seen a park we climbed to. a fence came to a grassy area and then we were putting things down and I realized oh, I can put my things against this rock, this tombstone oh, we were in a cemetery, right, but we were so tired that we thought, do you know what the hell with?

You have to be pretty tired to say ah, what are they going to bother us? Yes, no, I want to talk about your honor. I love this program. Oh, well, and actually, I got quite engrossed in it. It's a fantastic idea. for the show and one of my favorite things about the show is how, your character, this judge is very decent, you know, he's a very decent person with a very strong moral code who has to make these decisions to save his son, etc. . Every step of the way I understand why the characters are doing what they are doing and at the same time these are decisions that go against everything you believe is right.

That's what got me hooked on this show to do it in the first place. that premise that if you really thought your child was in danger of being murdered, what would you do right to protect him in anything and I talked to any parent and they said yes, I would become a criminal, I would do it and my character is a superior court judge and he does it, he lies to the authorities which is a crime, he destroys evidence, he creates alibis, he manipulates juries, he is doing everything he can to keep his son alive and every step goes so against his principles that is eroding his soul. going deeper and deeper and I also love that it takes place in New Orleans, which for me I would like to do if I was ever involved in some show business venture and was told to pick a city where it would happen.

I could just choose New Orleans. Just because of the food, yeah, you know that's not going to happen to you. I mean, you don't think they're going to say you're involved in some kind of entertainment show. I don't think you shot it. I think I'm doing very well, Brian, thanks, of course, I talk until I'm blue in the face. What has it been like for you all these years, my friend? Where do you have to walk that line between being understanding and being supportive? sycophant you don't want to be an ass licker but you have to do it you have to support him but have you ever actually come out and told the truth about a monologue he did and said it was terrible? in general, not specifically, I just keep him scared of me, oh yes, yes, yes, andy from the beginning hinted to me that he had a very violent temper and that he is also physically one of the strongest people I have ever met, so I first thing I do for Every day at work I come in and I have a pumpkin and I crush it in my hands and then we're okay yeah wow so I don't mess with Andy and I'll also say this in Andy's defense after all these years to work together. he doesn't lie, I've never seen him laugh at something, genuinely laugh at something he didn't find funny and you can go back and watch thousands and thousands of hours of late night shows many times he doesn't laugh at it.

Yeah, I've had people point that out, yeah, yeah, after a segment and they're like, man, you weren't much help, but I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's so funny because if we have someone cool and fun, if it's Brian. Cranston is in Andy is there, he's fucking it up, he comes up with cool things when I've had people give me nothing Andy leans back, crosses his legs and just says, "it's your plane and it's going to give you good luck." . and then I'll say what the hell and he'll say hey, you know what you want me to do, get my hands dirty trying to help you and that's it, yeah, yeah, that's over, yeah, I get that now.

I know, I know you think he's unlikely to turn me into a big-name serious actor. But I meant what I said. I would like to be in New Orleans. Are you eating the food because I see there was an episode? I saw that we were having jumbo shrimp for dinner and it looked fantastic and I thought, are you eating that food or are you one of those actors who pretends that I always eat the food that's on set, even when I'm not supposed to? It's always bothered me to see a scene at a Thanksgiving dinner or something, and people are pushing food around and no one really eats and everyone's like, ha ha ha, I was like I don't want to.

I think so, I mean part of creating a dramatic performance of a scenario is being as real as possible, eating the food, so you'll see me eating real shrimp, yeah, and we were dipping in the sauce. hotter than others your eyes are watery it was it was great that's one of my pet peeves uh about uh john cryer who i love i love john cryer who doesn't love john cryer i love that guy uh and i think he's hilarious and a fantastic actor two and a half men any time he shows up and he's eating I realized he's just pushing the food and pushing it and I John Crier eat the food eat the food when you're doing a scene that show doesn't will go nowhere.

My prediction now, what is it? Okay, so you eat the food, what about the love scenes? What is your technique in life? Eat the food and the love scenes. I've noticed that every time you have a sex scene and throughout your career, you always have food on the bedside table and you're taking a lot of breaks to eat, oh yeah, food, whipped cream, strawberries, yeah, yeah , no, I want to be authentic, so I have to go to my partner and tell him that we really have to have sex or that we are liars or that they are just charlatans and how is that going I have several demands that I can't talk about I still have my fingers crusaders is going to work one day aha yeah you know I'm a big fan of the show your honor and I'm so happy for you because it's such a great show and I wanted to show a clip from the show and then it turns out well here's the problem because it's behind, apparently I can't show it. a clip why did we go get a clip they said we can't post you a clip i said that's me

conan

o'brien oh is that anyone but

conan

answers that's what God I hate to hear actually I tried we tried to get a clip , my producer called me and said no they won't release a clip of your honor, it's this new world we live in on a paywall, I guess something is going on, uh, I don't know what it is. so if we have to show any clips, okay, here we go, oh my gosh, those are intense eyes and Michael Vincent, yeah, and I think this show again was on for seven years, I think it was something like that, um, yeah, No, but you know what it is.

It's funny because I talked to you recently and it was very clear to me when I talked to you that one of the things you're most proud of is that you've been for many years this journeyman actor that you've made a living off of. an actor and I think people just focus on, oh my God, there's this big hit that goes bad and it's an iconic global phenomenon and what they forget are all the years you were bad guy number two on a show that It came out in the '80s. Most people don't even think about that anymore and that's a big part of the job for people who are dedicated to acting, that's all and you're lucky to get that transition on that show.

What are you talking. I was very lucky because I was chosen as bad boy number three and promoted to back boy number two. What's true is that for an actor you have these hotel employees, bartenders, drunk frat boys, all those guys, and when he finally gets a name it's like oh god I'm Daryl I'm Daryl you know you're really excited if you get a last name. you've made it you've made it remember the last name I'm we made it Very clear, I'm not an actor and I should never be, but when I first came to Los Angeles in '85 86, someone saw me somewhere being funny and said, "Oh , I recommended you to a casting agent for Jim Henson." show uh not with puppets but with uh you know, uh live performers and I remember I didn't know anything about it and they sent me the sides of the script and um the script they sent me had two characters and they didn't tell me which character for I was supposed to audition and I was confused and said, can you send me the script?

Can you send me something else? So they sent me a sheet that described what each character was and the first one was Dirk who every man wants to be. him, all the women want to be with him and i remember saying he wasn't dirk and then and then the second one was like you met gormley and he was like gormley, he's such a dork and a nerd, he's a very skinny dork who's never around, who is. he never lost his virginity and I thought he was this guy, sure enough I showed up and they said oh how did you know that one time they prepared a script for me and the part they wanted me to read within the text of the script was like? say the guy's name was jerry jerry point 32 a big piece and we thought of you so what part of a big piece made you think of me?

Yeah we can't just give you the role you understand because there are other pieces in town that are pretty stinky, I would see the same pieces in every waiting room in town every time you show up, three other pieces are there hey hey for the Brain, hey, hey, I want to mention this, uh, you and a young gentleman, a struggling actor. named aaron paul have a mezcal together two ombres yes and um, tell me how is how is the selection process. I mean, you guys went through a process of trying a million confusing calls to make sure you got the one that said this.

It's us, this is what we believe in, that's exactly right, uh, Aaron loves a strong whiskey, slap you in the face, type of drink, ah, I like to be seduced and when I try something it's like my art or architecture, I like to be, oh, what is it? that and let myself be attracted, but I don't want to be abused, so we had to find a juice that appealed to our tastes and the sumbres, and you know, this is available everywhere, we didn't, why did you bring this? Did you bring it? Yeah, I did, I brought that and this is just for me, yeah, go ahead and take it, oh, that's really good, actually, that's really good, I mean, you know what it is, it's smooth, okay, maybe you want to relax a little.

In that, you know, we're actually filming this at 12:30 in the afternoon, yeah, so, you really do, you're strong in that, I commit, which has always made me a great potential actor, yeah , I'm a little worried about you, right? Now although you should be, yes you should be, this is very, very good, Andy, have you tried this? Yeah, Aaron brought him on the show a while ago and he's delicious, he's really good, it's Andy and I are so cheap we won't do it. go out and buy this wonderful mezcal, we keep booking you or Aaron, you always bring it and the moment it's gone, we reach out again, regardless of last time, Aaron wasn't even pushing anything, he was like no had i.

I'm not pushing anything, we thought you have to come, we have to talk to you and you should probably bring some two men, bring the two men because we're running low um, Andy, do you want some? some after we're done, see, you know I was going to pass it on to you, you're the biggest piece, I'm telling you, you really are, yeah, you know you have to do, uh, what God has given you, that's what you have to work on. with my dad he told me when I was young you are part of and I say, yes, he says I'm going to be the best pizza, I think that's called leaning, yes, leaning, yes, yes, you got it right, I congratulate you.

Honestly, your honor, it is a wonderful program that airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. m., at the time of the show and uh, airwolf, uh, I don't know what airwolf looks like, where is it here on youtube? Yes, I'm sure you can find airwolf clips on youtube. and watch the beginning several times every morning and it wakes you up like a strong cup of coffee, brian

cranston

, you are an incredible talent and also one of the nicest people I have ever met in this silly business we are in, so thank you. Thank you very much for honoring our presence.

You are a first class actor. I'm glad to see you again. I'm glad to see you too. Be fine. Yeah.