Bryan Cranston's Hollywood career goes back further than you know. For twenty years, he was a reliable character actor used for small roles in a variety of TV shows and movies. Yeah, he was "that guy" that people sometimes recognize but don't know the actor's name. Cranston's generic good looks got him picked for guest spots, but it wasn't until the year 2000 that he landed a regular role on the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, and even then he wasn't the star. However, he made the role his own and became a favorite of the show's fans. Malcolm in the Middle lasted seven seasons, and cemented Cranston as a talented comedic actor.
Then in 2008, we were all shocked that this sitcom dad was suddenly the star of Breaking Bad, playing a methamphetamine manufacturer who evolved into a drug kingpin. Cranston pulled this off perfectly, and proved he's not just a character actor or a comedic actor, he is an actor. Nerdstalgic goes through Bryan Cranston's career and explains how he got the role of a lifetime in Walter White. -via Digg