Bryan Cranston has had a slow but steady rise to stardom. Here are some of the stops along the way to "Breaking Bad's" Walter White.
Among Cranston's early roles was Doug Donovan on the ABC soap "Loving." He was on the show from 1983-1985.
Cranston made a good living in the '80s and '90s with commercials, including ads for such brands as Preparation H.
One of Cranston's most-seen commercials was a popular spot with Michael J. Fox for Lay's potato chips.
On "Seinfeld," Cranston plays dentist Tim Whatley, who converted to Judaism in one episode (for, Seinfeld believes, the jokes) and was labeled a "re-gifter" in another.
Cranston has been cast as two real-life astronauts -- Gus Grissom and Buzz Aldrin. Here, he plays Aldrin in the 1998 miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon."
In a 1998 episode of "The X-Files" called "Drive," Cranston plays a bigoted yet sympathetic driver who worried that his head would explode. Vince Gilligan, who wrote the episode, remembered Cranston when it came to casting his show "Breaking Bad."
Cranston plays a War Department colonel in "Saving Private Ryan" (1998).
Cranston's loosey-goosey portrayal of Hal, the father on "Malcolm in the Middle" (here with co-star Jane Kaczmarek), earned him three Emmy nominations.
As "Breaking Bad's" Walter White, a former chemistry teacher turned meth mogul, Cranston (with Aaron Paul, left) has won three Emmys.
With the success of "Breaking Bad," Cranston's movie career has entered a higher gear. He co-stars with Matthew McConaughey in 2011's "The Lincoln Lawyer."
Cranston is one of many stars -- including Laurence Fishburne -- in the 2011 film "Contagion."
Cranston voices Vitaly the Tiger in 2012's "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted."
In 2012's "Rock of Ages," Cranston plays a candidate for mayor. Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars.
Cranston also plays a politician -- but one far more ruthless -- in the 2012 version of "Total Recall."
In 2012's "Drive," Cranston plays a mechanic in hock to some gangsters. Ryan Gosling, left, plays a clever driver.
"Argo" (2012) stars Cranston as a CIA officer, the boss of agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck). "Argo" won best picture at the Oscars.
- With many projects, upcoming "Breaking Bad" finale, Bryan Cranston is man of the moment
- Cranston is known as loyal friend, hardworking colleague, unflappable actor
- The actor is favored to win an Emmy for his portrayal of Walter White
(CNN) -- Right now, Bryan Cranston is The Man.
It's not just "Breaking Bad," on which he plays chemistry teacher-turned-meth mogul Walter White, grabbing headlines as it hurtles toward its finale. It's the sheer ubiquity of the actor, who's proven himself to be versatile, good-humored and clamorously in demand.
When rumors surfaced about the "Breaking Bad" star playing Lex Luthor in the next "Superman" movie, they created an instant Internet firestorm -- and seemed utterly plausible. When Stephen Colbert was looking for a "Get Lucky" dance partner on his widely seen Daft Punk tribute show, of course he chose Cranston (plucking him out of a Charlie Rose interview).
He appeared in recent episodes of "The Simpsons" (as White), "The Cleveland Show" (as Cleveland's physician, Dr. Fist) and "30 Rock." He even made a guest appearance in Jimmy Fallon's parody of "Breaking Bad."
There's more.
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Bryan Cranston shows off new tattoo
He's on newsstands. In the last two months alone, Cranston's been covered with debris on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, looked dapper on the August GQ and been the subject of a profile in The New Yorker.
He's on the stage. He's starring in "All the Way," a play about Lyndon Johnson by the Pulitzer winner Robert Schenkkan ("The Kentucky Cycle"). Producers are eyeing the play, which premiered in Boston this week, for a Broadway run.
He's in theaters. He's got two movies scheduled for this year, "Get a Job" and "Cold Comes the Night." Last year he appeared in six: "Red Tails," "John Carter," "Madagascar 3," "Rock of Ages," "Total Recall" and "Argo."
All this Cranston hasn't gone unnoticed. When "Argo" director Ben Affleck requested Cranston for the film two years ago, producer Grant Heslov quickly agreed.
"Yeah, we should," he told Affleck. "We're the only movie coming out next year that doesn't have him in it."
Too much Cranston? Hardly.
He's known as a loyal friend and hardworking colleague -- and utterly unflappable. As writer Brett Martin observed in his GQ profile, the writers of "Malcolm in the Middle" frequently tried to throw Cranston off balance. But Cranston, as the show's daffy dad, Hal, approached all manner of humiliation -- tighty-whities, bee attacks, nude roller-skating -- with the same casual steadiness he now brings to Walter White (though, admittedly, without the menace).
Photos: Memorable moments from 'Breaking Bad'
"Malcolm" was Cranston's breakthrough, but he'd been a regular visitor on TV screens for almost two decades. Indeed, he was a familiar face even when his name was unknown, appearing in commercials for such brands as Lay's potato chips (opposite Michael J. Fox), JC Penney and Preparation H. (Hey, it was a good living.)
In his TV and movie roles, he generally appeared as authority figures: cops, soldiers and the like. He played two different astronauts in Tom Hanks productions: Gus Grissom in "That Thing You Do!" and Buzz Aldrin in "From the Earth to the Moon" and later "Magnificent Desolation." (Cranston and Hanks share another connection: Cranston's wife, Robin Deardon, was one of Rita Wilson's bridesmaids at her 1988 wedding to Hanks.)
But Cranston could show vulnerability when necessary. That's what prompted "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan to cast Cranston as White in the first place. Gilligan, a former "X-Files" writer, remembered a Cranston performance in an "X-Files" episode called "Drive." Cranston's character was a bigoted creep, but the actor made him sympathetic.
Now he -- as the "Breaking Bad" catchphrase has it -- is the one who knocks.
On Sunday, Cranston is up for his eighth Emmy as an actor -- he'a had three nominations for "Malcolm" and five for "Breaking Bad." He's won three times for his portrayal of Walter White, and given the attention surrounding him, he's the odds-on favorite for a fourth.
He definitely has fans in his corner.
"They need to rename the Emmy the Cranston," wrote a commenter named Stan on HitFix.com.
That probably won't happen -- but it doesn't need to. The actor is secure in his work: currently shooting a new version of "Godzilla," scheduled for next year, and ready for more if he wants it.
It's a far cry from the wounded Walter White, who once lamented, "There was some perfect moment that passed me right by."
For the man named Bryan Cranston, the perfect moment is right now.
