What Is Bryan Cranston's Net Worth and Salary?
Bryan Cranston is an American actor, writer, director, and producer who has a net worth of $40 million. Bryan Cranston gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Walter White in the critically acclaimed series "Breaking Bad" (2008-2013), for which he won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Prior to this breakthrough role, Cranston was best known for his comedic performance as Hal on the Fox sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle" (2000-2006). After "Breaking Bad," he starred as Judge Michael Desiato on the Showtime drama "Your Honor" (2020–2023).
Throughout his career, Cranston has demonstrated his versatility by taking on diverse roles in various genres. He has appeared in numerous films, including "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "Drive" (2011), "Argo" (2012), and "Trumbo" (2015), the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Bryan has also lent his voice to animated projects such as "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" (2012) and "Isle of Dogs" (2018). He has performed on Broadway as well, winning Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for "All the Way" in 2014 and "Network" in 2019.
In addition to his acting career, Cranston has ventured into directing and producing. He has directed episodes of "Breaking Bad," "Modern Family," and "The Office," among others. As a producer, he has been involved in projects like "All the Way" (2016) and "Sneaky Pete" (2015-2019).
"Breaking Bad" Salary
At the height of "Breaking Bad," Bryan's salary was $225,000 per episode. That worked out to around $3 million for all of season four (13 episodes) and $3.6 million for season five (split into two eight-episode half seasons).
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Early Life
Bryan Cranston was born on March 7th, 1956, in Hollywood, California. Bryan waited until after he graduated college to begin his career as an actor. His father, however, did attempt to find such work but was largely unsuccessful before leaving Cranston and his siblings with their mother in 1967. His father remained absent from his life until Bryan was 22, when he and his brother, Kyle, reestablished contact (later, he would say that he based much of his performance on "Breaking Bad" on his father's mannerisms). One fascinating incident from Cranston's childhood was relayed much later by the actor in various outlets: At 12 years old, while going horseback riding at the now-infamous Spahn Ranch in California, he had a brief encounter with one Charles Manson, shortly before the crimes now known as the Manson murders took place.
Acting Career
Cranston's parents were ambivalent about acting, so he didn't pursue it seriously until after he graduated from Los Angeles Valley College in 1976 (with a degree in police science). Before his acting career began in earnest, Bryan worked as a Universal Life Church minister, a waiter, a security guard, and even a video dating service camera operator, before he started getting regular acting work in the 1980s.
One of his first roles was on the ABC soap opera "Loving," on which he had a regular role from 1983 to 1985. He had a starring role on a brief television program called "Raising Miranda" in the late 80s, and eagle-eared viewers have spotted his voice dubbing various pieces of Japanese media for American audiences, including most notably the first season of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" – even earning the distinction of serving as the namesake for one Billy Cranston, otherwise known as the Blue Ranger.
Bryan continued to work as a character actor on TV shows of increasingly greater distinction, eventually appearing in a 1998 episode of "The X-Files," meeting future "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan in the process. He also started racking up feature film roles around this time, including famous astronaut Gus Grissom in the 1996 film "That Thing You Do!" and a prominent but brief role in 1998's "Saving Private Ryan." In 2000, his biggest break yet happened when he was cast as family patriarch Hal on the Fox sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle," which ran for seven seasons. Cranston also directed several episodes of the series. His work on various TV shows continued, with guest roles on shows like "How I Met Your Mother." He also appeared in the 2006 film "Little Miss Sunshine," which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
In 2008, Bryan appeared for the first time as Walter White on "Breaking Bad," a role that rocketed him to worldwide fame, as well as parts in big-screen films like "Drive" and "Godzilla" – not to mention leading roles in films like "The Infiltrator" and "The Upside." He's also continued to direct for television and has participated in many philanthropic endeavors. His career reached full circle in 2018 when he became the voice of a Ford advertising campaign known as "Built Ford Tough," and in 2019, he made an unlikely return to the role of Walter White in the Netflix "Breaking Bad" sequel film "El Camino." It probably goes without saying that his work as an actor has earned him countless accolades and awards, including three consecutive and four total Emmys for his role as Walter White on "Breaking Bad."
Cranston reprised the role of Walter White in two episodes of the "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul," in 2022. He also appeared as the character alongside Aaron Paul as Jesse in a Super Bowl LVII commercial for Popcorners chips and in an episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" in 2023. He also starred in the 2023 film "Asteroid City." From 2020 to 2023, Bryan starred as Judge Michael Desiato on Showtime's "Your Honor," which earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 2021.
(Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
Personal Life
Cranston married a writer named Mickey Middleton in 1977. They split up in 1982, and seven years later, Bryan married Robin Dearden, an actress he met in 1984 on the set of "Airwolf" (he played the episode's villain; she played a hostage). They remain married today and have one daughter together (actress Taylor Dearden), who was born in 1993. Cranston also found time to publish an autobiography entitled "A Life in Parts" in 2016.
Bryan Cranston Quote on Money
"I wish Americans thought more like Europeans when it comes to money and work. They take time off, they do what they love. We think work is the most valued commodity. Really the most valued commodity is time."
Real Estate
In 2007, Bryan Cranston purchased a beachfront home in Ventura County, California, for $2.5 million. He proceeded to demolish the property's former home, completing construction in 2012. The finished home was custom-designed to cutting-edge environmental specifications, Platinum LEED-certified as a green home, with solar panels, rainwater collection tanks, and a variety of other ecological features. As a result, the Cranston home qualifies as what's called a "net-zero home," meaning it produces at least as much energy as it uses up. You wouldn't know it to look at the house, though, as Bryan himself mentioned in an interview with "Dwell" magazine about the house: "We know we have succeeded if our guests ask incredulously, 'This is a green home?'" The renovations cost 30% more than a normal renovation due to the green specifications. Cranston and his wife listed this home for sale in February 2021 for $4.995 million. The home sold in April for $5.45 million.
In 2017, Bryan paid $3.1 million for a two-bedroom apartment on Central Park South. He listed this property for sale in April 2024 for $3.495 million. In September 2021, Cranston bought a Central Park West Co-Op for $5.6 million.
