The 15 best Bryan Cranston movies and TV shows, ranked

15. “Jerry and Marge Go Large” (2022)

While casting a couple of heavy hitters (Cranston and Annette Bening) together in a Nice Movie might not have been the most obvious choice, this true story of a mild-mannered couple who gamed the lottery certainly has its charms. Sure, Jerry and Marge Go Large is safe as milk, but sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered — and seeing the pair having such a great time playing normies is a real pleasure.

Where to watch Jerry and Marge Go Large: Paramount+

14. “The Infiltrator” (2016)

Cranston is in familiar territory with The Infiltrator, playing a family man absorbed by the drug world. And while many of Breaking Bad's themes are revisited — biggies like morality and loyalty — the difference here is that it's easier to root for him. Why? Well, because he aims to take down a true, real-life bad guy: Pablo Escobar. Cranston also wows us in the costume department, donning some exceptionally fly disguises in a neon-soaked Miami (and reminding us that he remains as square-jawed and handsome as a comic-book hero). EW’s critic praised his efforts, saying the film is "a solid (if occasionally uneven) '80s drug thriller, elevated by a multilayered and brilliant performance from Cranston."

Where to watch The Infiltrator: Peacock

13. “All the Way” (2016)

Okay, maybe Cranston doesn’t look like LBJ, but he sure acts like him, and acting is what we came here for, people. In the HBO adaptation of a play covering the first year of Johnson's presidency, Cranston embodies the big guy's passions and gravitas. EW’s reviewer said his performance "embraces the role’s showmanship and physicality with gusto, close-talking and buttonholing and tie-grabbing to make his case." 

Where to watch All the Way: Max

12. “Trumbo” (2015)

EW’s critic took issue with Trumbo’s weak screenplay (ironic much?) but not Cranston's performance, praising BC as a charismatic wonder, "fully embracing the arch voice and lurching pantomime of the scotch-swilling, chain-smoking writer." You can see why Cranston chose the role; the real Dalton Trumbo seems like a fictional character himself, known for his outspoken nature, bushy mustache, and habit of working in the bathtub (coffee and cigarette in hand, along with a special slanted desk), where he created such legendary works as Roman Holiday, Exodus, and Spartacus. Acting alongside fellow legends (including John Goodman and Helen Mirren), Cranston's turn is as captivating as the man he portrays.

Where to watch Trumbo: Max

11. “Your Honor” (2020–2023)

Signing onto a show that resembles your most well-known work (Breaking Bad) this closely takes a certain level of double-dare-ya energy. Even finding a review of Your Honor that doesn't mention Heisenberg is nearly impossible; and speaking of reviews, this show was pretty much a 50/50 split between yay and nay. But Cranston's lauded performance on the Showtime series (as a New Orleans judge breaking the law to help his son) is moving, intense, and overall excellent despite uneven pacing and an exceedingly grim tone that pushed it into melodramatic territory.

Where to watch Your Honor: Paramount+

10. “Asteroid City” (2023)

Though his part in Asteroid City was small, his influence loomed large — literally, as his character narrated the proceedings from an alternate black-and-white universe. Wes Anderson's latest creation features Cranston as the voice of God, explaining the theatrical proceedings like a (slightly?) less creepy Rod Serling.

Where to watch Asteroid City: Peacock

9. “Godzilla” (2014)

As a nuclear engineer with a tragic past, the actor makes a solid contribution to the action movie genre in 2014's Godzilla. Of course, being Cranston, he doesn't just phone it in; he lends true gravity and heartbreak to the situation. When playing anxious Joe Brody, a man obsessed with solving his wife’s mysterious death, BC provides the essential plot set-up. And though his role is firmly lodged in Serious Cranston territory, we also got a touch of Funny Cranston, as seen in this promo clip where he declares his annoyance with a certain green and scaly costar, fully committing to the bit.

Where to watch Godzilla: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

8. “The X-Files” (1993–2002, 2016–2018)

As Breaking Bad obsessives already know, series creator Vince Gilligan fought hard to convince higher-ups that the goofball from Malcolm in the Middle could effectively become a meth-cooking psychopath — and it was Cranston's performance in this 1998 episode of The X-Files (“Drive,” written by Gilligan) that served as his audition. Could Hal Wilkerson go to the dark side? This nail-bitingly tense tale provided a resounding yes. 

Here, Cranston plays a man at the end of his rope, afflicted with a terrifying (and, okay, a bit illogical) problem: If the car he's riding in slows down, he dies. And whose car is he in? Mulder's, of course! Slumped in the back seat during a full-on paranoid meltdown, the character vacillates between government conspiracy theorizing and demanding that the special agent maintain a certain speed. Cranston, clad in an impressive mustache and appropriately exhausted demeanor, gives a masterclass in acting.

Where to watch The X-Files: Hulu

7. “Isle of Dogs” (2018)

As a card-carrying member of the Cranston Voice Appreciation Society, director Wes Anderson utilized the dulcet-toned vocal stylings of BC for his canine opus, Isle of Dogs. In taking on the role of Chief, the pack leader with a past ("I bite"), the actor miraculously conveys all the feels — shame, regret, fear of intimacy, resilience, and, in the end, redemption — via speech alone. If you're looking for a truly moving performance in an animated movie, check out this one (but don't forget the tissues).

Where to watch Isle of Dogs: Disney+

6. “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)

A nameless man with a few lines? Not many actors could take a role like this and make it into such a vital character. But Cranston's one-armed "War Department Colonel" is memorable and heart-wrenching in Saving Private Ryan. And though his screen time is brief, it's key; the man makes the essential, plot-driving plea to literally save Private Ryan (Matt Damon) from Nazi territory. It's a tribute to the actor's skills that this short appearance had such a big impact.

Where to watch Saving Private Ryan: Netflix

5. “Drive” (2011)

Nicolas Winding Refn's intensely cool mood piece is a dark tale of a driver dubbed, well, Driver (played by Ken, er, Ryan Gosling) and his love for a damsel in serious distress (Carey Mulligan). Think neon noir, high-style, arty action. And where does Cranston fit in? As the Driver's right-hand man, of course. Playing a grease-stained slickster named Shannon, owner of the chop shop/repair shop, Cranston serves as Gosling's boss and sort-of champion, a father figure who's also a bit of an opportunist. He manages the Driver's many jobs, both legal (mechanic, stunt double, stunt driver) and not (getaway driver).

If all that sounds complicated, that’s because it is, which is why Cranston is so good in the role. Shannon's shop is chock-full of cars and gear, like a grease-stained version of the underground Bond lair, only instead of a lipstick bomb, it's got four wheels and a V-8 engine. In a minimalist movie (the cars are loud, but the people only say the bare minimum), Shannon is a grinning chatterbox, a charmer, and just a lil' bit shifty. Cranston makes him a character you'll be hard-pressed to forget.

Where to watch Drive: PlutoTV

4. “Seinfeld” (1989–1998)

We're all familiar with the term "re-gifter," but not everyone knows it originated on Seinfeld, based on the actions by none other than Bryan Cranston as "dentist to the stars" Tim Whatley. Even hardcore Seinfeld fans might not recall that Cranston played the recurring role in seasons 6 through 9, popping up here and there to deliver (or participate in) some of the funniest moments in the show's history, including “yada yada yada” and "anti-dentite."

Where to watch Seinfeld: Netflix

3. “Argo” (2012)

The Ben Affleck film that EW’s critic called an "electrically suspenseful, cunningly original true-life thriller" costars Cranston as CIA Deputy Director Jack O'Donnell. Based on a true story that sounds pretty much 100% fictional (Americans stuck in Iran escape by pretending to be filmmakers working on a fake sci-fi flick), Argo is a masterwork of "far-fetched intensity" while Cranston uses "his hypercontrolled fury to heroic effect." 

Where to watch Argo: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

2. “Malcolm in the Middle” (2000–2006)

As Hal — the hapless, goofy, but always loving father — Cranston created a new kind of sitcom dad, forgoing Mike Brady perfection for the messier (and more interesting) realities of life. From the beginning, Malcolm in the Middle knew how to mine the frustrations and chaos of middle-class existence for laughs, sticking to certain sitcom laws (Entertaining? Check. Comforting? Check. Problems resolved in 22 minutes? Always.) without ever resorting to cheese.

A major part of the show's appeal lay in Cranston's performance. Sure, he’s silly, crazy, and funny, but the pain is visible, too, and it often bubbles up to the surface. Adult responsibilities weigh heavy on poor Hal, but they never bring him down. The man is a cockeyed optimist, an inspiration for the little guys and gals of this world, making the whole show rise above the sitcom pack as a true classic.

Where to watch Malcolm in the Middle: Hulu

1. “Breaking Bad” (2008–2013)

Bryan Cranston didn't just portray Walter White, our favorite science teacher/meth kingpin, he inhabited him, and his masterful performance was a large part of what made Breaking Bad one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Applied to any other series, this claim — which was tossed out with regularity from both critics and fans — might seem hyperbolic and cliché. But when applied to Vince Gilligan's Shakespearean anti-hero epic, an old saying comes to mind: It ain't bragging if it's true. 

Where to watch Breaking Bad: Netflix