Some acting roles can be played by many stars, but the most famous characters can only be played by one person. Breaking Bad‘s Walter White is a perfect example, and Bryan Cranston played this role perfectly. The popular AMC crime show follows chemistry teacher Walter White as he becomes a drug kingpin after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
The show got huge praise, especially for Cranston’s performance. He won seven Emmys, a Golden Globe, and other major awards since playing White in 2008. But, according to Unilad, the 69-year-old actor is now being accused of lying about how he got cast in Breaking Bad.
In Cranston’s 2016 book called A Life in Parts, he wrote that show creator Vince Gilligan didn’t pick him first for Walter White. He claimed that actor Steve Zahn was also considered for the role. But Zahn, who is 58 years old, has now denied this story completely.
Zahn says the casting story is made up
While promoting his new movie Anaconda, Zahn answered “no” when asked if he was almost cast as Walter White. When the reporter mentioned that Cranston wrote this claim in his book, Zahn didn’t hold back. He said Cranston was making things up, though he did praise Cranston’s acting skills. “Oh, really!? Cranston is so awesome, but I find that hard to believe. I think Cranston is lying!” he said.
Zahn didn’t stop there either. He said he plans to talk to Cranston about it in person. “He’s in London right now doing a play, and I’m shooting in London, so I’m going to go talk to him”, he said. Much like how Marvel casting decisions spark controversy, this casting debate has gotten people talking.
Steve Zahn calls out Bryan Cranston over ‘Breaking Bad’ casting claim: He’s ‘lying’ https://t.co/RK939Al2ca pic.twitter.com/rCLns6pjI9
— New York Post (@nypost) January 4, 2026
What is true is that show executives worried about casting Cranston at first. He was mainly known for playing the dad in the comedy show Malcolm in the Middle, not for serious dramatic roles. The network wanted bigger names like John Cusack and Matthew Broderick instead, but both actors turned down the role.
What actually got Cranston the job was his guest appearance on The X-Files. Vince Gilligan wrote that episode and gave Cranston a small but powerful role. His performance showed Gilligan what Cranston could do, which led to him getting the Walter White role that changed his career. While this drama unfolds, it’s not the only shocking discovery making headlines lately.
