Before “Breaking Bad” solidified itself into our cultural lexicon, Bryan Cranston was best known for playing the father on “Malcolm in the Middle”. The FOX comedy could not have been any different than Breaking Bad, with Cranston’s portrayal of Hal a steep departure from the sinister Walter White. Now the two seemed to have blended into one.
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For years, intrepid internet users combined quotes and stills from the two shows to create a hyper alternative universe in which Hal and Walter were the same person. Along the way Cranston seemed to enjoy the fun. In 2011, he spoke to IFC about one similarity between the two characters; underwear.
“Well the tighty whitey reigns supreme. It still lives on. When I saw that in the script in Breaking Bad, I brought it to Vince Gilligan and pointed out that I wore it for seven years on Malcolm and he said, “Oh forget it go find something else.” So I started going through wardrobe and while I was doing that, I realized that when he had Walt in tighty whitey, he did it for a reason.” Cranston said.
In advance of the release of the complete series on DVD, Cranston filmed an “alternate ending” of breaking bad with “Malcolm” co-star Jane Kaczmarek. The scene, reminiscent of the famous ending to “Newhart” reveals that maybe the events of Breaking Bad, were actually just a bad nightmare for Cranston’s “Hal”.
Warning: Breaking Bad Spoilers Below