Bryan Cranston Defends Breaking Bad’s Most-Hated Character

by

Bryan Cranston is well-known for his role as Walter White in the popular AMC series, where he played a man who became a major methamphetamine producer and drug lord, ultimately causing the deaths of numerous people throughout the show’s five seasons. While the series featured several villainous characters, Anna Gunn, who played Walter’s wife, Skyler White, often received the most criticism from viewers.

Before becoming famous for Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston was well-known for his role as Hal on the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. To help promote the new Hulu revival, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, Cranston and his co-star Frankie Muniz appeared on the show Hot Ones. During the interview, they talked about Cranston’s characters’ wives, and Muniz confessed he wasn’t a fan of Skyler, admitting he, like many viewers, felt she often hindered Walter’s plans.

Frankie Muniz Wasn’t a Skyler White Fan

Muniz admitted, “I really loved Breaking Bad. Everyone did, really. I even wished I could have killed Skyler – it would have made things so much simpler for you. You were a terrible person, and getting rid of her would have solved everything!”

This led Cranston to defend Skyler, explaining that Walter’s secret involvement in the Albuquerque drug trade gave her plenty of reason to be angry. He also noted that the creators of Breaking Bad were surprised by the strong negative reaction Skyler received from fans.

Cranston explained that Anna Gunn received a lot of criticism for her character on the show. He pointed out that Gunn is a very talented actress, but fans often reacted negatively to her character’s actions, asking why she didn’t support her husband. He found this baffling, given the circumstances: her husband abandoned her without explanation while she was pregnant, and he was involved in dangerous and deadly criminal activity. Cranston and others couldn’t understand why she was being portrayed as the villain.

Muniz responded, “I guess when you put it that way.”

Fans Are Starting to Come Around More to Skyler

Over time, most fans have developed a more nuanced understanding of the show’s characters, especially Walter White, after revisiting Breaking Bad. Even the show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, now sees Walter as more villainous looking back. Gilligan and Anna Gunn have also expressed concern about the harsh criticism directed towards Skyler.

You know, it always bothered me how much hate Skyler got. Anna Gunn, the actress, really didn’t deserve any of it – she was fantastic in the role. Looking back, I see we really told the story completely from Walt’s perspective, even when he wasn’t actually in the scene. It’s strange, but even his biggest enemy, Gus, didn’t get the same level of negativity. It was a weird situation, and I think the way we framed everything contributed to it.

Breaking Bad is streaming on Netflix.

Read More

2026-04-10 00:15