Entertainment

Life After Walt for Bryan Cranston

by Caroline Pate

Right now, the world is Bryan Cranston's oyster. He's just finished up his last season as Walter White on Breaking Bad, a show that's almost universally critically lauded. He could pretty much take any role in Hollywood, at this point.

So what's his next project? Trumbo.

No, it's not a weird Dumbo remake. It's the true story of Dalton Trumbo, the man who broke Hollywood's blacklist. Trumbo was one of the highest paid screenwriters in Hollywood in the '50s. Trumbo also used to be a member of the Communist Party.

If you've been through a U.S. History class, you know what happens next: Trumbo refused to answer the questions of the House Committee on Un-American Activities and was put in prison. Once he got out of prison, he was blacklisted, so he continued to write scripts under pseudonyms, penning classics like The Brave One and Roman Holiday. Trumbo frequently boycotted against the blacklist, to the detriment of his career and his relationships, until his writing credit was revealed for the movie Spartacus and the blacklist was removed.

A pretty meaty story for Cranston, but will it be as good as Breaking Bad? Let's hope so. Bryan Cranston may be Walter White to most, but he's also the guy who had a bit part in Rock of Ages.