Bet You Never Noticed This When You Were Watching ‘Breaking Bad’

Walter White (Bryan Cranston) - Breaking Bad _ Season 5b _ Gallery - Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
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I can only speak for myself, but I thought “Breaking Bad” was one of the best shows to ever appear on television. I also loved “Mad Men” and still love “The Walking Dead” (all located on AMC), but for my money “Breaking Bad” is one of the most inventive and groundbreaking shows of the past few decades. I loved watching it week after week.

Consider this: Who decides to create a show about a high school chemistry professor with terminal cancer who decides to become a meth dealer? And how do you sell that concept to network executives? Thankfully, it all worked out and we were blessed with this amazing show.

But here’s something I bet not even the most diehard “Breaking Bad” fan knew: Bryan Cranston filmed close-ups where he was not shown below the waist sans pants. You read that right: Cranston did not wear pants for those shots.

As co-star Aaron Paul noted:

“Another funny fact about Bryan Cranston–we all know that from Malcolm in the Middle to Breaking Bad, his characters tended to wear tidy whities, but what you don’t know is that any close-up shot of Bryan on Breaking Bad where you didn’t see the lower half of his body, his pants were always off. His pants were always off. True story, I’m not even joking. His pants are always off.”

And this has been confirmed by fellow co-star R. J Mitte, who said:

“He had his moments from time to time, good thing for close ups!”

Paul even remembered the first time Cranston removed his pants on the set of the show. He recalls it because how in the world do you ever forget a moment that surreal?

“[Cranston] slowly removed his pants, staring [at me] as he bent down to do it. He is very proud of what is happening down there and he thinks it is intimidating for all of us, in a loving way. From the belly down, he has nothing on.”

Cranston, however, is not willing to concede his odd habit of depantsing before close shots, saying:

“First of all, never believe what Aaron Paul says. I cannot deny or confess that it is true … There are times when levity is very helpful to a group of people. We work long hours. My call time is 5:40 a.m.; we finish at 6 p.m. We are together for a long time. Actors get tired; levity breaks the tension so I look for opportunities. Plus, I love to have a good time.”

Considering that the show was set in New Mexico, you can kinda understand how Cranston might have needed to let his lower extremities breathe from time to time.

h/t The Huffington Post