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Bryan Cranston reveals how he decides whether or not to accept a job

Breaking Bad was an easy yes but Walter White is notoriously hard to please

Jess Denham
Monday 01 February 2016 11:29 GMT
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Score 16 and above on the Cranston Assessment Project Scale or expect a big fat rejection
Score 16 and above on the Cranston Assessment Project Scale or expect a big fat rejection (Getty Images)

If you want Bryan Cranston to play a role in your next film or TV series, prepare to have your work cut out.

The Breaking Bad actor has revealed the tough system he employs to decide whether or not to accept a job offer.

“I don’t have to work again in my life,” he told The Times. “So why would I do something I’m not interested in passionately? I think, ‘What’s happening in my life personally?”

Fair enough. So this is how you bag Walter White using the Cranston Assessment Project Scale:

1) There must be a clause in the contract permitting him to leave the set immediately if his mother-in-law is ill. “If they’re not willing to put that in, I’m not willing to do it,” he says. Got it?

2) Five categories - story, script, role, director and cast - are carefully considered, with each being worth five points. Bonus and minus points can also be added or taken away, including salary and time spent away from home. If the total score falls below 16, Cranston turns it down immediately. If it’s above 25, as Argo and Breaking Bad were, he’ll say a big yes.

3) Make him feel “giddy” about the job. The Oscar nominee doesn’t want to take acting too seriously and looks to be excited.

Cranston is nominated for Best Actor for Trumbo at this year’s Oscars, which take place on Sunday 28 February.

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