A Life in Parts

Cranston, Bryan. A Life in Parts. New York: Scribner. 2016. Print.

First Sentences:

She stopped coughing.

Maybe she'd fallen back asleep. Then suddenly vomit flooded her mouth. She grasped at the sheets. She was choking. I instinctively reached to turn her over.

But I stopped myself.

Why should I save her?

Description:

Bryan Cranston is a wonderful storyteller as demonstrated throughout his new autobiography, A Life in Parts. He recollects small snippets of stories from his interesting life, from the desertion of his aspiring-actor father, to his alcoholic mother who bought and sold junk at local flea markets, to traveling cross-country on motorcycles with his brother without a destination or time constraint.

It was on that motorcycle trip during six days of solid rain weathered under a picnic shelter that he decided to become an actor rather than the policeman he had been training for. 

I will pursue something that I love -- and hopefully become good at it, instead of pursuing something that I'm good at -- but don't love.

What other jobs did he have? Paperboy, lifeguard, house painter, hypnotist, truck loader -- each one described in witty detail and how each provided knowledge and human experiences that would prove useful in his later acting career.

When you first start out in the business, you have to expend a lot of energy. Hustling isn't complicated. How much energy you put out dictates how much heat you generate. I decided to be a furnace.

He acted in everything he could, especially commercials. One Mars candy bar ad required he rappel from a mountain, a skill he confidently told the audition director he had. Naturally, he never had been mountain-climbing before, but he hired a climber to teach him the ropes (literally) and after overcoming his fears, he mastered the skill and shone in the commercial.

And there are quirky things along the way. Since he whistled tunelessly on the television series, Malcolm in the Middle, he was paid by the ASCAP as the author and performer of music. He also danced down the street in tighty-whities underwear and once wore a coat of 75,000 live bees for an episode.

He was quick to point out the luck that came his way. The role in Malcolm gave him exposure, steady work, and opportunities to create a character. An episode on The X-Files with director Vince Gilligan showed Cranston could play a deranged man. When the Walter White role was created for the pilot of Breaking Bad, screenwriter Gilligan knew Cranston was the right man for this complex role.

Cranston studies people. characters, and himself in depth to understand what makes people tick, then uses that in his roles. It's fascinating to read his thoughts about struggling with a character, arguing with directors to make certain the character acts logically. It's a strong insight into the mind of an artist trying to make a figure come alive for audiences to understand and, good or bad, to accept as a person with real, honest motivations and personality.

My job was to focus on character. My job was to be interesting. My job was to be a completing. Take some chances. Serve the text. Enjoy the process.

Happy reading. 

Fred

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Wilson, Victoria. A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940

Wonderful insider look at the life of this actress, from early vaudeville to dramatic roles with plenty of backstories about actors, acting, writing, and directors for any film buff. Absolutely splendid in every way. (previously reviewed here)