These days, audiences may know Bryan Cranston best for his portrayal of Walter White in "Breaking Bad." The Emmy-winning actor perfectly embodied a man who transformed from a humble chemistry teacher to a meth kingpin across five seasons. Of course, before Cranston showed what he could accomplish as a dramatic actor, he was best known for roles in sitcoms like "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Seinfeld." As it turns out, Cranston could've returned to those roots had he landed the part of Jerry on "Rick and Morty" (via Screen Rant).
Watching Cranston play a wimpy, timid character would've been along the same lines as him playing Hal from "Malcolm in the Middle." There's no information about why the "Rick and Morty" team didn't cast him, but it likely all worked out for the best. Cranston certainly hasn't been short on work since "Breaking Bad" ended, and he even received an Academy Award nomination for his role in 2015's "Trumbo."
Surprisingly, Walter White still ended up influencing "Rick and Morty" in more ways than one. The house we see Rick living in during a made-up flashback in Season 3's "The Rickshank Rickdemption" looks identical to Walter's house on "Breaking Bad" (via Reddit). Additionally, the show's co-creator Dan Harmon has gone on the record saying Season 3's "Pickle Rick" drew influence from the "Breaking Bad" Season 2 episode "4 Days Out." That was the one where Walter and Jesse (Aaron Paul) become stuck in their RV in the middle of the desert (via Bleeding Cool).
One thing's clear from all of this: There are plenty of "Breaking Bad" fans on the "Rick and Morty" staff.
