Actor Bryan Cranston clarifies he is not retiring

By Wendy LeeStaff Writer

June 10, 2023 2:56 PM PT

Actor Bryan Cranston on Friday clarified that he is not retiring, but plans to take a “pause” after his 70th birthday in 2026.

Cranston, known for his Emmy award-winning portrayal of Walter White in the AMC series “Breaking Bad,” wrote on Instagram that taking a break would allow him to spend more time with his wife Robin and give him “a sort of ‘reset’ in his career.” During his pause, he also plans to unplug from social media and read classic novels.

For the record:

11:06 a.m. June 11, 2023An earlier version of this article said “Breaking Bad” was an HBO series. It was on AMC.

“I’m not even sure what ‘pausing’ means entirely, but at the moment, I think it means that by taking a year off it will provide several things...” Cranston wrote on Instagram on Friday.

British GQ reported on Thursday that Cranston in 2026 “will retire — at least temporarily,” with plans to shut down his production company, sell his half of mezcal venture Dos Hombres and then travel with his wife abroad.

“I want to go for day trips and have the fire in the fireplace and drink wine with new friends and not read scripts,” Cranston told British GQ. “It’s not going to be like, ‘Oh, I’ll read and see what I’m going to do.’ No, it’s a pause. It’s a stop. I won’t be thinking about [work]. I’m not going to be taking phone calls.”

Just to make doubly sure that what he said was not to be misinterpreted, he further clarified on Instagram.

“Some news came out that wasn’t entirely clear… even to me,” Cranston wrote. “So I wanted to set the record straight. I am not retiring.”