Bryan Cranston Clarifies Retirement Rumors

Actor Bryan Cranston recently made headlines concerning his reported temporary "retirement," and now the Breaking Bad star has clarified what he really meant. In a post on Instagram, Cranston attempted to set the record straight, starting off by confirming, "I am not retiring."

He is, however, going to "hit the pause button for a year" in 2026 when he turns 70.

Cranston said he is taking time off from acting to spend more time with his wife Robin, whom he has been married to for 34 years. He wants to spend more time with her "not as a wife of a celebrity, but as a loving married couple" entering the latter years of their lives "with new hopes and goals and experiences."

Cranston also said he wants to take the time off to get a "reset" in his career. Cranston said he could not be more grateful for the many acting roles he's had over the years in film, television, and the stage. At the same time, Cranston said he's "beginning to run out of fresh ideas in how to play characters that I'm being offered." To that end, Cranston said taking some time away to "replenish my soul" is just what he needs to help prepare himself for future roles.

"I will unplug from social media, step off the hamster wheel of business, and dive into the classic novels that I've always promised myself I would read but haven't," he said.

Cranston has been acting for decades. He's known for playing the dentist Tim Whatley on Seinfeld in the '90s, Hal on Malcom in the Middle in the 2000s, and later Walter White on Breaking Bad. In fact, it was his appearance in an episode of X-Files written by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan that helped him land the leading role on Breaking Bad.

In the film space, he's known for his roles in Saving Private Ryan, Little Miss Sunshine, Drive, Argo, and Godzilla. He will be seen next in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City.