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“Nothing short of riveting...an engrossing first-person account by one of our finest actors” (Huffington Post)—both a coming-of-age story and a meditation on creativity, devotion, and craft—Bryan Cranston, beloved and acclaimed star of one of history’s most successful TV shows, Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston began his acting career at the age of seven, when his father, a struggling actor and sometime director, cast him in a commercial for United Way. By fifth grade he was starring in the school play, spending hours at the local movie theater, and re-enacting favorite scenes with his brother in their living room. Cranston seemed destined to be an actor. But then his father left. And his family fell apart. Troubled by his father’s missteps, Cranston abandoned his acting aspirations and resolved to pursue a steadier career in law enforcement. Then, on a two-year cross-country motorcycle journey, Cranston re-discovered his talent for acting and found his mission and his calling. In this “must-read memoir” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Cranston traces the many roles he inhabited throughout his remarkable life, both on and off screen. For the first time he shares the story of his early years as an actor on the soap opera Loving, his recurring spots on Seinfeld, and his time as bumbling father Hal on Malcolm in the Middle, to his tour-de-force, Tony-winning performance as Lyndon Baines Johnson in Broadway’s All the Way, to his most iconic role of all: Breaking Bad’s Walter White. “An illuminating window into the actor’s psyche” (People), Cranston has much to say about creativity, devotion, and craft, as well as innate talent and its challenges and benefits and proper maintenance. “By turns gritty, funny, and sad” (Entertainment Weekly), ultimately A Life in Parts is a story about the joy, the necessity, and the transformative power of simple hard work. Read more
Publisher : Scribner
Publication date : August 8, 2017
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
Print length : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 1476793875
ISBN-13 : 70
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.38 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #165,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #61 in TV Shows #77 in Television Performer Biographies #85 in Theatre Biographies
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
Review by Harrison Craig, Silver Creek High School “I saw my future. I saw it so vividly it was as if I’d had a conversation with my older self. At that precise moment I conjured a credo that would guide me for the rest of my life: I will pursue something that I love-and hopefully become good at, instead of pursuing something that I’m good at-but don’t love.” This is one of the many pieces of wisdom gained through reading Bryan Cranston’s autobiography, A Life in Parts. This book tells the story of how a lost, young man goes from a soon-to-be Law Enforcement Officer to a full-fledged, hard-working actor. This is not only exhibited through his seemingly endless, extremely personal stories, but through his infinite amounts of wisdom as well. After reading this book, you will feel as if you really know Bryan Cranston. You will hurt for him, laugh with him, and possibly even cry. This book goes far beyond your standard autobiography: it’s a chance at a new connection. Though I find it difficult to say, I believe my favorite scene(s) from the book would be Bryan’s early years in life: Performing odd-jobs around the world with his brother, taking his first acting course, and even becoming a minister! His eagerness to learn, yet with no sense of direction. You get to see how he comes to find himself, and I think that’s why I find this part of the book to be so special to me. I want to be an actor one day, and to see someone share so many similarities with my own gives me the hope that, I too can become an actor one day. At one point, I had a strong interest and determination to enter the field of Law Enforcement. This book encouraged me to take a theatre course, and now my entire life has changed for the better. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, and you’ve finished reading this adventure of a book, Bryan’s words will continue to ring true. He not only shares his advice on how to be an actor, but how to enjoy and live life as well. The moral of the story is, despite of the circumstances, anything can be accomplished if you put the right amount of work into it; you have to want it. You have to be strong, ready to take the hit. But remember in doing so, to have fun. We only have a finite time on earth, and to waste your time doing something that doesn’t make you happy would be a shame, to say the least. “Finishing. I would never say again “I can’t do that.” That’s what I told myself. Never Again.” I can safely say, without a moment’s hesitation, that I found this book to be absolutely magnificent; a truly enthralling read. Nothing about this book came off to me as a drag, as everyone moment was executed with such an excitement unknown to anything else. This is a book that I believe will stand against time, capturing a nearly unforgettable piece of history. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Bryan Cranston or any of his acting works throughout time. Though, I strongly recommend this book to anyone with even the slightest interest in acting, regardless of where you are; this could change your life.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018 by Harrison Clayton Craig
Format: Kindle
An outstanding book. A life story told in parts that make the whole of a talented actor and a caring human being. Funny, touching, heartbreaking and thought provoking, this book soothes the soul. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author and didn’t want this book to end, I enjoyed it so much. All the interesting jobs he had that led to his calling are shared. He has a wonderful storytelling ability. I hope he writes another book and narrators more of them. I remember the pivotal episode of the X-Files he appeared in. He took the job needing the funds, not knowing what it held for his future. From his first big part on Loving, to Malcolm in the Middle, which had watched episodes of, he shares wonderful behind the scenes stories. After Malcolm ends, Vince Gilligan, who had worked with Cranston on the X-Files, has a new idea for a show called Breaking Bad. Cranston’s performance on the X-Files stayed with Gilligan and Cranston made the role of a lifetime his own. I hadn’t watched Breaking Bad, but I enjoyed the stories about the creative process. It’s on my watch list.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2023 by Admiralu
Format: Kindle
It was interesting to read about the variety of roles he played as well as learning about the process of creating those roles.
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2025 by Debbie kogut
Format: Kindle
This was such an entertaining and insightful book. I have always enjoyed Bryan Cranston's work. He is talented and a consummate actor. Who knew he was also a fantastic storyteller? A story filled with humor but also sadness as Mr. Cranston relieves his childhood and parents' broken dreams. It's an honest portrayal of the experiences and struggles he faced that made him the man and talent he is today. It's not your typical bio in the sense that it doesn't chronologically recount every aspect of his life. Rather, Mr. Cranston poignantly touches the most important parts of his backstory while beautifully weaving in the laughter and life lessons this history embodies. This is a must read and is hard to put down.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2016 by Kindle Customer
Format: Hardcover
I'd call myself a casual Bryan Cranston Fan. Only knowing his work through Seinfeld ( Dr. Whatley), and as LBJ in All The Way, Sneaky Pete on Amazon, Plus most recently as Your Honor On Showtime. ( Truly Must See and Binge Worthy) I did not watch Breaking Bad or Malcom In the Middle, yet after reading this Memoir/Journal , Life Skills book, They are in my que to watch. From the go, I must tell you he is on my bucket list to meet, yes the book was that raw, true and insightful. Mr. Cranston took , zero shortcuts, was not born with a silver spoon, was handed nothing, the man you've watched and seen for decades, Earned everything. Not wanting to spoil anything, but read how he, hired, practiced , learned some tricks of the trade to land that one commercial. His brilliance in whistling...and the dividends that paid . He also is not a glory seeker nor does he break his arm, patting himself on the back , he credits , writers , agents, electricians, grips and staff for any and all ideas they shared to help/assist him nail a scene. There also is zero sugar coating, he calls out people that were less than kind. Even his 12-15 hour days on soap operas , he shares such details, things you may not catch as a casual viewer to make our watching experience perfect ( LIGHTSWITCH ) will take on a whole new meaning. So How did I decide to buy it. One I did not know it existed until I saw it on the Desk of one of the producers of the Rich Eisen Show. ( Picture Above) Then once seeing it I glanced at Amazon to read the reviews, when your Ex-Wife writes you a 5 star review, its got to be worth a read, This was one of those, I cannot put it down books , read it in 6 days, and Mr. Cranston expanded my mind with at least one to two new words , per chapter to increase my knowledge and vocabulary And when your done reading this gem, watch him in Your Honor and Sneaky Pete
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Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2021 by R. C. J.
Format: Kindle
I found this to be a fascinating book, cover-to-cover. There is a lot to love. Bryan wrote fairly short chapters, each describing an aspect of his life (i.e. a "part"). Bryan's childhood experiences (he had a rough childhood) were fascinating. The experiences that led him to want to do well at acting were equally fascinating. His experiences as an actor were also fascinating. His romances (some of which didn't end well) were also a great read. Bryan in places discusses his shortcomings--I admire him for being so candid. For you Breaking Bad fans ... yes, he does talk in detail about the show. As an electrical engineer who does software, I found his stories about acting as a vocation to be fascinating because they are so ... different than engineering. For example, he talks about the cast and crew crying and hugging each other after the filming of a very emotional scene or when filming the final episodes after a show has been cancelled (and they know they won't work together for very much longer). (That sort of crying and hugging does not occur in engineering LOL.)
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Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2017 by David Ashley
Format: Paperback
Bryan Cranston's autobiography is intriguing if not entirely enjoyable. He has led a fascinating life full of spectacular opportunities, iconic projects & roles, and yet his depiction of his life (even once he made it as an actor) is full of angst, frustration, and difficulty. His telling of his early, rough years makes the initial tone understandable, but I miss the joy of his successes in both his personal and professional life. I'm glad I read the book and like having a better understanding of the man as it informs his superb acting work, but I'm not sure I'd recommend this to anyone else but a diehard Breaking Bad fanatic. That being said, the book is well-written and his stories are engagingly told. I look forward to his next acting performance because that is where he shines brightest!
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Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2019 by hamnerman
Format: Kindle
The best films are those that have strong writing, directing, and acting. Of the three, my opinion is that the writing is the most important. A director can't direct and an actor can't act without someone first putting the story down on paper. The television series Breaking Bad had all three. It also had great cinematography, soundtrack, and sets. It is the only television series that I have binge watched. While I knew of the show Malcolm in the Middle, I was not a regular viewer. I do remember Bryan Cranston's character as the goofy dad. It is a real testament to Bryan Cranston's acting ability that he could pull off Walter White after doing Malcolm. The best actors can portray a character so convincingly that you never once think about the actual actor. I've seen just about every Tom Hanks movie, and I believe him in every single role. Bryan Cranston is in the same league. Bryan Cranston's memoir is an entertaining look at the life of an actor. The chapters are short but written in chronological order. The reader follows Bryan Cranston from his first stage plays to his latest films, including his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnston. And of course, there are several chapters related to Breaking Bad. I laughed out loud numerous times while reading this memoir. I especially liked the story of when he accidentally got vaseline in his eyes during a stage play and how it aided his "mournful delivery." You will also enjoy Bryan Cranston's narration if you get the audiobook.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2017 by Emilio Corsetti III