Ten years ago, Breaking Bad [1] arrived on TV screens and, pretty much instantaneously, became a pop culture force to be reckoned with. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the AMC drama [2] — there are still tons of you; just ask Aaron Paul's wedding guests [3] — or you've only caught a few episodes here and there, you might be curious about what the show's core cast is up to these days. From scoring Oscar nominations to starring in even more twisted TV shows, read on to see where Bryan Cranston, RJ Mitte, and more ended up.
Bryan Cranston as Walter White
After playing lovable dad Hal for years on Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston took his career in a totally new direction when he signed on to portray chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin Walter White. His dark performance earned the actor a Golden Globe and multiple Emmys.
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Since the end of Breaking Bad, Cranston has lent his acting talents to everything from TV shows like Robot Chicken and Sneaky Pete to Oscar-nominated movies like Trumbo. Most recently, he appeared in Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams on Amazon and has a voice role in Wes Anderson's upcoming animated film Isle of Dogs.
Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman
Jesse Pinkman, the meth dealer you can't help but have a soft spot for, was undoubtedly Aaron Paul's breakout role. Before playing Jesse, Paul popped up in Big Love, Point Pleasant, and Veronica Mars.
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Breaking Bad was just the start for Paul. Once the show wrapped, he began voicing Todd on BoJack Horseman and starred in the movies Need For Speed, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Triple 9, and Central Intelligence. He also nabbed the lead role in Hulu's twisted cult drama The Path and is expecting a baby girl [4] with wife Lauren Parsekian.
Anna Gunn as Skyler White
Although Breaking Bad fans regularly criticised Walter White's long-suffering wife Skyler, Anna Gunn picked up two Emmys for her performance. Not too shabby.
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Clearly Gunn couldn't get enough of dark, twisted dramas, because she immediately began playing Detective Ellie Miller on Gracepoint, the American adaptation of the British murder mystery series Broadchurch. Although it was soon cancelled, Gunn joined Shades of Blue and has a role in the 2018 comedy You Can Choose Your Family along with comedian Jim Gaffigan.
RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr.
Hollywood newcomer and Louisiana native RJ Mitte broke into the acting world with his role as Walter White's son who has cerebral palsy on Breaking Bad. Although Mitte has a mild case of the same condition, he conducted a great deal of research for the role so that Walter would be as authentic as possible, earning him critical acclaim. Before that, he had a few small roles on shows like Hannah Montana [5] and Vegas.
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Switched at Birth fans will probably recognise Mitte for playing Campbell Bingman on the Freeform drama. He's also appeared in the films Dixieland and Who's Driving Doug and will appear in 2018's Tiempo Compartido. The actor is also set to be inducted into the New Mexico Film and Television Hall of Fame [6] this year for his work on the Albuquerque-set Breaking Bad.
Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader
Like her sister Skyler, Marie Schrader couldn't catch a break with fans (there's a reason one of the top Google autofill results when you type in her name is "annoying"). That being said, clearly Michigan-born actress Betsy Brandt delivered a convincing performance. Before ending up on Breaking Bad, she studied theatre at Harvard University's Institute For Advanced Theater Training and had roles in Magic Mike and on Without a Trace.
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Brandt has been playing Heather on CBS's Life in Pieces since 2015 and appeared alongside Queen Latifah [7] in Lifetime's movie about the Flint water crisis, Flint, in 2017.
Dean Norris as Hank Schrader
As Henry "Hank" Schrader — the husband to Marie and Walter's brother-in-law — Dean Norris gave a memorable performance as the boisterous DEA special agent. The gruesome end he meets on his journey to lock up Heisenberg is one of the show's most unforgettable moments.
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Norris has certainly been busy since leaving Breaking Bad in 2013. In addition to acting in the movies Men, Women & Children and Fist Fight, he's racked up a ton of TV appearances. His most well-known roles include James "Big Jim" Rennie in the Stephen King TV adaptation Under the Dome and, more recently, Uncle Daddy in TNT's Claws.