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And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN Audio, the Axe Files, with your host David Axelrod.

In full disclosure, I plan to bring you a new conversation today with Bacari Sellers

who just published an astonishing new book called My Vanishing Country, a memoir, that really speaks to the moment in which we're in as a country.

But Bacari couldn't get to where he needed to be to have the conversation we're going to do it on Friday.

And in its place, I'm reaching into our archives one more time for a conversation with Brian Kranzden, the great actor, star of breaking bad,

and so many other wonderful stage and screen and television shows and productions.

Also an incredibly thoughtful person.

This was one of my favorite conversations. I hope you enjoy it. Here it is.

And I'll see you with Bacari on Monday.

Great to see you. I had the privilege of watching you perform in network last night.

And I just have to tell anybody who has a chance to see it, that they must, because it was one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen.

When most extraordinary performance, I don't know. We were just saying before we started rolling, I don't know how you do that.

Seven days a week, because of the intensity of the performance.

But it's kind of like an athletic event.

I get up for the game, I put on the uniform, and the pads, I get out there, and I try to leave everything out there.

I get exhausted mentally, physically, emotionally.

But you're on adrenaline still. So it's not until the next day when I wake up that I go, oh my neck is sore.

How do I get that bruise?

I can't really imagine. So what's so interesting to me is you are the product of actors, but not actors who succeeded at acting.

And that kind of shaped your early life.

Tell me about that. You wrote beautifully about it in your memoir, A Life in Parts.

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