And now from luminary media and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, the Axfiles,

with your host David Axelrod.

There's really no other way to say it.

Brian Cranston is just an extraordinary actor.

Many fan of the series Breaking Bad Knows That, having watched him develop the character

of Walter White from a sad, hapless, and dying high school chemistry teacher into a criminal

mastermind over the course of a series.

But his body of work is long and deep on the stage, on television and in film.

In recent years he played Dalton Trumbo, the brilliant and eccentric blacklisted writer

from the McCarthy era.

He completely enveloped the role of Lyndon Johnson in the play and then movie all the way.

And he's been absolutely electrifying as Howard Beale in the current remake of Pete Chaeffsky's

1976 movie network as a play on Broadway.

I got a chance to see the play and sit down with Brian Cranston recently in New York

to talk about his life and career, about the difference between playing fictional characters

and bringing historical figures to life.

And about the lessons he draws from some of these plotlines about the politics and media

environment of today.

Brian Cranston, so 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.

...