‘Have no intention of stopping’: Bryan Cranston, 70, on continuing to work

Speaking to PEOPLE while attending ArtPrize, an annual art competition and cultural festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Cranston said he wants to continue working for as long as he can.

Actor Bryan Cranston has no plans to slow down his work anytime soon. The 70-year-old actor, known for shows such as Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle, said he cannot imagine retiring from acting and writing. Speaking to PEOPLE while attending ArtPrize, an annual art competition and cultural festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Cranston said he wants to continue working for as long as he can.

“For an actor living the life that I am very fortunate to have, I have no intention of stopping, and I think life will stop before I will want it to, and that will be great,” Cranston said. The actor added that retirement is not something he sees himself choosing, saying that acting and writing are a major part of his life.

“It’s like stopping breathing for me. If I stopped acting and writing, what would I do? I’m not one that’s going to sit on the porch, just because I’m of that age,” continues the actor. “Some people cannot wait for retirement, but I wouldn’t know what to do with it.” Cranston also spoke about how he wants to look back on his life when the time comes. He said he hopes to have lived and worked enough to feel that he has nothing left to give.

“Someone once said, ‘When all is said and done, and it’s time for me to leave the earth, I want to be completely worn out,’ and I think that’s a good way to [go],” adds Cranston. “I want to be absolutely completely worn out, like, I got nothing left.” “I did everything, I traveled, I experienced life, and I’m tired and I’m just absolutely done,” he further explains. “I want to be able to be proud of the things that I’ve [accomplished].”

Cranston comes from a family with a long connection to acting. His parents, Joseph Louis Cranston and Annalisa “Peggy” Cranston, were actors, and he is part of a family that has four generations of actors. His daughter, Taylor Dearden, has also earned praise for her role as Dr. Melissa “Mel” King in The Pitt. The actor has played several well-known characters during his career, including Walter White in Breaking Bad and Hal in Malcolm in the Middle. He has also appeared in films such as Trumbo and Argo and worked in theatre in productions including All the Way, Network and All My Sons.

Cranston has also worked as a writer, producer and director. His career has earned him several Emmy and Tony Awards, along with a Laurence Olivier Award and a Golden Globe Award. He has also received nominations for an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award. Looking back at how his interest in acting began, Cranston recalled growing up around his actor parents. He said watching them work eventually led him to try performing himself.

“[My siblings and I], we were watching our parents do things like, my dad’s doing a movie here, my mom’s doing a commercial there, and the first play I ever did was in our garage. My brother wrote and directed it, so he was my very first director,” the actor says. “I think we charged the neighbor kids a nickel to come see it, and that included a glass of punch or something,” he continues with a laugh.

“So once you get that sense of performing, even if it’s a garage production of something, once you do that, it either ignites something, or you never want to do that again,” Cranston adds. “Or sometimes it’s like, ‘Well, that was fun. I’m glad I did it, but I don’t need to do it anymore.’" (ANI)