Bryan Cranston may be best known to fans as a meth/PopCorners kingpin. Still, he is now expressing interest in playing one of the greatest marijuana proponents (oh, and legendary singer-songwriters) ever, Willie Nelson.
When asked by NME if there was a musician he would like to play, Bryan Cranston said, “Willie Nelson comes to mind. The hair and the beard. I think there’s some physical resemblance. He’s very old and wrinkled, and I can relate to that…So I wouldn’t have to wear a lot of makeup.” Surely the 66-year-old Cranston looks a little better than the 89-year-old Nelson!
Bryan Cranston added there is a lot to admire about Shotgun Willie, although the actor doesn’t exactly share every defining trait with the singer. “Willie’s had a fascinating career—as a writer and as a performer, and as a free speech person, being anti-war and on the forefront of hemp [culture]. That’s kind of interesting to me, even though I don’t vibe with that stuff. I don’t like smoking, it just doesn’t do it for me.”
Bryan Cranston has played real-life figures before, including astronaut Buzz Aldrin and President Lyndon B. Johnson, but never a musician—unless you count his credit as a Neil Diamond impersonator on 3rd Rock from the Sun…
Willie Nelson has a storied life and career ripe for the big screen treatment, with a fair share of advocacies, controversies, and accolades. He has often been cited as one of the greatest country singers and guitarists (thanks to Trigger). His 73rd album—over the course of 60+ years—is due next month. Willie Nelson also holds a second-degree black belt in taekwondo, so Bryan Cranston better start studying—or give up the dream to get the Malcolm in the Middle reboot going.
Do you think Bryan Cranston would make a good Willie Nelson? Let us know in the comments section below!