Bryan Cranston on his 'white blindness': 'I need to change'

[Utilit99 4,099]

 

 

The 'Breaking Bad' alum stars as Charles Nichols in 'Power of Sail'

Bryan Cranston is opening up about his "white blindness," and how his recognition of it led him to turn down a directing job.

Back in 2019, the Emmy-winning actor was approached by Matt Shakman and asked if he'd be interested in directing a play based on Larry Shue's 1984 comedy "The Foreigner." It's about an Englishman who prevents the conversion of a Georgia fishing lodge he's staying in into a Ku Klux Klan meeting place.

"It is a privileged viewpoint to be able to look at the Ku Klux Klan and laugh at them and belittle them for their broken and hateful ideology," Cranston said in an interview with the LA Times. "But the Ku Klux Klan and Charlottesville and white supremacists — that’s still happening and it’s not funny. It’s not funny to any group that is marginalized by these groups’ hatred, and it really taught me something."

Cranston admitted he had laughed at the play for years. But now, following recent events of social and racial injustice, such as the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, caused him to face his own white privilege.

 

"And I realized, ‘Oh my God, if there’s one, there’s two, and if there’s two, there are 20 blind spots that I have … what else am I blind to?'" Cranston questioned.

The former "Breaking Bad" star added: "If we’re taking up space with a very palatable play from the 1980s where rich old white people can laugh at white supremacists and say, ‘Shame on you,’ and have a good night in the theater, things need to change, I need to change."

Cranston, 65, recalled telling Shakman he'd rather be open to the idea of portraying an "old white man" for another project.

"I’m 65 years old now, and I need to learn, I need to change," he reflected.

Cranston's turning down of the director position led him to explore another offer, a role as Charles Nichols in "Power of Sail," directed by Weyni Mengesha and written by Paul Grellonng. According to the Times, Cranston plays "an aging, highly respected Harvard professor who faces intense backlash for inviting a white nationalist and Holocaust denier named Carver to speak at his annual symposium."

 

"Power of Sail" sees characters questioning the boundaries of free speech. For this reason, the actor believes conversations around the topic can be changed.

"There need to be barriers, there need to be guard rails," he said.

"If someone wants to say the Holocaust was a hoax, which is against history … to give a person space to amplify that speech is not tolerance. It’s abusive."

But Cranston says he has hope.

"What is safe? Well, emotionally safe. Without judgment, safe. All-inclusive, safe. Empathetic, safe. And that’s what gives me hope with new generations," he explained. "Because it’s a beautiful thing to say, ‘We’re all entitled to be who we are without judgment.’"

[vomit 502]

You know for someone who is so sick of hearing about racism, you sure do create a lot of threads about racism.

[Utilit99 4,099]

30 minutes ago, vomit said:

You know for someone who is so sick of hearing about racism, you sure do create a lot of threads about racism.

I like making fun of it gutterpedo. Sue me you little rancid bltch.  

[Utilit99 4,099]

Dude has gone off of the rails. When will this shlt become passé? 

"Power of Sail" sees characters questioning the boundaries of free speech. For this reason, the actor believes conversations around the topic can be changed.

"There need to be barriers, there need to be guard rails," he said.

"If someone wants to say the Holocaust was a hoax, which is against history … to give a person space to amplify that speech is not tolerance. It’s abusive."

But Cranston says he has hope.

"What is safe? Well, emotionally safe. Without judgment, safe. All-inclusive, safe. Empathetic, safe. And that’s what gives me hope with new generations," he explained. "Because it’s a beautiful thing to say, ‘We’re all entitled to be who we are without judgment.’"

[wiffleball 4,661]

I like him. 

[Utilit99 4,099]

5 minutes ago, wiffleball said:

I like him. 

He's your kind of man. 

[wiffleball 4,661]

20 minutes ago, Utilit99 said:

He's your kind of man. 

Thank you. He's a good guy. 

[Utilit99 4,099]

Just now, wiffleball said:

Thank you. He's a good gay guy. 

I'm sure he is. 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,880]

Oh god. Fock this guy. Ku Klux Klan. Man, stfu. 

[Voltaire 4,578]

I tried to follow the line of reasoning but the extreme white guilt was rampant to the point that it became incomprehensible halfway through.

So many buzzwords, I don't know what he said, it was like reading Etruscan rather than English.

I do sense a white liberal who would be happier if he handing over all his worldy possesions to Patrice Cullors and put a bullet in his head.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,880]

These elitist white guilters may be phonier than the elitist climate change phonies. 

[JustinCharge 2,397]

hahaha cranston is an idiot racist.

[wiffleball 4,661]

I understand he's got a new Netflix show coming out called Malcolm X in the middle

[Utilit99 4,099]

18 hours ago, JustinCharge said:

hahaha cranston is an idiot racist.

I agree. And he does need to change. What a focking schmuck that dude is. 

[BeenHereBefore 1,353]

Breaking Caucasian ?

[avoiding injuries 1,233]

He just signed to star in the new series “Kunta Kinte in the Middle” airing on Starz Encore Black Fall of 2022. 

[DonS 3,085]

1 hour ago, avoiding injuries said:

He just signed to star in the new series “Kunta Kinte in the Middle” airing on Starz Encore Black Fall of 2022. 

His name is Toby.

 

[cyclone24 1,822]

Just imagine if we had more black blindness that could be fixed. You’re not going to blame white people’s perceived or legitimate prejudices and uplift an entire culture from where it is. 
 

stay in school. Stop having children out of wedlock. Hold down a job. Stop committing crimes.

Maybe start with that instead of trying to throw white guilt and everyone.

 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,880]

Is it ok for one woman to call another woman a kunt? 

[Kopy 496]

1 hour ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Is it ok for one woman to call another woman a kunt? 

Kunt is now acceptable. Apparently "moist" is now the no no

[NEWPOSTERGUY! 269]

Welp, glad I binged BB two years ago ... I think.

What a fockface. 

[DonS 3,085]

21 minutes ago, NEWPOSTERGUY! said:

Welp, glad I binged BB two years ago ... I think.

What a fockface. 

Did he apologize for having Mexicans play drug dealers?  That surely hurt somebody's feelings.

White trash meth heads is super cool, though.

 

[EternalShinyAndChrome 2,641]

15 hours ago, Voltaire said:

I tried to follow the line of reasoning but the extreme white guilt was rampant to the point that it became incomprehensible halfway through.

So many buzzwords, I don't know what he said, it was like reading Etruscan rather than English.

I do sense a white liberal who would be happier if he handing over all his worldy possesions to Patrice Cullors and put a bullet in his head.

Same here.  I had trouble understanding WTF he was even saying.  I don't speak "delicate little beta cuck liberal flower".   

[Hardcore troubadour 12,880]

If we are down to what remains of the ku klux klan being a major problem, especially when half of the dwindling numbers are FBI informants or agents themselves, then I’d say we are doing great. 

[fandandy 3,311]

I liked him better on King of Queens before he got a big head and went full-retard.

[fandandy 3,311]

You're fifteen minutes of fame are up.  Zip it.

[RLLD 3,519]

Must be nice to have so much time to fabricate some false notion that you are a problem.  The rest of us are busy living.....

[Cdub100 3,435]

What a brave and stunning statement.

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Self Loathers Against Free Speech. Could be a self help group.

[RLLD 3,519]

He either wants to make sure he keeps the projects he has lined up intact, or is posturing to get access to something else.

[MDC 5,937]

These threads are like the bat signal for some Geeks.  

[TimmySmith 2,782]

1 minute ago, MDC said:

These threads are like the bat signal for some Geeks.  

Totally agree.

[Utilit99 4,099]

18 minutes ago, MDC said:

These threads are like the bat signal for some Geeks.  

And you always come a-runnin. 

Do-do do-do do-do do-do mdcack man!!

[RLLD 3,519]

34 minutes ago, MDC said:

These threads are like the bat signal for some Geeks.  

Irony

[fandandy 3,311]

It's Bryan Cranston though.  It's still just him.  Who really cares?  He's the guy who put an above-ground pool next to the Heffernans in Queens.  Shut up, Bryan.  Nobody takes you seriously.  

[fandandy 3,311]

Why do actors or athletes or musicians feel compelled to express any opinion to the other three hundred and thirty million of us?

Who the fock do these people think that they are?

How often does a union welder get a national voice?

[Utilit99 4,099]

14 minutes ago, fandandy said:

Why do actors or athletes or musicians feel compelled to express any opinion to the other three hundred and thirty million of us?

Who the fock do these people think that they are?

How often does a union welder get a national voice?

Isn't it interesting that the people prefer to follow around "celebrates" instead of normals? 

Thing is, the news stations don't care about normals so you never hear about them. So I like to point out the craziness of the "celebrities" when I see shlt like this. Since they like the attention so much.

[wiffleball 4,661]

I'd honestly love to hear conversation between Bryan Cranston and Mel Brooks on these comments.