Bryan Cranston is beloved for his high-profile roles in shows like Breaking Bad. He also hosted an episode of SNL in October 2010 and recently revealed a sketch that never left the planning phase.
The Malcolm in the Middle star revealed several fascinating insights into his career on a recent podcast. On last week’s episode of “Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade,” Cranston explained he was nervous to host the popular series. He also shared that he did standup comedy in the 80s for a bold reason. “I did it only because it scared the **** out of me,” Cranston explained. “So I thought, Ah, the only way I’m ever going to get over this fear of it is to dive in.” He joked with the hosts, “So, I rose from being terrible to being mediocre,” which they agreed was a “big jump” in standup.
During the interview, Cranston, Carvey, and Spade touch on several subjects, including a brief chat about AI in the industry. Cranston recalls being invited to SNL when Breaking Bad was at peak popularity. He also shares a couple of pitches which he says were “immediately shot down.”
Cranston Reveals His Gross-Out Humor Pitch
The hosts ask if the actor recalls his pitch, which he does in vivid detail. “Myself and a date and another couple. We can’t believe we got reservations for this restaurant. It’s supposed to be amazing. It’s called All in the Sauce,” he explains. “And it’s like wow, and this snooty waiter comes in and says, are you ready?”
Cranston continues, “We ask, can we see a menu? No, we serve you food. You eat the food. You leave.” In his pitch, Cranston explains, “It’s all about the sauce. So he puts down a Crudité (a French appetizer), and we dip it in the sauce, and it’s like, ‘Oh my god!’ Just amazing.”
“Crudité is taken away. Here comes the entree. Oh my god, this sauce is absolutely insane! We’re overeating, we eat too much, we throw up.” The pitch suddenly takes a gross turn when Cranston says, “We dip the barf in the sauce. Oh my god! It’s all about the sauce.” He clarifies that no matter what you put in the sauce, it will taste great, but the pitch never made it past Monday meetings.
The actor’s ideas may have never made it past the planning stage, but Spade and Carvey seemed to appreciate them.