Judd Apatow has revealed that he turned Bryan Cranston down for a role as a drug dealer in Pineapple Express because he wasn’t “scary enough.”
The news came in response to a series of tweets from Seth Rogen who celebrated the tenth anniversary of his stoner film Pineapple Express by sharing stories and on-set injuries that occurred during filming.
In response to Rogen, producer Apatow revealed that Cranston had auctioned for a part in the film but was turned down. It was the tenth anniversary of Pineapple Express on Monday (August 6).
He wrote: “Bryan Cranston auditioned. He may have even read at a table…and I said “I don’t think he seems scary enough to seem like a real drug dealer.”
“If he did PE maybe the Breaking Bad people would have said, “not him, he always plays drug dealers.”
Breaking Bad premiered in 2008, the same year that Pineapple Express was released. Cranston played meth-maker Walter White for five seasons and won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role.
The response to the news sparked amusement on Twitter. Lawrence Fox tweeted: “Judd Apatow: You don’t seem scary enough to be a drug dealer, Bryan Cranston. Bryan Cranston: Hold. My. BEER.” Seth Rogan, meanwhile, replied with “Holy Shit!”
This image is not actually from #PineappleExpress, but is from a skit we shot for the Oscars that year, which was filmed by Spielberg’s DP, Janusz Kaminski. https://t.co/GSDH7QTGix
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) August 6, 2018
I’ve got one. Bryan Cranston auditioned. He may have even read at a table read and I said “I don’t think he seems scary enough to seem like a real drug dealer.” If he did PE maybe the Breaking Bad people would have said, “not him, he always plays drug dealers.” https://t.co/YqJE1pr2QH
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) August 7, 2018
Holy Shit! https://t.co/RF28PvMwvm
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) August 7, 2018
This is INCREDIBLE. I didn't even know Judd could go up in my book, but if we're now going to give him the credit that he has apparently always deserved for Breaking Bad, then my book needs a rewrite. https://t.co/shgy319gID
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) August 7, 2018
Whoa. I guarantee if @JuddApatow had cast @BryanCranston as a drug dealer in Pineapple Express, Breaking Bad— and every show that exists because of it— wouldn’t have happened. Crazy. https://t.co/T8KoY892QE
— filmaroni (@filmaroni) August 7, 2018
Judd Apatow: You don't seem scary enough to be a drug dealer, Bryan Cranston.
Bryan Cranston: Hold. MY. BEER. https://t.co/EvzffmhD0O— Fox (@Fox_Unleashed) August 7, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaY-mqBp0U4
Recently, at San Diego’s Comic-Con, the cast of the acclaimed series reunited for the show’s ten year anniversary.
Speaking at the event, Cranston said that he was “very proud” of ‘Breaking Bad’ but that he didn’t want the show to return.
He said: “We’re very proud of our show and Better Call Saul. In some ways, it’s best to leave it alone – that you want to think back on it favourably.”
“I don’t want to mess with it. It was the perfect opportunity that changed all of our lives. It changed many lives on our show.”
His comments came after the show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, said he was desperate to reunite Cranston with his Breaking Bad sidekick, Aaron Paul who played Jesse Pinkman.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly Gilligan said: “I desperately want to see both of them on Better Call Saul. Peter [Gould] wants it, the writers do, the actors do.”
“…I think we’ve waited long enough. We damn well better have a good reason for them to show up. I just hope we figure it out because I’ve got to hear, ‘Yeah, bitch!’ one more time.”
The new season of Better Call Saul is streaming on Netflix now.