Bryan Cranston Is Retiring From Acting, Here’s When His Career Ends
In 2026, Bryan Cranston plans to retire from acting and go completely off-grid to spend more time with his wife.
Bryan Cranston has formally set his sights on retirement. As reported by Entertainment Weekly, the Breaking Bad actor is gearing up to take the longest break of his career in 2026. According to Cranston, he is ready to spend much needed time with his wife, actress Robin Dearden.
“I want to change the paradigm once again. For the last 24 years, Robin has led her life holding onto my tail. She’s been the plus one, she’s been the wife of a celebrity. She’s had to pivot and adjust her life based on mine. She has tremendous benefit from it, but we’re uneven. I want to level that out. She deserves it.”
Bryan Cranston on his retirement
Bryan Cranston has been an acting workhorse since the 1980s. He got his start as a dayplayer on several TV series through the 80s and 90s, including a recurring role on Seinfeld. Cranston met Robin Dearden while filming a 1989 episode of the series Airwolf.
Cranston’s career took a major turn in 2000. The actor landed the role of Hal on Malcolm in the Middle, giving the actor a chance to shine in a leading role for seven seasons. Things turned once again in 2008 with the release of AMC’s Breaking Bad.
The television landmark is regarded as one of the greatest series ever made. It changed the world’s perspective on the goofy dad from Malcolm in the Middle, cementing Bryan Cranston as a powerhouse dramatic actor. Since then, Cranston has starred in numerous high-profile films and television shows.
Now the busy actor is ready to pump the brakes. His retirement plan, which will accompany his 70 birthday, is not just a vacation. Cranston plans to shut down his production company, Moonshot Entertainment, and sell his shares of Dos Hombres, the mezcal company he shares with his Breaking Bad co-star Aaron Paul.
He plans to move out of the country, likely to a small town in France, to spend time with Robin Dearden. The pair will catch up, garden, drink wine by the fire, and enjoy life away from the entertainment industry for at least six months.
During that time, Bryan Cranston plans to not read a single script or take any meetings. It will be a full stop on his churning career, something he believes is overdue. Cranston’s 2026 retirement may be temporary; the actor has expressed that he will likely return to the business after his extended vacation.
In the meantime, Bryan Cranson has three years of work to do. The actor will appear next in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, an existential comedy that was an audience favorite at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Set to release this June, Asteroid City unites Cranston with Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Willem Dafoe, Maya Hawke, and more.
Bryan Cranston will also spend part of the next three years on the drama film Everything’s Going to Be Great. Co-starring Allison Janney and Avatar: The Way of Water star Jack Champion, the film follows the Smart family, a traveling group of actors performing in regional theaters as they struggle to stay together.
Cranston will make another appearance later this year in Matthew Vaughn’s spy thriller Argylle. The film also stars Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and John Cena.
Bryan Cranston has become one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. His diverse set of roles has seen him go from goofball comedy to dark, brooding drama, and everything in between. Sad as audiences may be about their absences from the big screen, Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden have more than earned the break, however long it may last.
