BREAKING BAD THEN & NOW: WHERE ARE THE ICONIC STARS MORE THAN 15 YEARS LATER?K2 💥🎬

Bryan Cranston (Walter White)

Acclaimed by critics, adored by fans, and awarded four Emmys, Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of chemistry-teacher-turned-drug-kingpin Walter White is easily the actor’s signature role.

But it wasn’t his breakthrough. As Malcolm in the Middle’s hilariously dopey, clueless dad Hal, Cranston was a household name long before donning Heisenberg’s pork pie hat. The oddball sitcom was his first star-making turn, though by that point he had accrued nearly 100 credits — including a guest spot on The X-Files (1998), where he met Gilligan, setting the stage for the role that changed his life a decade later. He recently reprised his Malcolm in the Middle role for the series’ Hulu revival.

With small parts in big films like Saving Private Ryan (1998) and nostalgic favorites like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993), he’d done it all before the sitcom’s casting directors came calling. And that’s before you account for his recurring stint as Seinfeld’s re-gifting dentist, Tim Whatley.

Breaking Bad made him an in-demand big-screen presence. He booked key roles in Drive (2011), Contagion (2011), Argo (2013), and Godzilla (2014) before earning an Oscar nomination for Trumbo (2015), playing legendary blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. He later took on a role originated by none other than Jack Nicholson in Last Flag Flying (2017), based on the sequel novel to The Last Detail (1973), then partnered with Wes Anderson for Isle of Dogs (2018) and Asteroid City (2023).

That only scratches the surface of Cranston’s work. He’s a two-time Tony winner, first for playing LBJ in All the Way and later for getting “mad as hell” in Network. He’s maintained TV cred, too, picking up a Golden Globe nomination for Your Honor (2020–2023), playing a New Orleans judge who breaks bad, and donning various hats for Amazon’s crime caper Sneaky Pete (2015–2019).

Cranston is married to actress Robin Dearden; they have a daughter, Taylor Dearden, who broke out on her own hit series, The Pitt, in 2025. He has also remained close with Aaron Paul. The pair share commemorative Breaking Bad tattoos and are co-founders of Dos Hombres, a mezcal company.

Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman)

As the impulsive, street-smart, “b—-!”-spewing half of TV’s most beloved duo, Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman went through hell. His toxic relationship with his former chemistry teacher led to kidnapping, torture, two dead girlfriends, and then some. The actor earned three Emmys for his performance.

Before his character helped perfect that blue meth recipe, Paul bounced around in Van Wilder (2002), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Veronica Mars (2005), and Criminal Minds (2005). Those supporting parts ballooned into a recurring gig on Big Love (2007–2011), which led to his Albuquerque breakthrough.

More movie roles followed, including the remake of The Last House on the Left (2009) and the addiction drama Smashed (2012), opposite Mary Elizabeth Winstead. He headlined the racing game adaptation Need for Speed (2014) and booked supporting parts in Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), Triple 9 (2016), and Dual (2022).

Paul has found more success on the small screen, including BoJack Horseman (2014–2020), Westworld (2020–2022), and the 2023 Black Mirror episode “Beyond the Sea,” not to mention Jesse’s grand encore in the spinoff feature, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019). His next major television role is slated to be Fallout season 3 on Amazon Prime Video.

Paul’s adoration for the show extends to his costar Bryan Cranston. “I love the man to death. He’s one of my best friends,” he told The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon in 2022 after announcing he asked his old screen partner to be his son’s godfather. The actor also has a daughter with actress Lauren Parsekian, his wife since 2013.

Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman)

Bob Odenkirk’s morally bankrupt, endlessly charming con man/lawyer Saul Goodman became so popular that he got his own show. Longtime fans weren’t surprised by Odenkirk’s success — they’d been watching him steal scenes for his entire career.

The comedy veteran wrote and performed on Saturday Night Live, The Ben Stiller Show, The Dennis Miller Show, and Late Night With Conan O’Brien. He turned his talk/sketch series experience into a recurring role on The Larry Sanders Show (1993–1998), where he played the hilariously sleazy Hollywood agent Stevie Grant.

He parlayed the character’s popularity into the cult-favorite sketch series Mr. Show With Bob and David (1995–1998), which he co-created with David Cross. Odenkirk continued to showcase his comedic chops in sitcoms like Seinfeld (1996), NewsRadio (1997–1998), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), and Arrested Development (2003) — regularly appearing alongside Cross.

Those appearances barely scratch his career’s surface. He had a recurring part on How I Met Your Mother (2008–2012), a regular role in Fargo’s first season (2014), and toplined AMC’s short-lived series Lucky Hank (2023).

He scored his own action vehicle as a suburban dad with a secret assassin past in Nobody (2021), delivered the iconic title line in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (2019), and landed key supporting roles in Nebraska (2013), The Post (2017), and Incredibles 2 (2018). The veteran actor has even gone behind the camera, directing the scrappy indie Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003) and oddball comedies Let’s Go to Prison (2006) and The Brothers Solomon (2007). In 2025, he made his Broadway debut with the revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, earning a Tony Award nomination for his performance.

Odenkirk has been married to Naomi Yomtov since 1997. The actor, who shares a son and daughter with Yomtov, suffered a heart attack while filming Better Call Saul’s final season but has made a recovery.

Anna Gunn (Skyler White)

Early on, Anna Gunn’s Skyler White is a loving wife and mother, with a teen son and a baby daughter on the way. But her suburban life soon spirals, sending her on an emotional and eventually criminal rollercoaster.

During the peak of the show’s popularity, Gunn took unusual, even disturbing flak from fans over her character’s role. But as she expressed to EW in 2018, she harbors no regrets over a role that ultimately scored her two Emmys: “It was transformative and incredible.”

Though playing Breaking Bad’s perpetually put-upon matriarch landed Gunn on the mainstream map, the actress had already garnered attention for meaty roles in The Practice and Deadwood (2004–2006) — the latter as Timothy Olyphant’s onscreen wife. Long before that, she was a primary cast member on the sitcom Down on the Shore (1992–1993). Between those substantial credits, she also appeared in everything from ER and NYPD Blue to Seinfeld and Six Feet Under.

Gunn has continued to work steadily since Breaking Bad wrapped, as a regular in crime dramas Gracepoint (2014) and Shades of Blue (2017) and in a key recurring role in AppleTV’s detective series Sugar (2024–present), starring Colin Farrell.

Gunn shares two daughters with her ex-husband, actor Alastair Duncan.

Dean Norris (Hank Schrader)

As devoted family man and gung-ho DEA agent Hank Schrader, Dean Norris carried one of the show’s most absorbing and tragic arcs. Alongside his partner Steve Gomez (Steven Michael Quezada), he doggedly pursued “Heisenberg” before discovering the kingpin was his unassuming brother-in-law, a revelation that ultimately led to Gomez’s death.

Long before he wore a badge in Breaking Bad, Norris played cops, detectives, sergeants, and special agents in popular series (The Practice, Six Feet Under, Medium) and hit movies (Lethal Weapon 2, Terminator 2: Judgment Day). On top of dozens of supporting roles, Norris had several starring turns in shows like Under the Dome (2013–2015) and Claws (2017–2022).

The actor briefly donned Hank’s Kevlar vest again in Better Call Saul. As he told EW in 2020, bringing him back to play a younger version of Hank took some convincing: “Just don’t let it be a gratuitous return, just to say he’s in it,” he told co-creator Peter Gould before signing on.

Since reprising his most famous role, Norris has continued to fill up his résumé, popping up in Curb Your Enthusiasm (2024), Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted (2024), and the Christmas thriller Carry-On (2024).

The married father of five keeps also busy off-screen, having helped launch craft beer Schraderbrau, based on Hank’s homebrew.

Betsy Brandt (Marie Schrader)

Betsy Brandt played Hank’s devoted wife, Marie. She was also Skyler’s sister, which meant her brother-in-law was indirectly responsible for her husband’s murder. Before costarring in the hit series, Brandt was an established character actor, having popped up in everything from Judging Amy and JAG to ER and Boston Legal.

Following Breaking Bad’s conclusion, Brandt scored major roles in The Michael J. Fox Show (2013–2014) and Life in Pieces (2015–2019) in addition to arcs on Parenthood (2012–2014) and Masters of Sex (2014).

In EW’s 2018 reunion interview, she confessed she still hasn’t watched Hank’s death scene — and even experienced a bit of denial when she discovered his fate in the script: “If I don’t read it, does that mean it won’t happen?” Later, in Better Call Saul’s finale, Brandt reunited with a few Breaking Bad castmates while her character got some closure.

Brandt shares two children with Grady Olsen. The two were married in 1998 and split in late 2024.

Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring)

Gustavo Fring has gone down as one of television’s greatest villains, so it’s easy to forget he was only a main character during two of Breaking Bad’s five seasons. As chicken joint owner, Walt’s rival/partner, and eventual victim, Giancarlo Esposito stole more than his share of scenes.

Thankfully, we got to spend more time with the calm, cold-blooded mastermind in Better Call Saul. But while some fans didn’t discover Esposito until Breaking Bad, the actor was already well-established. By the time he played Buggin’ Out in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989), he had a decade of work under his belt.

In addition to a handful of Lee’s early films, Esposito earned cinephile cred with King of New York (1990), Night on Earth (1991), and The Usual Suspects (1995), then landed a regular role in the final season of Homicide: Life on the Street (1998–1999). He played Muhammad Ali’s father in Ali (2001) and maintained a ubiquitous presence on the small screen for years. But it was his ruthless turn as Fring that turned him into one of the industry’s go-to guys.

Since half his face fell off at the end of season 4, he’s played villains in Revolution (2012–2014), The Mandalorian (2019–2023), and The Boys (2019–2026). When he’s not playing baddies, he’s bringing his A-game as extreme badasses, like the vengeance-seeking family man in Parish (2024).

While Esposito seems right at home playing either the heavy or morally compromised hero, the father of four daughters draws on outside inspiration for his darker roles. As he told Entertainment Weekly in 2018, he turned to TV’s most famous mafioso to shape his characterization of Fring: “I thought of the majority of mobster movies and also James Gandolfini’s performance in The Sopranos — a very volatile, very powerful guy but obviously a little more colorful of a mobster than we’ve seen.”

These days, Esposito has a perpetually full plate. After appearing in Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious epic Megalopolis (2024), the hard-working actor officially joined the MCU with Captain America: Brave New World (2025).

Jonathan Banks (Mike Ehrmantraut)

Calling Mike Ehrmantraut a supporting character doesn’t do the meticulous, tough-as-nails fixer justice. A huge presence on both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Jonathan Banks’ bald badass is as recognizable — and beloved — as any series regular.

Many viewers were shocked when the perpetually scowling antihero met an untimely demise in the final season. But as Banks told EW in 2012, he was less surprised by Mike’s blood-soaked fate: “I always knew. I always thought, ‘Mike’s a bad guy. Mike’s gonna die.’ So did it come as a surprise? Not at all.”

That goes double for the actor, who’s been racking up credits for nearly 50 years. Banks worked regularly throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, often playing a tough cop, or tougher criminal, in hits like 48 Hours (1982) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984). His big break came on TV when he was cast in Wiseguy (1987–1990).

Banks has hardly come up for air since, appearing in several every television series — not to mention dozens of films — for decades. On top of Dexter (2007), Parks and Recreation (2012), and Modern Family (2011), he’s recurred or costarred in everything from Falcon Crest (1987) to Community (2014). One of his most recent television projects, Apple TV’s sci-fi series Constellation (2024), was canceled after one season, though he soon followed it up with the Netflix miniseries The Beast in Me (2025).

In 1990, Banks wed Gennera Gonzalez Cebian, with whom he shares twins and a stepdaughter. He also has a daughter from his previous marriage to Marnie Fausch.

RJ Mitte (Walter White Jr.)

There’s no shortage of tragedy in Breaking Bad’s five seasons, but one of the most emotionally effective story arcs is Walter’s gradual estrangement from his teenage son Walt Jr. Actor RJ Mitte’s nuanced performance deserves a lot of the credit, as his character goes from adoring his dad to wishing him dead.

Mitte has continued to act since breaking out as Walt Jr., most recently appearing in the indie film Westhampton (2025) opposite Finn Wittrock.

The actor — who told EW in 2018 he once hoped his character would get “a good death scene” — is a celebrity ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy. The nonprofit organization advocates for those with the disability, which Mitte was diagnosed with at age 3.

Mitte has been with his girlfriend Kennedy Blaire since 2022.

Jesse Plemons (Todd Alquist)

Jesse Plemons played the polite, respectful, child-killing Todd. When Todd first appeared, Plemons’ ascension was just beginning, with Friday Night Lights (2006–2011) serving as his launchpad.

The baby-faced actor was one of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s sons in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master (2012) and delivered an Emmy-nominated performance in season 2 of Fargo (2015), playing a husband who goes to extremes to help his wife (Kirsten Dunst) cover up a murder.

In addition to playing one of Black Mirror’s more sadistic antagonists (“USS Callister”), Plemons has become one of cinema’s most sought-after actors, having appeared in seven Best Picture nominees. He stole scenes in Game Night (2018), teamed up with Tom Cruise for American Made (2017), and returned as Todd in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019).

On the heels of his acclaimed performance in Charlie Kaufman’s surreal film I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020), Plemons played two very different antagonists in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) and Jungle Cruise (2021). The same year, he and his wife, Dunst, earned their first Oscar nominations for Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog (2021). He’s since found a place at Martin Scorsese’s table, with key roles in The Irishman (2019) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

Plemons had an unforgettable cameo as a gun-toting militia baddie in Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024) and won Best Actor at Cannes for Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness (2024). The actor then re-teamed with the Greek auteur and Emma Stone for Bugonia, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

He’ll next be seen in a pair of buzzy late 2026 releases: Digger and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

Krysten Ritter (Jane Margolis)

Breaking Bad is full of shocking moments, but Jane’s demise — with Walt choosing to watch and do nothing as she choked to death — was particularly wrenching.

That twist meant the talented Krysten Ritter would no longer be part of the series, even if her character’s tragic end continued to shape its story. Speaking to PeopleTV in 2021, she was blunt about the lasting impact of filming that death scene: “It was intense, and I will never forget it.”

Her short-lived run as Jesse’s love interest and landlord led to bigger roles, including starring turns in Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23 (2012–2013) and Jessica Jones (2015–2019). Ritter returned as Jane for a flashback in El Camino and appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). She recently returned to the Marvel universe for the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, once again playing Jessica Jones, and also guested on Dexter: Resurrection.

Long before those parts started piling up, Ritter had established herself as an actor. By the time Breaking Bad came along, she had appeared in a string of romantic comedies — including 27 Dresses (2008), What Happens in Vegas (2008), and She’s Out of My League (2010) — and booked numerous small-screen appearances (Law & Order, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls).

Ritter shares a son with her ex-boyfriend, War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel.

Mark Margolis (Hector Salamanca)

Despite being confined to a wheelchair and relying on a bell to communicate, Hector Salamanca was one of Breaking Bad’s most fearsome characters.

Mark Margolis had built a massive, decades-long résumé long before his iconic baddie became the target of Gus Fring’s vengeance-seeking side project. The prolific character actor primarily had supporting roles in movies like Scarface (1983), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Gone Baby Gone (2007), and most of director Darren Aronofsky’s work.

Margolis was equally busy on TV, where his nearly 50 credits included single-episode appearances (Quantum Leap, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Sex and the City) and plenty of regular and recurring parts (Santa Barbara, Oz, and The Equalizer).

The actor, who died in 2023 at age 83, didn’t slow down during (or after) his run in the Southwestern gangland. The Blacklist, Snowpiercer, and Your Honor, which reunited him with Cranston, were among his final performances.