John Cusack reportedly turned down the role of Walter White on Breaking Bad, and he’s finally addressing this rumor while promoting his new show, Utopia.
The sci-fi series from Amazon Prime is John Cusack’s very first TV project in his three decades in Hollywood. However, rumors have been rife that he was the original choice for the iconic role of Walter White, which eventually went to Bryan Cranston.
In an interview with Variety, Cusack said that the role was never offered to him.
“It was one of those things where I heard it so many times I started to think maybe it was true,” the actor said. “I ran into the creator of Breaking Bad (Vince Gilligan), and I said, ‘Am I crazy or did you offer me Walter White? He’s like, ‘No,’” Cusack shared.
The ’80s heartthrob, however, admitted that he’s a fan of Breaking Bad and of the spinoff, Better Call Saul. Cusack said that the show got the perfect lead star in Cranston, who won acting awards for his take on Walter White.
His first TV show
In Utopia, John Cusack plays an Elon Musk-type billionaire, Dr. Kevin Christie, who wants to find solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. The actor describes his character as a good guy trying to make the world better. Unlike other billionaires who preach conservation but has private jets, Christie “betrays his class” because he genuinely wants to change the world.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Christie is not in the British original of Utopia. Cusack said that he has avoided doing projects with “foul myths or narratives” for years, but he felt a different experience with the Amazon show. The actor liked the script he read from Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, so he agreed to do the series.
Close to the real thing
Utopia is a movie about a global pandemic, and Cusack said that the parallels to real-life feel surreal. The actor thinks viewers will learn a lot from this series.
“The show wasn’t made to exploit any of reality,” Cusack said. “But it’s a dystopian theme, and it’s also about how the globe is hurtling towards climate extinction.”
According to CNN, the Amazon show might be uncomfortable to watch because it’s so close to home, and it has gruesome scenes. However, Flynn made an edgy drama series that sustains the momentum for six episodes.
Aside from John Cusack, Utopia also stars Rainn Wilson, Sasha Lane, Dan Byrd, Ashleigh LaThrop, Desmin Borges, and Christopher Denham. The show will premiere on Amazon Prime on Sept. 25.
Image courtesy of Amazon Prime/YouTube