While starring in a hit television sitcom provides a lucrative steady income (thank you syndication) as well as regular gig which for actors is a dream come true, the downside is that the lengthy schedule in which you can branch out to do plays or movies is tremendously small. And while Bryan Cranston doesn’t regret the six season and 151 episodes he churned out on “Malcolm In The Middle” he used his time following the show like a man who’s got about one hour left to live. He lined up “Breaking Bad,” the hit and critically acclaimed AMC show that opened even more doors for the actor who hit the big screen earlier this year in “The Lincoln Lawyer” and has his CV stacked with a number of fantastic forthcoming projects including “Drive,” “Contagion,” “Red Tails, “John Carter,” “Total Recall,” “Rock Of Ages” and now, one more high profile gig.
THR reports that Cranston will be headed to Ben Affleck‘s “Argo.” The film is based on the true story about a C.I.A. plan to rescue a group of diplomats from Tehran after the 1979 Iranian revolution by claiming that they were part of a Hollywood movie crew shooting a film in the country. Alan Arkin is on board to play Lester Siegel, a former O.S.S. spy, now a movie producer, described as “equal parts bookie and rabbi,” who helps get the fake movie rolling, with John Goodman playing the Oscar-winning “Planet of the Apes” makeup artist John Chambers who is brought in on the elaborate scheme and Affleck is slotted in the central role of Tony Mendez, the CIA exfiltration expert who gets the whole scheme up and running. Cranston will play Affleck’s boss and former bodyguard for President Eisenhower, CIA agent Jack O’Donnell.
No start date or release scheduled, but this one seems to be pulling together fast and we’d guess it’ll mount by the end of the summer with a late 2012 release in its sights.