Making it in show business is no easy feat -- just ask Bryan Cranston.
As Emmy season approaches and Cranston faces what could be his fifth award in the Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series category for his portrayal of Walter White on AMC's "Breaking Bad," he's the first to admit he came from humble beginnings.
"I was an interviewer at a dating service," Cranston told The Hollywood Reporter at an Emmys roundtable interview. "They needed someone for the weekends, which was perfect for an actor. So, I worked Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday. I would sit people down and have a little secret button. They're going through all their bullshit, 'Well, I'm really a romantic and I love …' I would push the button when they were really, truly honest and interesting. They found love. It was fun."
While working at a dating service required a certain amount of light-heartedness, Cranston's current stint as Walt -- a high school chemistry teacher-turned-drug-lord -- demands a bit of a darker attitude.
"If I need to stay in [a dark place] for the episode or for any given shot, I will sequester myself so that I am not around a lot of chatter, and that sort of thing, so I can come in and just focus," Cranston told HuffPost UK when asked about staying on track while shooting.
Season 5 of "Breaking Bad" premieres on Sunday, July 15 at 10 p.m. ET on AMC.
Fore more of Cranston's chat, click over to THR.