When Bryan Cranston started off as the dad in Malcolm in the Middle, you wouldn’t have thought he would change to become Walter White in Breaking Bad.
Bryan is an exceptional Hollywood figure.
He is one of the most beloved celebrities that captivates people with his stellar acting chops.
Transforming into the part that he plays doesn’t only include following the script.
He gets into the characters by sporting some very peculiar facial hair.
One such example is the Walter White goatee that made him legendary.
The journey from Hal Wilkerson to Walter White is a long and arduous one and the beard has a lot to do with it.
When Bryan grows his Walter White beard, he truly becomes the man who knocks.
The transformation happens in a second.
Although we commoners that are not trained actors can’t really get the same effect as Bryan has when he becomes Heisenberg, what we can do is grow a similar beard like him.
With the help of this article, you will be able to grow a Bryan Cranston beard that you’ve always wanted.
Table Of Contents
Early Life, Career and Notable Appearances
Bryan was born on 3rd March 1956, in California. He is the son of a former boxer turned actor and a successful radio actress.
Cranston and his mother were abandoned by his father when he was 11, and he deems the experience “particularly defining” in his childhood.
Cranston forgave his father and eleven years later, at the age of 22, opted to hunt him down in order to “force a relationship”.
Cranston claims to have inspired his depiction of Walter Hartwell from his father who, he deems, “Bore the burden of the entire world on his shoulder”. After the departure of Cranston’s father, he was mostly raised by his aging grandparents.
Cranston has often admitted to viewing his parents as “Broken people” he found “incapacitated” in handling parental duties.
Determined not to follow their path of economic instability, Cranston completed an associate’s bachelor program in police science in 1976, from the Valley College, Los Angeles
After the completion of his degree – which the actor has frequently called his ”back up plan” –Bryan Cranston’s Career in acting officially began, in local theaters.
While he struggled to find acting opportunities, Cranston worked several times as a waiter, truck loader and even camera operator. In 1983, he was cast as Douglas Donovan on the ABC show, Loving, a role that ended in 1985.
For close to three years (1994 – 1997), he made a couple of scattered appearances on the hit TV show Seinfeld.
He played Dr. Tim Whatley, Jerry’s Dentist – a role with little camera time but plenty of witty lines to which he attributes his early notoriety.
In 1998, Cranston was cast as a War Department Colonel in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.
After a string of theatre appearances (the most notable of which may be in the play God of Hell), Cranston finally landed a major role (Hal) on the popular comedy Malcom in the Middle.
In 2008, we saw Cranston’s fame rise to a peak he “couldn’t ever have fathomed”. The already seasoned actor was cast as Walter White, a chemistry teacher turned drug lord, in the worldwide hit Breaking Bad.
Cranston kept the role till climax in 2013, and received a plethora of awards (Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actor’s Guild) during the show’s 5-year run.
In 2015, he was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the poignant biopic Trumbo.
Since then, Cranston has appeared in a variety of indie movies that have, in spite of their modest budgets, been well received by cinema critics.
Bryan Cranston’s Beard
Bryan Cranston sports one of the most iconic goatees on television. With its Grecian edge, the thick goatee is particularly flattering on more seasoned men, adding flair and strength to almost any face shape.
Bryan Cranston’s beard is kept at a medium length, with thick brown strands covering the entire chin and a small patch right under the bottom lip. Cranston undoubtedly uses a variety of products to keep the strands unmated and soft.
Achieving and Maintaining a Bryan Cranston Goatee
The key to achieving Bryan Cranston’s goatee is to have a full coverage of hair to work with. You will require to grow your hair, possibly into a full beard, for about 4 weeks prior to trimming it into the desired shape.
To grow a thicker beard, consider adding vitamin B to your diet and doing more exercise. Getting enough sleep also increases the levels of testosterone released by the body, which accelerates follicle development and will help you grow a beard faster.
If you’re wondering how to apply beard oil, or need beard shaping tips, consult our grooming and trimming guides.
During the growing process, the skin of your lower face may be a little itchy. To stop a beard rash, pat the surface of your skin with a clean towel after every wash. Also, consider incorporating Aloe Vera beard shampoos in your grooming process.
In order to trim your beard into a Bryan Cranston goatee, you may need to use a professional beard shaping tool, which will allow you to shape your beard and deal with beard split ends with minimal effort.
The trimming process will require you to begin at the top of your cheeks, all the way down to your jaw, removing all hair, and to leave smooth, bare skin.
You will then need to shorten the strands of your mustache and beard, preferably using a boar bristle beard brush or traditional wooden beard comb, and scissors.
You can find plenty of cool beard catchers on the market that will make your grooming process much easier.
Should you want to dye your beard into the same shade of brown Bryan Cranston sports, consider the beard coloring products listed on our site.
It is also advised to learn to make beard balm at home, using products such as jojoba oil, argan oil or coconut oil, to keep your strands healthy and moisturized at all times.
Michele Meesh Antunes is the lady of the Beardoholic writers team and a genius when it comes to hair and beard styles that suit any face shape. She’s been a barber for years now and, no matter your personal style, she knows exactly what beard, hairstyle and length suit you. She brings the women’s perspective on beards, beard care, haircuts and hairstyles and male grooming.