A Life in Parts

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What to expect

'Bryan Cranston has created a cinematic record of how an actor shapes a career and an identity and a legacy all at the same time' Tom Hanks

'A superb anecdotalist with an honest take on how he dealt with fame found later in life' SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE

A poignant, intimate, funny, inspiring memoir - both a coming-of-age story and a meditation on creativity, devotion, and craft - from Bryan Cranston, beloved and acclaimed star of one of history's most successful TV shows, Breaking Bad.

Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father cast him in a United Way commercial. Acting was clearly the boy's destiny, until one day his father disappeared. Destiny suddenly took a backseat to survival.

Now, in his riveting memoir, Cranston maps his zigzag journey from abandoned son to beloved star by recalling the many odd parts he's played in real life - paperboy, farmhand, security guard, dating consultant, murder suspect, dock loader, lover, husband, father. Cranston also chronicles his evolution on camera, from soap opera player trying to master the rules of show business to legendary character actor turning in classic performances as Seinfeld dentist Tim Whatley, "a sadist with newer magazines," and Malcolm in the Middle dad Hal Wilkerson, a lovable bumbler in tighty-whities. He also gives an inspiring account of how he prepared, physically and mentally, for the challenging role of President Lyndon Johnson, a tour de force that won him a Tony to go along with his four Emmys.

Of course, Cranston dives deep into the grittiest details of his greatest role, explaining how he searched inward for the personal darkness that would help him create one of the most memorable performances ever captured on screen: Walter White, chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin.

Discussing his life as few men do, describing his art as few actors can, Cranston has much to say about creativity, devotion, and craft, as well as innate talent and its challenges and benefits and proper maintenance. But ultimately A Life in Parts is a story about the joy, the necessity, and the transformative power of simple hard work.

(p) 2016 Simon & Schuster

Critics Review

Bryan Cranston has created a cinematic record of how an actor shapes a career and an identity and a legacy all at the same time.
Tom Hanks
I loved this book. It's just the right mixture of funny, sad and heartfelt. If I'd known Bryan could tell stories this well, I would have had him writing episodes of Breaking Bad.
Vince Gilligan
The highs here -and there are many -are meth-less but addictive.
KIRKUS REVIEWS
This splendid, moving, heartbreaking memoir is doubly triumphant. It regales and entertains while at the same time providing inspiration and practical wisdom. A truly gifted storyteller, Cranston captures the reader's imagination and emotions from beginning to end.
Doris Kearns Goodwin
By turns gritty,funny, and sad, this fiercely intelligent book from the Breaking Bad star defies celebrity memoir tropes.
Entertainment Weekly
[A] substantial memoir from one of Hollywood's most introspective stars...anyone interested in acting will devour Cranston's savvy advice about honing one's craft and building one's career.
Booklist
It's an engrossing first-person account by one of our finest actors and I couldn't put it down.
HUFFINGTON POST
Fans of Breaking Bad will be glued to this riveting memoir, which looks at how he worked to create such a dark and legendary character. But long before Walter White, Bryan Cranston's life story was fascinating and dramatic.
IRISH COUNTRY MAGAZINE
His memoir, A Life in Parts, shows him as a superb anecdotalist with an honest take on how he dealt with fame found later in life.
SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE
a fascinating read and a satisfying look into Cranston's life
ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS
A great guy reading his great book to you like you're both just downing session IPAs in some crack-in-the-wall bar no one else has found. Cranston's widely acclaimed memoir has been winning praise for its earnest account of a good man fighting to be the actor he always dreamed of, and his gentle, confessional honesty shines through all the more when spoken in his loveable folksy tones.
MR HYDE

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