Bryan Cranston, best known for playing the character of Walter White in highly acclaimed television series "Breaking Bad", has undergone a major transformation to play former US president Lyndon Baines Johnson in the upcoming HBO biopic "All The Way".
Directed by Jay Roach and produced by Steven Spielberg, "All The Way" is a television adaptation of Tony Award winning stage production that will follow Lyndon Baines Johnson from the moment president John F Kennedy was assassinated through the first year of his presidency.
The make-up work done on Cranston is quite impressive. Cranston already shares a natural resemblance to LBJ. After the make-up, there is hardly any difference between the two of them.
In an interview with People Magazine, Jay Roach said: "Physically and emotionally Bryan completely channels LBJ. We just filmed him and Lady Bird in the Oval Office, after JFK's assassination. LBJ has arrived as the 'accidental President'. He's almost overwhelmed. In spiritual support, Lady Bird touches his cheek. We melted, like we went back in time and witnessed a private, heart-wrenching moment between these two great people."
Spielberg has mentioned that he wanted Cranston for the role a year ago. Apart from Cranston, Bradley Whitford, Melissa Leo as Lady Bird Johnson, Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King Jr and Frank Langella as Senator Richard Russell have also been cast. Some less famous names have signed to play various characters too, including Aisha Hinds, Spencer Garrett, Todd Weeks and Moe McRae.
In recent times, HBO is undoubtedly leading the game in terms of original content with a number of best shows, including "Game of Thrones", "True Detective" and "Last Week Tonight". The channel has a history of success with producing programmes about former presidents before; John Adams starring Paul Giamatti was one of the most successful shows of HBO and with Cranston in the lead, "All The Way" should be a good addition.
"All The Way" is scheduled to premiere in 2016. The exact date is yet to be released.
