- Title: USA: "Breaking Bad" Season 2 premiere
- Date: 2nd March 2009
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 26, 2009) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) VARIOUS OF MEDIA AND PREMIERE GUESTS ON RED CARPET ACTOR BRYAN CRANSTON AND OTHER "BREAKING BAD" CAST MEMBERS POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ACTOR BRYAN CRANSTON TALKING TO THE PRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR BRYAN CRANSTON ON WHY VIEWERS FIND THE SHOW TO BE SO COMPELLING, SAYING
- Embargoed: 17th March 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA9GCZFS4UD0UX7XLQHOUIRSMAD
- Story Text: The stars of the critically-acclaimed television series "Breaking Bad" walked the red carpet Thursday (February 26) night for the premiere of season two.
Last year the show garnered four Emmy Award nominations after just seven episodes had aired.
It won two of the four.
Lead actor Bryan Cranston took home the Best Actor in a Drama Television Series and the show snagged a Best Editing Emmy.
In the show, Cranston portrays a high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and so turns to selling crystal meth as a way to support his family after his impending death.
52-year-old Cranston talked about why he believes viewers find the show to be so compelling.
"He decides to make this bold, desperate move to provide for his family. And it's a horrible decision because crystal meth is an awful, terrible drug. It's doing great harm. But I think, I think it's truthful. And so you feel for this man, even though you can't condone his actions."
Cranston did double-duty on the show when he directed the first episode of the second season.
Co-star Aaron Paul plays a drug dealer who partners with the stricken man on his desperate quest.
He expressed great enthusiasm for Cranston's directing abilities.
"Oh my God, he directed our first episode and he's brilliant," exclaimed the 29-year-old actor. "I've been begging for him to direct our first episode for every season. I would love, love, love for him to come back. (Thumbs up.) Thumbs up! Model-turned-actress Kristen Ritter joins the cast of "Breaking Bad" during the second season.
Ritter, 26, confided that she greatly welcomed the opportunity because she said finding a well-written television show is difficult.
"The acting on this show is on a whole other level. It's rare that on a television show you get just solid acting across the board. The crew and the cast were all really welcoming and warm to me. You know, sometimes coming into a show when it is already established can be a little scary and daunting. But right away I felt like I was a part of things."
Meanwhile, cast member Dean Norris praised Cranston's amazing on-screen presence but joked about his allegedly poor card-playing skills.
"Aw, man, he's fantastic," smiled Norris. "He's the best actor I think working on TV. You know, he's at top of his game.
Tremendous craftsman and a really, really good guy. Not a great poker player.
He owes me a lot of money actually!"
Actor Jon Hamm, the star of "Mad Men," attended the screening in support of the TV series.
He walked the red carpet with actress Jennifer Westfeldt, who now appears in another popular American TV series, "Grey's Anatomy."
"Breaking Bad" is created and produced by Vince Gilligan, who also launched the popular U.S. television show "X-Files."
The title comes from a Southern United States saying "to break bad" which is defined as "when a person has taken a turn off the path of the straight and narrow, when they've gone wrong".
The series is broadcast in the United States and Canada on the American Movie Classics (AMC) channel.
It premiered on January 20, 2008, and completed its first seven-episode season on March 9, 2008.
The show's second 13-episode season will premiere on March 8, 2009.
The series is set and filmed in and near Albuquerque, New Mexico. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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