Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Thursday, September 26, 2024 78° Today's Paper


Top News

Bryan Cranston, star of ‘Breaking Bad,’ says he’s recovered from the coronavirus

COURTESY CHRIS PIZZELLO/INVISION VIA AP / SEPTEMBER 22, 2019
                                Bryan Cranston appears on stage at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

COURTESY CHRIS PIZZELLO/INVISION VIA AP / SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

Bryan Cranston appears on stage at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

“Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston revealed Thursday that he had recovered from the coronavirus and shared a video of himself donating plasma at a Los Angeles blood bank.

Cranston, 64, a five-time Emmy winner and two-time Tony Award winner, discussed the diagnosis in an Instagram post. He said that he was lucky and that his symptoms had been very mild.

The actor, who is best known for his role in the vaunted AMC series “Breaking Bad” as Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who resorts to making and selling crystal meth to pay for his cancer treatment, said he had been vigilant but had still gotten the virus.

“I was pretty strict in adhering to the protocols and still … I contracted the virus,” Cranston wrote. “Yep. it sounds daunting now that over 150,000 Americans are dead because of it.”

In the video, Cranston appeared in a surgical mask at the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center, where he showed a phlebotomist drawing blood from his right arm and harvesting the plasma, the light yellow liquid part of the blood that is used in a procedure known as convalescent blood plasma to treat some patients with the virus.

The actor called plasma “liquid gold” and said it could be rich in antibodies produced in response to the virus and could benefit others in their recovery from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.

Cranston watched the black-and-white film “A Face in the Crowd,” starring Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal, as his blood was being drawn. He kidded with the phlebotomist about whether he had good aim.

Last year, Cranston won the Tony for best leading actor in a play for his role in “Network,” in which he portrayed a newscaster.

In his Instagram post, the actor said he understood the restlessness and frustration of people having to practice social distancing. But Cranston, who was also nominated for an Oscar for the movie “Trumbo,” warned his followers not to become complacent.

“I count my blessings and urge you to keep wearing the damn mask, keep washing your hands, and stay socially distant,” he wrote. “We can prevail — but ONLY if we follow the rules together.”

© 2020 The New York Times Company

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.