Bryan Cranston’s ‘Breaking Bad’ Co-Star Opens up About the Bond That Made Him Feel like Family

The "Breaking Bad" alum recently gave fans a rare, personal glimpse behind the scenes of the beloved crime drama. His warm recollections stand in sharp contrast to the show's dark, gritty world.

Bryan Cranston may have been one not to mess with on "Breaking Bad," but outside his menacing, drug-dealing character, he couldn't have been more different. His co-star, Charles Baker, can attest.

Baker, 55, who played Skinny Pete on the show, recalled what it was like working alongside Cranston, 70, on the Emmy-winning series during a recent appearance on the "Joe Vulpis Podcast."

"For everybody, I think he was like a father figure," Baker said. "He was kind, he was funny, he was giving, very considerate, he would take the time to talk to you. He had a great sense of humor. He loved messing with people but in good ways."

"He didn't take himself too seriously, and he was just an easy man — is an easy man — to love just because of who he is," he added.

Cranston, who also directed three episodes of the show, consistently offered helpful feedback, with Baker noting he would say things like, "'Hey, when you say this line ... I need you to give me a little bit more space before you say it.'"

"That's the first time I ever had an actor and a director at the same time. I wasn't used to having actors tell me like, 'Oh, okay.' It just didn't even occur to me, 'Oh, wait. He is directing this episode, too. That's why,'" Baker recalled.

Baker's character, Skinny Pete, who appeared in 15 episodes across all five seasons, was a friend and associate of Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul. Asked by Vulpis what it was like working with Paul, 47, Baker said it felt like "an acting class."

"It was a master class in acting because he knows his [expletive] and, like, you can watch. He's a great guy, too. All of these guys are just wonderful people, but he's had this infectious kind of kindness that just kind of bled out," Baker shared, also noting that Paul "loved" sharing music with everyone on set.

"He was just so easy to get along with," Baker said of Paul. "And I just would watch him like we would be doing a table read for a scene and just like first time cold read he's got tears running down his eyes."

"And I'm just like, 'How are you doing this on a cold read on a table? Just sitting here reading the script for the first time and you've got all the emotion built into the scene already.' That is amazing," Baker recalled.

"Breaking Bad" — which also starred Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks and Betsy Brandt, among others — premiered in 2008 and went on to win 16 Primetime Emmy Awards before wrapping up in 2013.

The show also spawned the prequel spin-off "Better Call Saul," as well as the 2019 sequel film "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," which followed Jesse Pinkman's story after the series finale.