Bryan Cranston compares Wes Anderson to orchestra conductor

25 May 2023

Bryan Cranston has likened featuring in a Wes Anderson film to being an instrument in an orchestra.

Bryan Cranston finds working with Wes Anderson like being an instrument in an orchestra

The 67-year-old actor features in the all-star ensemble cast of Anderson’s new movie ‘Asteroid City’ and compared the eccentric director to a conductor of music.

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival, Bryan said: “It feels like Wes Anderson is a conductor of an orchestra. And all of us are players of our particular instrument.

“We hyper focus on our instrument and just present it without really knowing exactly how it’s all going to piece together. And he conducts – a little less Bryan, a little more Scarlett (Johansson) at this moment, or whatever, making the adjustments as he goes.”

Cranston plays the role of a television host in the 1950s-set movie and the star described it as Anderson’s “love letter to performance art” as it features both stage and screen mediums.

The ‘Breaking Bad’ star said: “It’s a movie about a television show doing a story on a theatre. And I think it’s Wes’ love letter to performance art. He’s wrapped his arms around the three major mediums we are involved in.”

Jason Schwartzman stars in ‘Asteroid City’ as Augie Steenbeck and credited the ‘Isle of Dogs’ filmmaker’s curiosity for his career success.

The star – who has featured in eight of Anderson’s movies – recalled: “I was 17 when we met (on ‘Rushmore’) and he was the first person that wasn’t in my family that was over the age of 20 that actually asked a question and cared what I said and was curious about what I was interested in.

“My feeling is that’s why we’re all here. Because (Wes) wants to know about all of us and he’s curious and he always sees things in us we do not see.”