The Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, who got Oscar nomination for Best Actor in Trumbo, says that he didn't know much about the man he would play when he took the role. Excerpts
How did you prepare for the roleIJ
I knew that Dalton Trumbo was a member of the Hollywood Ten, a communist and he went to prison. I don’t know for how long, and that he wrote The Brave One and Spartacus. Apart from that, I didn’t really know that much about it. What I was able to find out was the depth of which this committee delved into the lives of these people and determined for themselves, as an overreach of Government — that they were going to be judge, jury and executioner. Which is totally against the Constitution.
How did the committee deal with this caseIJ
They threatened, under the penalty of imprisonment, to put your First Amendment rights aside and ask: ‘Have you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist PartyIJ’ Well, it’s none of your business. The question itself is un-American. This committee didn’t see that, and they overstepped their power and 10 men, who didn’t commit a crime, went to prison.
It was a dark period in American history and this is a cautionary tale, a very serious subject. But the movie deals with it in an entertaining way. It’s not like we make light of it but these were screenwriters who were witty, funny and creative. So that’s naturally what they’re going to do.
Was there something you and director Jay Roach discussed a lotIJ
Many things. Quite frankly, if it’s just about plot of achieving a goal, and not about the human element to it, what is the sacrifice he and his family and friends madeIJ That’s what people relate to, how does this affect them as human beingsIJ That’s where the movie really triumphs. We see how it affected everyone, and the fear that was perpetrated and exacerbated by this act.
How was your experience working with Helen Mirren and Diana laneIJ
Helen is a beautiful artist and just really talented. She is a wonderful person. Diane lane, who plays the wife (Cleo Trumbo), is gorgeous and solid.
You get a sense of that later in the film with Trumbo’s daughter’s birthday, which he won’t participate in.
All those things. There’s a scene in there where he hears a noise and looks out and sees them playing ping pong and he kind of smiles at the picture of his family enjoying himself. There’s a thought of, ‘Maybe I should join them, but no, the typewriter is waiting for me, demanding my attention.’ So he goes back to it. There was a very specific choice made there.
The scenes you share with Michael Stuhlbarg as Edward G Robinson are compelling.
Michael is a wonderfully gifted actor but also a kind, sweet man and I just adored working with him. He captured the essence of Eddie so well. He really felt sympathetic toward him and upset, perhaps, at his actions, but [he] understood. That’s the hallmark of a great story. John McNamara, who wrote the script, deserves the lion’s share of that. That was emblematic of the times, good close friends were torn apart because of this — because of fear and anxiety threats whether real or perceived.