Bryan Cranston Comes by His Net Worth Honestly, No "Breaking Bad" Required

When you think of Bryan Cranston, you probably think of Walter White. Although Bryan was in other major series such as Malcolm in the Middle and Seinfeld, it was his Breaking Bad role that cemented Bryan forever in the hearts of fans the world over.

The actor has been in show business his whole life, which means his eventual superstardom is no surprise to those who know him best. Through the pursuit of his career and his role as a cult classic favorite, he's racked up a fairly impressive net worth. Here's what we know about his net worth and how he chooses the roles he takes on.

In Hollywood, they often say that greatness runs in families. And that was certainly the case for Bryan Cranston, born into a showbiz family on March 7, 1956, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Both of Bryan's parents were "struggling actors," according to Britannica, and he was cast in one of his father's commercials for the first time at just eight years old. However, the encyclopedia notes that Bryan didn't have a lot of interest in acting until he was older.

Bryan's interest was piqued after he took acting lessons in junior college, and Britannica notes that he decided to go all in after he experienced an epiphany about his career during a two-year cross-country motorcycle trip with his brother.

Like many actors, Bryan worked his way up to the big time by doing theater, small commercials, and smaller roles once he returned to California.

Through the late '80s and early '90s, most of Bryan's roles were small. But in 1994, he hit it big by scoring a recurring role in Seinfeld. 2000 saw him tapped for a major role in Malcolm in the Middle, which earned him three Emmy nods, but no wins. And then his role in Breaking Bad turned into a beast of fame all its own.

According to CelebrityNetWorth, this impressive climb to the top has netted him a net worth of around $40 million.

Of course, deciding which role to take is a measured process for Bryan. He calls it the Cranston Method, as he told British GQ in an interview. When he's presented with the opportunity to take a new role, he explained to the magazine, he applies the Cranston Assessment of Project Scale (CAPS).

First, he analyzes five subjects: story, script, role, director and cast. Each one is assigned a numerical value. In order to decide to take the role, the combined value of all five subjects must total at least 13 points.

And, let's be honest, it's working for him. Few actors have managed to hone in on the right roles with the precision and accuracy as Bryan. With nearly every role he takes on coming up a resounding success, we may see more people use the CAPS method in the future.

Either way, it's clear that Bryan has the literal formula that one needs to succeed.