Bryan Cranston Thinks Breaking Bad Owes Its Existence To Another Iconic TV Show

What do “The Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad” have in common? Apart from being regarded as some of the best crime dramas of all time, they feature morally questionable yet empathetic protagonists. Bryan Cranston believes that “Breaking Bad” wouldn’t exist without “The Sopranos,” as it allowed characters like Walter White to take center stage.

“I think what … David Chase was able to do, in creating a character like Tony Soprano was certainly paving the way to allow the space for someone like Walter White to exist. It was groundbreaking,” Cranston told “The Dan Patrick Show.” According to Cranston, Soprano and White are relatable because of their humanity, and that viewers don’t have to condone their actions to understand them. “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan has echoed these sentiments — in fact, he argues that “The Sopranos” walked so his series could run.

“Our show owes a great debt to ‘The Sopranos,’ like all the other shows that center on a flawed or somewhat antagonistic protagonist,” Gilligan told The Daily Beast. “If ‘The Sopranos’ had not existed, I don’t think ‘Breaking Bad’ would’ve been a harder sell — I think it would’ve been an absolutely impossible sell.” Unsurprisingly, Gilligan isn’t the only creator who cites “The Sopranos” as the show that paved the way for his own to exist. 

Similar to the minds behind “Breaking Bad,” “Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter recognizes that “The Sopranos” was a huge leap forward for crime dramas about relatable villains. With “Anarchy,” Sutter swapped the mafia for a biker gang known as SAMCRO, whose members, despite committing crimes and atrocities, are easy to root for. That said, the “Sons of Anarchy” creator doesn’t want viewers to mistake such characters for good people.

“‘The Sopranos’ was a different show from ‘Sons,’ but let’s face it: Tony Soprano is not an anti-hero. He’s a villain we f***in’ love,” Sutter told Vulture. “Our guys are not heroes. They’re bad guys. But you love them, because they’re flawed, and because they remind you of people you know.”

Sutter also paid tribute to David Chase’s influential mob drama by dropping Easter eggs across “Sons of Anarchy.” The most notable one is the casting of Drea de Matteo, who also plays Adriana La Cerva on “The Sopranos.” “Sons of Anarchy” Season 2’s “Small Tears” episode also references her “Sopranos” character’s assassination, one of the most shocking TV deaths, in a scene where Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) tells a scared Luann Delaney (Dendrie Taylor) that he isn’t going to “Adriana” her during an interrogation scene.