'Breaking Bad' Star Bryan Cranston on 'Awkward' Sex Scene With Julia Roberts, Learning to Make Meth

Bryan Cranston (Playboy)

“Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston may be the envy of millions of men having filmed a sex scene with Julia Roberts in the recent rom-com “Larry Crowne,” but it turns out the experience was anything but pleasurable.

Before we shot the movie, I went on a diet and bleached my teeth and got one of those spray tans. I wanted it to seem like we were at least viable as a couple. So we’re doing the scene, and right away I’m lying on top of her. I met her maybe a month before, and now I’m lying on top of her,” Cranston told Playboy’s August 20Q, which hits stands on Friday.

“Our noses are touching, we’re waiting, and we hear Tom Hanks, the director, say, ‘Okay, we need to make an adjustment on the camera. Hang on.’ So there I am, lying on top of Julia Roberts, and we’re making small talk. ‘So…how are you? You have kids, right?’ We’re talking about family, whatever, just passing the time.

“It was probably more awkward for me, because under the sheets, she was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Tom kept tugging on her shirt. ‘Aw, Julia, Julia. Come on, we’ve got to show something. We’ve got to show a little skin.’ And me, I’m just wearing a c*ck sock.”

And when it comes to his role on “Breaking Bad,” Cranston is seriously devoted to his craft.

Currently going into his fourth season channeling Walter White, a struggling chemistry teacher who begins selling methamphetamines with a former student in the hit AMC series, it turns out he had to put in a little extra work to make sure he was ready to play the part.

“I didn’t want to learn about the back-alley process. I wanted to know how to make it perfectly, the absolute purest meth, and what equipment and chemicals to use, because that’s what my character does,” he told the men’s magazine. “So if I had to, I could make more than just meth; I could make really, really good meth. [laughs] It has created a very healthy sideline for me if this acting thing ever stops working.”

But for the time being, the 55-year-old actor is so content with his Hollywood paychecks that he doesn’t even need to concern himself with bank balances.

“Honestly, I don’t have a clue how much money I make. It really doesn’t matter to me. My agents know, and sometimes they ask me, ‘You want to know how much you make?’ I don’t care. I’m sure it’s fine,” he added. “I don’t want to sound glib. I know money is important, but ever since I stopped worrying about finances, I’ve made more money than I ever thought I’d make in my life. The fact that I make a dependable income at all is just amazing to me.”