Bryan Cranston spills late Catherine O’Hara's hidden quality: 'She was just a genius'

Bryan Cranston recently reflected on working with the late Catherine O’Hara and the valuable lesson she taught him.

For those unaware, Cranston and O’Hara worked together for the first time as guest stars on 30 Rock in 2012. In 2024, they appeared together once again in Argylle as well as The Studio, an Apple TV+ series, in 2025.

The 70-year-old American actor chatted with Esquire for an interview along with his Malcolm in the Middle co-star Frankie Muniz. During the conversation, he was asked to share what he learnt from his late co-star O’Hara.

Responding to the question, he shared, "What I picked up from Catherine — from decades ago — was her ability to go all out in a comedy, and then rest and not be on.”

"She was not one of those who were always trying to be funny off camera. She would pace herself, and then when it was time to pick up, she'd pick up,” Cranston said.

In addition, the Emmy winner was also a fan of her collaborative spirit on set, as he quipped, "Her willingness — she would come to me many times and say, 'Hey, what about this? If we tried this?' And so she was always on, and it gave me the encouragement to be able to then do the same thing to others. 'Hey, what about we try this? What about that?'"

"And she was just a genius, really, but even a better human being. God, I miss her dearly," Bryan Cranston admitted.

It is pertinent to mention that Catherine O’Hara, whose career spanned more than five decades, passed away due to pulmonary embolism (PE) on January 30, 2026.