Bryan Cranston understands the notion of equality of opportunity but he apparently doesnt think its feasible in the entertainment industry.

The actor appeared on an upcoming episode of Bill Maher s Club Random podcast, where he acknowledged the negative feedback he received for his portrayal of a billionaire with a disability in 2017s The Upside. However, Cranston also announced he and co-star Kevin Hart are doing a sequel to the film regardless.

I got a lot of shit for that, he told Maher. I am an able-bodied actor playing a disabled actor.

While critically panned , the film grossed $125 million on a $37 million budget , making it a financial success. It was based on the true story of a wealthy quadriplegic who hired an unemployed ex-convict for help and marked Harts first turn as a dramatic actor.

I was pretty surprised that I got some blowback to it, and I thought, Theres a good point that disabled actors are not given an opportunity, Cranston told Maher. Its kind of a catch-22 its like, Do you have the cache to be able to carry a film?

The Breaking Bad star previously defended his casting in 2019 by rhetorically asking the BBC : If I, as a straight, older person, and Im wealthy, Im very fortunate, does that mean I cant play a person who is not wealthy? Does that mean I cant play a homosexual?