Bryan Cranston Admits He's Been 'Nude a Lot' on Camera as 'Today' Hosts Gasp in Horror

Bryan Cranston shows some skin in the upcoming Malcolm in the Middle reboot.

During the Tuesday, April 7, episode of TODAY With Jenna & Sheinelle, the actor, 70, revealed that he strips naked in the upcoming four-episode revival on Disney+.

In a sneak peek from the show, Cranston gets his back shaved while standing fully nude in the living room.

Host Sheinelle Jones gasped as the TV star burst into laughter.

“Wow, we’ve never started with a clip that good,” co-host Jenna Bush Hager joked.

“If anyone is still sleepy this morning, that’ll wake ‘em up,” Cranston quipped, then noted that it was not his real back hair being shown. “I’m not overly hairy, so we had to hire someone who is. At first, they got a guy who was rather large, and I went, ‘Wait a second.’ But that’s me.”

Jones pointed out that the Breaking Bad alum has done a lot of scenes in his underwear throughout his career.

“And nude,” he added. “I’m nude a lot. I had a terrible agent who interpreted a nudity clause in reverse. He thought I wanted to be naked, so he insisted.”

“I feel like if you can start there, you can do anything,” Jones expressed.

Cranston went on to detail how he advocated for a Malcolm in the Middle revival.

“I had been playing a lot of dubious characters and nasty guys who were killing people, so I thought, ‘I don’t know. It would be kind of nice to slip back into the shoes of the sweet, innocent vulnerable guy.’ He’s a loveable guy, and I love playing him,” he explained. “For seven years, we were on the air, and we had a great time. So I pitched the idea and the possibility of having a reunion movie. And Linwood Boomer, the creator of the show, said, ‘Absolutely not. I’m retired. I’m done.’ I had to wait another year to re-pitch him, and he said, ‘I don’t think so. It’s complicated.’”

Cranston noticed that what was once a definitive “no” had transformed into an “I don’t know,” so he remained hopeful. Eventually, Boomer agreed.

In the revival, Cranston reunites with former castmates Frankie Muniz, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Emy Coligado.

Muniz, who plays the title character, exclusively told OK! in November 2025 how thrilled he was to return to Malcolm.

"I had one of the best times of my life getting to film it. A lot had to do with the fact that I was so naturally unbelievably comfortable being Malcolm. I did it for seven years, but it was weird how it came back so quickly,” he expressed. “When we wrapped, it was one of the first times I was ever truly happy to be called an actor — as weird as that sounds, I've always shied away from that label. I don't know why. I've always felt like an outsider in the acting and entertainment world, even though I was an actor. I'm proud to wear that label because it was so much fun! I now know the impact it had on other people — to be part of something people truly love. That's pretty cool. I have a greater appreciation now for it."