Bryan Cranston has revealed that he’s had coronavirus. The actor disclosed the diagnosis on Instagram, stressing that he had only mild symptoms and as part of his own efforts to contribute to the fight against the disease, Cranston also donated blood plasma to UCLA.
The full post and accompanying video is below:
The one who knocks joins the growing list of Hollywood stars to make their coronavirus stories public. We’re all familiar with the experience Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson had when they got sick in Australia, of course. Hanks even incidentally took the same approach as Cranston in deciding to donate blood plasma once he’d fully recovered. Not everyone has had it as mildly, though. Last week, it emerged Mel Gibson was hospitalized due to the severity of his illness. Thankfully, he too has made a full recovery.
Of course, actors aren’t any more protected from the disease than the rest of us, so the fact some are contracting it isn’t surprising in itself. But as I’ve mentioned in other stories like this, it hits home the reality of the pandemic.
If I might be permitted a jarring change of tone for my peroration (you’re going to have to accept it, because it’s happening), given there was a bit of time to kill, let me finish by returning to Bryan Cranston. I don’t think I’ve ever publicly stated my overwhelming admiration for his performance in Breaking Bad. It’s up there with the best of the other world class actor mentioned here. Granted, that’s not exactly the most blindsiding acting criticism you’ll ever see, but the arts are an infinitely better place with them coronavirus-free. Feel free to add my name to the lists of their gigantic fanbases.