Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal, the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series three consecutive times. Since earning critical acclaim while starring in these television series, he has gone on to perform in many feature films. Cranston was born in Canoga Park, California, to Peggy Sell, a radio actress, and Joseph L. "Joe" Cranston, an actor and Hollywood producer. His great-grandmother was from County Clare, Ireland. Cranston grew up in the Los Angeles area, graduated from Canoga Park High School, and earned an associate degree in police science from Los Angeles Valley College. Cranston performed as a youth, but his show business parents had mixed feelings about their son being involved in the profession, so he did not continue until years later. He began his acting career after college in local and regional theatres, getting his start at the Granada Theatre in the San Fernando Valley.