How Bryan Cranston Feels About His Daughter's Breakout Performance On The Pitt

"The Pitt" cast might be made up of relatively unknown actors, but that doesn't mean the impressive ensemble are inexperienced. In fact, part of the reason the HBO medical drama has become so successful are the incredible performances furnished by the up-and-coming stars — many of which came from a theater background. This was intentional on the part of the producers, who wanted to shoot "The Pitt" in chronological order and needed actors that were used to playing out entire narratives with minimal breaks.

But using young stage actors also had the added bonus of heightening the series' all-important realism. A lack of familiar faces only enhances the sense that you're watching a real emergency room shift play out at a real hospital. Of course, not all those faces were unfamiliar. Star Noah Wyle made his name by starring in the seminal "ER," and is now once again leading an emergency medicine team as Dr. Michael Robinavitch, as well as serving as executive producer and writing two episodes. There's also Dr. Heather Collins actor Tracy Ifeachor who has appeared in The CW's "The Vampire Diaries" spin-off "The Originals" and on the big screen in "Wonka."

Then, there's Taylor Dearden. The actor behind Dr. Melissa King might not be all that familiar to audiences but she's no stranger to show business, having grown up in the industry as the daughter of the great Bryan Cranston, who evidently couldn't be more proud of his daughter for her portrayal of the neurodivergent resident in "The Pitt".

Beyond her experience of having a successful actor as a father, "The Pitt" wasn't Taylor Dearden's first experience in the industry. In fact, she has appeared in multiple projects since graduating from the University of Southern California with a BA in theater back in 2015. From MTV's "Sweet/Vicious" to the Netflix mockumentary series "American Vandal" and Apple TV+'s "For All Mankind," Dearden had been working solidly prior to taking on the role of Dr. Melissa King. Even before she attended university she appeared alongside her mother, actress Robin Gale Dearden, in an episode of Bryan Cranston's "Breaking Bad" in which she played "Sad Faced Girl."

Since appearing in "The Pitt," Dearden's profile has been dramatically increased as fans seemingly can't get enough of the new medical drama. What's more, Dearden has received widespread praise for her portrayal of Dr. Melissa King, whose neurodivergence is treated as an asset to the team of doctors at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. As you might expect, Cranston, who recently played a deep cut character for movie nerds in "The Studio," is just as impressed with his daughter's work on the show as anybody. 

The actor spoke to Today about the series and Dearden's portrayal of Dr. King, saying, "Taylor is a wonderful, hard-working actor. She grew up in this business with my wife and I being actors. And so, we're so proud of her." He continued:

"When I hear praise for Taylor's work on 'The Pitt,' it means more to me than anything anyone could ever say to me about my work. You know, you're a proud dad. And I'm OK. I could retire after you hear that."

Bryan Cranston has been asked about his daughter's role on "The Pitt" multiple times while out on press tours for his new movie "Everything's Going to Be Great." While on the red carpet at a Tribeca Film Festival event, the "Breaking Bad" star once again praised Taylor Dearden, saying:

"There is nothing that's more gratifying than when your kid receives praise. Nothing. No one can say anything to me better than that. So, her mom and I are just over the moon with her work on it. She's a very hard-working person. She grew up in it, so it's in her bones. She's in it for the right reasons and she loves it."

We do seem to be living in an age where the so-called "nepo babies" are having a moment. From Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Patrick's impressive turn in "The White Lotus" to Maya Hawke's ongoing domination of Hollywood (she's also an incredible songwriter). Now, Dearden has broken through with her Dr. Mel King role, and if she and her fellow children of privilege weren't so damn good, it might all be a bit depressing. But they are good, and for the most part they all seem to have worked very hard to get where they are. Of course, it helps when you have someone like Bryan Cranston as a model of how to navigate the industry. As the actor said during his Tribeca interview:

"As far as advice, I think she picks up, because I'm her dad, she picks up advice hopefully by the way I behave in this business and navigate my way through, but I don't ever say, 'Now, young lady, here's some advice I'm gonna give you.' Kids don't wanna hear that. They don't wanna hear that. But she's doing great and the show is fantastic."