Sir Anthony Hopkins Binge-Watched ‘Breaking Bad,’ Wrote Bryan Cranston a Fan Letter

Sure, you made your own blue rock candy for the series finale and are meticulously grooming your facial fur to pull off an authentic Heisenberg for Halloween, but you still may not love "Breaking Bad" as much as Sir Anthony Hopkins does.
The "Silence of the Lambs" Oscar winner recently binge-watched all 62 episodes of the series — in two weeks, impressive — and was so captivated with the performances of star Bryan Cranston and his co-stars that Hopkins wrote Cranston an email praising the show and its cast and crew. Profusely.
[Photos: 62 Things You Didn't Know About 'Breaking Bad']


"I have never watched anything like it," "brilliant," "your performance as Walter White was the best acting I have seen — ever," and "everyone gave master classes of performance" are among the accolades Sir Anthony dropped on Cranston and company in the missive, which "Breaking Bad" star Steven Michael Quezada (aka Steve "Gomey" Gomez) posted to his Facebook page.
The letter, introduced by Quezada with "this was sent to us by the Great Actor Anthony Hopkins," has since been removed from Facebook, though BuzzFeed reports Hopkins' publicist confirmed the letter was written and sent by Hopkins.

[Related: Lingering Questions From the 'Breaking Bad' Finale]

Hopkins, universally recognized as someone who knows a thing or two about great acting, is also not someone given to fanboy-level expressions of praise of anything Hollywood-related (or, as he also writes in his letter to Cranston, "a good lung full of smoke blowing"). While promoting his 2012 biopic "Hitchcock," in which he played the titular director, Hopkins gave an interview in which he pooh-poohed Method acting, Hollywood awards, and even Hitchcock's late-career work.
Without further ado, the fan letter written from one great actor to another:

Dear Mister Cranston. I wanted to write you this email - so I am contacting you through Jeremy Barber - I take it we are both represented by UTA . Great agency.
I've just finished a marathon of watching "BREAKING BAD" - from episode one of the First Season - to the last eight episodes of the Sixth Season. (I downloaded the last season on AMAZON) A total of two weeks (addictive) viewing.
I have never watched anything like it. Brilliant!
Your performance as Walter White was the best acting I have seen - ever.
I know there is so much smoke blowing and sickening bullshit in this business, and I've sort of lost belief in anything really.
But this work of yours is spectacular - absolutely stunning. What is extraordinary, is the sheer power of everyone in the entire production. What was it? Five or six years in the making? How the producers (yourself being one of them), the writers, directors, cinematographers.... every department - casting etc. managed to keep the discipline and control from beginning to the end is (that over used word) awesome.
From what started as a black comedy, descended into a labyrinth of blood, destruction and hell. It was like a great Jacobean, Shakespearean or Greek Tragedy.
If you ever get a chance to - would you pass on my admiration to everyone - Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Aaron Paul, Betsy Brandt, R.J. Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Steven Michael Quezada - everyone - everyone gave master classes of performance ... The list is endless.
Thank you. That kind of work/artistry is rare, and when, once in a while, it occurs, as in this epic work, it restores confidence.
You and all the cast are the best actors I've ever seen. That may sound like a good lung full of smoke blowing. But it is not. It's almost midnight out here in Malibu, and I felt compelled to write this email.
Congratulations and my deepest respect. You are truly a great, great actor.
Best regards
Tony Hopkins.
Whoa. A few thoughts: One, Amazon, you gotta be as excited as the "Breaking Bad" crew is at getting name-checked by Hopkins. Two, how can we work "a good lung full of smoke blowing" into as many conversations as possible?

And three, and most importantly, wouldn't Sir Anthony Hopkins make a fine, fine villain on that "Better Call Saul" spinoff series?