Bryan Cranston clears up retirement news, says he's 'pausing' in 2026

Bryan Cranston wants to trade in the glitz and glam of the silver screen for an idyllic French getaway.

In an interview with British GQ published Thursday, the Oscar-nominated actor revealed he has plans to step back from the limelight for a time in 2026. "I don’t need a job," Cranston said. "I don’t want a job. But I love to work. And there’s a big distinction between the two."

Despite a starring role in the upcoming action thriller "Argylle" and hopes to work on a musical and a "Malcolm in the Middle" reunion project, Cranston said he wants to shut down his production company and move with his wife, Robin Dearden, to France. The couple would live in a small French village for a period of at least six months, where they’d learn the language and how to cook, as well as take up gardening.

Here's what Cranston had to say about his career's future.

Cranston says he will 'pause,' not retire

Cranston took to Instagram Friday to clear up his statement on his plans for the future after the British GQ interview published.

"Some news came out that wasn’t entirely clear…even to me. So I wanted to set the record straight. I am not retiring," he wrote on the app.

The actor clarified that his words to the magazine would be better described as hitting "the pause button for a year" after he turns 70.

"I want to go for day trips and have the fire in the fireplace and drink wine with new friends and not read scripts," he told GQ. "It’s not going to be like, ‘Oh, I’ll read and see what I’m going to do.’ No, it’s a pause. It’s a stop. I won’t be thinking about (work). I’m not going to be taking phone calls."

Cranston said on Instagram he's "not even sure what ‘pausing’ means entirely" but knows it will lead to more time with his wife, and a time to "reset" his career.

"For the last 24 years, Robin has led her life holding onto my tail. She’s been the plus-one, she’s been the wife of a celebrity," Cranston told GQ. "She’s had to pivot and adjust her life based on mine. She has tremendous benefit from it, but we’re uneven. I want to level that out. She deserves it."

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Cranston starred as Walter White on the crime drama "Breaking Bad" from 2008-2013. A healthy workplace environment was important to the actor, who said he had a crew member fired for drunken misconduct.

"He was incredibly inappropriate and inebriated, and he made a lot of people on our show feel very uncomfortable," Cranston said. "When I went in to talk to my producer about it and said, 'We’ve got to let him go. We’ve got to fire him. It’s inexcusable behavior,' he said, 'It’s already done.' "

Beyond the set of "Breaking Bad," Cranston said he’s made it a habit as a producer to thoroughly vet the people he signs onto his projects by making a list of mutual contacts and personally calling these individuals for references.

"It rewards good behavior, and I like doing that," Cranston said.

Contributing: Elise Brisco

From 2022: Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul pose next to 'Breaking Bad' statues in New Mexico

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bryan Cranston 'not retiring' in 2026, says he's 'pausing' to 'reset'