DC Scenes

‘Breaking Bad’ Memorabilia Donated to the Smithsonian at Special Ceremony (photos)

By Jeff Malet • November 16, 2015 0 1511

“I wanted to see if it still fits.” says Bryan Cranston wearing the signature hat that his character Walter White sported when using his “Heisenberg” alias in the series “Breaking Bad”. | Jeff Malet

Several members of the cast and key production personnel from Sony Pictures Television’s award-winning TV series “Breaking Bad” donated memorabilia to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in a special signing ceremony on Nov. 10.

“Breaking Bad” (2008–2013) follows the downward spiral of a terminally ill, financially stressed chemistry teacher as he begins to make and distribute methamphetamine. The series, which aired on AMC, uses Walt’s trajectory from family provider to drug kingpin to reflect the moral ambiguity of contemporary society and the dark side of the American Dream, according to museum curator Dwight Blocker Bowers.

The show and its cast received numerous accolades, including 12 primetime Emmys, four creative arts Emmys and two Golden Globes. The “Breaking Bad” props will officially go on display in a large-scale American culture exhibit in 2018. Series lead actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul took a turn at the podium. Vince Gilligan, who both created and executive produced the series, also spoke along with Steve Mosko, Chairman of Sony Pictures Television. Cranston’s latest work includes “Trumbo,” a biopic in which he plays blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. (All photos by Jeff Malet)

View our photos from the donation ceremony by clicking on the photo icons below.

: “I wanted to see if it still fits.” says Bryan Cranston wearing the signature hat that his character Walter White sported when using his “Heisenberg” alias in the series “Breaking Bad”. | Jeff Malet