Bryan Cranston talks about playing Jim Gordon in Batman: Year One

Bryan Cranston took a few minutes out of his day to chat with MTV about his role in Batman: Year One, The DC movie adaptation of the Frank Miller comic book series sharing the same name.

MTV News:
For myself, as well as for many other Batman fans I imagine, Jim Gordon stands out as one of my favorite characters in the Gotham City side of the DC Universe. What attracted you to the role? What was it you saw in Gordon that made you want to spend some time with the guy?

Bryan Cranston:
I think the biggest compliment that I can give is that I wasn't a huge animation fan. But I am a big fan of well told stories. My first experience with this was that I turned it down. I turned down the offer because I wasn't aware of the depth of where it was going. I didn't read [the script], and I didn't think it was something I'd want to do at the time. A couple of agents at UTA who knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do as far as quality work said, "I don't know… you may want to read it. Just read this. It's not what you're thinking. It's not goofy, it's not silly, it's not cartoony. Read this." So I read it and I called them back and said, "You're right. It's not anything like that. It's actually interesting and thoughtful and dark and adult. Let's do it." That's how it came about!.

MTV News:
Jim comes into this town, and as you've said, it's a dangerous town, especially for somebody in his position [as a cop]. For you, what do you see Jim Gordon's journey as? What is his arc, from where he begins in "Year One" to where he finishes up?

Bryan Cranston:
Well, I think he comes into this trying to regain his confidence and his stature as a police officer, which was lost to a degree [before 'Year One']. He's going to do it the right way. He comes up against the typical kind of mind set that cops he's dealt with in the past… it's almost like he's become an internal affairs officer, hated by the police of the force because he's out to get cops. But the truth is he's trying to find some kind of just world to live in. He's the arbiter of that in his mind. Then he comes into contact with Batman, who is a vigilante. That's not good either. That swings too far on the other side. But somewhere in the middle is where he lives: he's not the rogue dirty cop, and he's not the vigilante. He becomes the moral center of the story. It's needed. He realizes the value in the humanity of Batman.

Be sure to check out the full article over at MTV Splashpage where Cranston talks about Jim's weaknesses, the process of acting in an animated feature and find out whether or not he would return to the character.

Also check out Ror's review here...