This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bryan Cranston, the 70-year-old actor and cofounder of Dos Hombres, based in Los Angeles and New York. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I was born in Los Angeles to parents who were actors. When I went to college, I studied police science. I thought it would be a more conservative and appropriate career because my parents had a very roller-coaster relationship with their industry. I wasn't sure acting was for me.

While in college, I took an elective acting class, fell in love with performing, and decided to pursue acting instead of joining the police force.

I spent two decades in many roles, commercials, dubbing, and soap operas. Playing Tim Whatley on "Seinfeld" led to other roles, including "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Breaking Bad."

Three years after the show ended, my costar, Aaron Paul, and I bumped into each other in New York. We had dinner and agreed it was too early to work together on screen because Walter White and Jesse Pinkman had become iconic characters, and audiences would see us together and think we were working on a remake.

We thought, "What if we started a business together?" Aaron said, "What about a mezcal company?" I said it was a terrible idea, and we didn't know anything about mezcal. It had been 45 years since I tasted mezcal, but when I did, I thought it was so good.

We went to Oaxaca, Mexico, to see if we could find something that we both love. We did, and Dos Hombres has now been on the market for seven years. We're having a great time with it, and now we've expanded to tequila.

My wife and I spend spring and fall in New York and summer and winter in LA. Here's a typical day in my life.

I wake up between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m.

I need eight solid hours of sleep every night.

When I wake up, I grab a cup of coffee right away. Sometimes I lie in bed and think I'm still a little tired, but the coffee is waiting. That gets me out of bed.

I like an espresso, and I don't add milk or sugar. I make a cappuccino for my wife, Robin, every morning, the way she likes it. I feel like a barista, so if my career goes sideways, I can get a job at Starbucks.

I try to only have coffee in the morning and drink water for the rest of the day, except for a cocktail they hand me when we're on the mezcal circuit.

I'm a morning workout guy

After coffee, I'll usually take our dog for at least a mile walk, maybe more, and then I work out. I like to work out in the morning because once I get into work mode, it's hard for me to switch gears.

Sometimes I fast in the morning and don't eat until the afternoon; other times I have something small for breakfast, like a little clump of cottage cheese, some blueberries, and a handful of nuts. On the weekends, my wife and I will split an everything bagel with lox, cream cheese, onions, and tomatoes.

In the morning, I usually listen to NPR and read The New York Times. I try to take in what I can because I don't watch any network news anymore. I can't take it; it's too much for my psyche.

I work where I am these days

I used to have offices in different studios where I had production deals, but I don't anymore. I'm transitioning away from spending so much time developing projects into TV shows or feature films. I created a couple of shows of my own, and I'm going to keep working with them, but I enjoy acting and writing more than producing.

I'm a member of a group of actors called the CADS (Character Actors Dining Society) — there are 17 of us. We have dinners, tell stories, and joke with each other, and it's a lot of fun. We collectively wrote a book. We wanted to compile some of our stories and donate the proceeds to charity. "Nights at a Round Table" comes out in February.

I'm also planning to do a Broadway play again next spring, so I'm preparing for that, and I'm in negotiations for a few projects.

There's no set time for lunch

There's nothing typical in an actor's life. You're constantly moving, and sometimes you miss lunch; sometimes you have a lunch meeting.

When I do have lunch, I try to have a salad with a piece of salmon or chicken. My guilty-pleasure food is good mac and cheese — it's hard to resist.

Ever since the pandemic, I've added an afternoon nap to my schedule

When I got COVID-19, one of my symptoms was fatigue, and it felt like I couldn't sleep enough. I would wake up from a 45-minute nap, walk around, and then have to sleep more.

Now, I've gotten to a point where I need a daily nap. It could be anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes.

After the nap, I try to get outside

I'll take my dog for another walk. I listen to Audible books a lot. I like murder mysteries and thrillers, but I love memoirs, especially when the author reads them.

After the second walk, there's always something for me to read. I get offers every other day, so there's a lot to consider. Most of it is an easy no, but you never know.

Then I do research

If I'm researching a non-fictional character, I'll pull up something that fits my research. Even if it's a fictional character, I think, how am I going to present this?

When I work on "The Studio," a lunatic show, I play Griffin Mill, a fictional studio executive. I drew inspiration from Robert Evans, Paramount's chief in the '60s and '70s. I have them put a super tan on me, I bleach my teeth really white, and I blacken my hair. It's fun.

I love giving back

I do a lot of charity events and get asked to help write or deliver a speech for friends who get awards.

I was recently in Grand Rapids for ArtPrize, where Dos Hombres was a sponsor. ArtPrize is a citywide project that lasts a month. People submit their art for inclusion, and it's a celebration of art. I really enjoyed it.

Dinner depends on where we are

When we're in New York, my wife and I dine out at least five times a week. Our favorite restaurant is Gallagher's, a New York classic, known for steaks and fabulous cocktails. We go out to see plays, museums, or movies. We're very active socially in New York.

If we're in Los Angeles, it's the opposite. We dine out maybe twice a week, and we're homebodies. Our favorite restaurant in LA is Mistral, a small, intimate French restaurant with great food and ambiance. I'm a huge Dodgers fan, so if they're playing, I'll be watching. My wife has gotten into it, too, so she'll watch while she makes dinner.

I do the cleaning. It's a way of contributing because we've always shared the household chores.

After dinner, we find things we can do together

We take our dog out for another walk, digest our food, and talk. We get back and watch a movie, a documentary, or a series, or sometimes we'll just read, listen to music, or play cards.

I watched every episode of "Breaking Bad" when they aired, but not since. I'd love to watch it again with someone who's never seen it before, and since the final episode aired 13 years ago, it'll feel fresh for me, too.

Somehow, "The Wire" missed my list of series to watch when it was running; that is next on my list. I'm trying to be patient as I wait for the next season of "Pluribus." That's an incredibly fascinating story to me.

I try to be in bed around 9:30 p.m.

I won't fall asleep right away, so I'll read. Maybe it's age-related that I got to bed early, but we've been to the parties. I'd rather be comfortable; a little boring, I guess.

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