The Time Days Of Our Lives Legend Bill Hayes Came To Bryan Cranston's Rescue

It's not very often that you hear the names of a "Breaking Bad" actor and a "Days of Our Lives" star in the same sentence, but Bryan Cranston and Bill Hayes share a common history. Then again, a lot of celebrities and primetime stars like Cranston have had their start in the soap opera world. From John Stamos to Alec Baldwin and even Eva Longoria, many actors had to memorize their lines at a lightning-speed pace on the set of some of the biggest daytime television shows, with Cranston being no different. Even though he is best known for his role as Walter White on "Breaking Bad," Cranston also played a character by the name of Cousin Darryl on "Days of Our Lives" back in 1982. 

Cranston only appeared in one episode of "DOOL", but it was an experience that he remembers until this very day. That's because Hayes, who passed away on January 13, 2024, came to the actor's rescue in the most unexpected way. The long-time soap star also taught him a very important lesson about the power of kindness.

Bryan Cranston played anti-hero Walter White in "Breaking Bad," but in real life, he met a true hero from the daytime television world. Soon after it was announced that "Days of Our Lives" star Bill Hayes had passed away, Cranston was one of the first celebrities to pay tribute to the actor. Cranston isn't the kind of person who gets personal very often, but he couldn't help but share a touching story about how he met Hayes.

Cranston took to the comments section of Deadline to recall how he arrived on the set of "Days of Our Lives" two hours late and in total panic mode. He was left devastated and embarrassed when he missed his first rehearsal of the day. Luckily for Cranston, that's when Hayes knocked on his dressing room door. As Cranston recalled, "He said some comforting words, commiserating with my situation, and asked if I wanted to know the backstory to the character and the scene. I was shocked. He spent 20 minutes helping a stranger to feel a little less humiliated. He really cheered me up. I will never forget his kindness and patience."

But then again, Cranston is considered one of the nicest guys in the industry, too.

If there's anything that Bryan Cranston must have learned from Bill Hayes and that first day he spent on the set of "Days of Our Lives," it's that being kind to others certainly goes a long way. His former "Malcolm in the Middle" co-star Frankie Muniz had nothing but positive things to say to him while on Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast back in 2021. "No lie, he's the greatest human being alive, as an actor, as a person," Muniz said. "He would show up every single day, and you know when you do something every day you can get annoyed — never." 

Their other co-star Jane Kaczmarek also made it clear in her speech when Cranston received his Hollywood Walk of Fame that she adores him, too. "There's a saying that the three most important things in life are to be kind, to be kind, and to be kind," she said. Kaczmarek went on to say that if anyone would look up the word kindness in the dictionary, Cranston's photo would be there."

Many of Cranston's fans even applauded the actor for sharing his touching tribute to Hayes online. Some fans commented on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), "Bryan Cranston is a class act. For him to remember Bill Hayes' kindness 4 decades later and post about it is a wonderful tribute!!" Another fan wrote, "Gratitude goes on forever. What a heartwarming tribute." There's no doubt that Hayes would have been proud, too.