Listen free for 30 days
-
A Life in Parts
- Narrated by: Bryan Cranston
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Entertainment & Performing Arts
People who bought this also bought...
-
Secrets of Screen Acting
- By: Patrick Tucker
- Narrated by: David H. Lawrence XVII
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Instead of starting with what is real and trying to wrestle that onto the screen, Patrick Tucker explains how to work with the realities of a shoot and work from there toward the real. His step by step guide to the elements of effective screen acting is an extension and explanation of a lifetime of work in the field, containing over 50 acting exercises and the tried-and-tested screen acting checklist.
-
-
Amazing
- By Vasile Marin on 10-11-17
-
The Actor's Art and Craft
- William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique
- By: William Esper, Damon Dimarco, David Mamet
- Narrated by: Michael Esper, Damon Dimarco
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esper worked closely with Meisner for 17 years and has spent decades developing his famous program for actor's training. The result is a rigorous system of exercises that builds a solid foundation of acting skills from the ground up, and that is flexible enough to be applied to any challenge an actor faces, from soap operas to Shakespeare.
-
-
Essential listening for Actors
- By Brian Brennan on 14-02-20
-
The Actor's Life
- A Survival Guide
- By: Jenna Fischer
- Narrated by: Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. She was determined, confident, and ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong? Uh, basically everything. The path to being a professional actor was so much more vast and competitive than she’d imagined. It would be eight long years before she landed her iconic role on The Office, nearly a decade of frustration, rejection, and doubt. If only she’d had a handbook for the aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way. Jenna wants to be that person for you.
-
-
Life changing
- By Peter Bosen on 26-08-19
-
An Actor Prepares
- By: Constantin Stanislavski
- Narrated by: Mike Fraser
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Constantin Stanislavski (1863-1938), arguably the most influential director in the history of the theater, was the founder of the renowned Moscow Art Theater. A pioneer of psychological realism and improvisation on the stage, he devoted his life to developing the performance techniques now emulated throughout the world. In this first-ever audio edition of his classic work, Stanislavski's simple exercises fire the imagination, and help listeners not only discover their own conception of reality but how to reproduce it as well.
-
-
Don't buy they force you to buy all the shit
- By Sivakumar Viswanathan on 19-02-20
-
Nevertheless
- A Memoir
- By: Alec Baldwin
- Narrated by: Alec Baldwin
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most accomplished and outspoken actors today chronicles the highs and lows of his life in this beautifully written, candid memoir.
-
-
Excellent Memoirs
- By Patrick Morgan on 26-04-17
-
Blowing the Bloody Doors Off
- By: Michael Caine
- Narrated by: Michael Caine
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With over 100 movies to his credit over five decades, Hollywood legend and British national treasure Michael Caine shares the wisdom, stories, insight and skills for success in life that acting has taught him in his remarkable career. One of our best-loved actors Michael Caine has starred in everything from classic British films Alfie, Zulu and The Italian Job to the Hollywood blockbusting The Dark Knight trilogy and much-loved movie favourites Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hannah and Her Sisters and The Quiet American. Caine has excelled in every kind of role - with a skill that's made it look easy.
-
-
'Find what you love and do it as well as you can'
- By Mark on 26-10-18
-
Secrets of Screen Acting
- By: Patrick Tucker
- Narrated by: David H. Lawrence XVII
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Instead of starting with what is real and trying to wrestle that onto the screen, Patrick Tucker explains how to work with the realities of a shoot and work from there toward the real. His step by step guide to the elements of effective screen acting is an extension and explanation of a lifetime of work in the field, containing over 50 acting exercises and the tried-and-tested screen acting checklist.
-
-
Amazing
- By Vasile Marin on 10-11-17
-
The Actor's Art and Craft
- William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique
- By: William Esper, Damon Dimarco, David Mamet
- Narrated by: Michael Esper, Damon Dimarco
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esper worked closely with Meisner for 17 years and has spent decades developing his famous program for actor's training. The result is a rigorous system of exercises that builds a solid foundation of acting skills from the ground up, and that is flexible enough to be applied to any challenge an actor faces, from soap operas to Shakespeare.
-
-
Essential listening for Actors
- By Brian Brennan on 14-02-20
-
The Actor's Life
- A Survival Guide
- By: Jenna Fischer
- Narrated by: Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. She was determined, confident, and ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong? Uh, basically everything. The path to being a professional actor was so much more vast and competitive than she’d imagined. It would be eight long years before she landed her iconic role on The Office, nearly a decade of frustration, rejection, and doubt. If only she’d had a handbook for the aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way. Jenna wants to be that person for you.
-
-
Life changing
- By Peter Bosen on 26-08-19
-
An Actor Prepares
- By: Constantin Stanislavski
- Narrated by: Mike Fraser
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Constantin Stanislavski (1863-1938), arguably the most influential director in the history of the theater, was the founder of the renowned Moscow Art Theater. A pioneer of psychological realism and improvisation on the stage, he devoted his life to developing the performance techniques now emulated throughout the world. In this first-ever audio edition of his classic work, Stanislavski's simple exercises fire the imagination, and help listeners not only discover their own conception of reality but how to reproduce it as well.
-
-
Don't buy they force you to buy all the shit
- By Sivakumar Viswanathan on 19-02-20
-
Nevertheless
- A Memoir
- By: Alec Baldwin
- Narrated by: Alec Baldwin
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most accomplished and outspoken actors today chronicles the highs and lows of his life in this beautifully written, candid memoir.
-
-
Excellent Memoirs
- By Patrick Morgan on 26-04-17
-
Blowing the Bloody Doors Off
- By: Michael Caine
- Narrated by: Michael Caine
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With over 100 movies to his credit over five decades, Hollywood legend and British national treasure Michael Caine shares the wisdom, stories, insight and skills for success in life that acting has taught him in his remarkable career. One of our best-loved actors Michael Caine has starred in everything from classic British films Alfie, Zulu and The Italian Job to the Hollywood blockbusting The Dark Knight trilogy and much-loved movie favourites Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hannah and Her Sisters and The Quiet American. Caine has excelled in every kind of role - with a skill that's made it look easy.
-
-
'Find what you love and do it as well as you can'
- By Mark on 26-10-18
-
Greenlights
- By: Matthew McConaughey
- Narrated by: Matthew McConaughey
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I've been in this life for 50 years, been trying to work out its riddle for 42 and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last 35. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.
-
-
self Indulgent rubbish
- By ttbko on 21-10-20
-
Audition
- Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part
- By: Michael Shurtleff
- Narrated by: John Malone
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The casting director for Chicago, Pippin, Becket, Gypsy, The Graduate, The Sound of Music, and Jesus Christ Superstar tells you how you can find your dream role! Absolutely everything an actor needs to know to get the part is here: What to do that moment before; how to use humour; how to create mystery; how to develop a distinct style; and how to evaluate the place, the relationships, and the competition. In fact, Audition is a necessary guide to dealing with all the "auditions" we face in life. This is the bible on the subject.
-
Truths, Half Truths and Little White Lies
- By: Nick Frost
- Narrated by: Nick Frost
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If I'm going to tell the story of a life, my life, then I need to tell it warts and all. If the tale is too saccharine sweet then what can the reader take away from it? What do they learn about you? I've written everything down. The shit, the death, fun, naughtiness, addiction, laughter, laughter, laughter, some tears and lots of love and happiness. That, to me, is a better reflection of a human's life.
-
-
Funny and touching
- By Gavin Jones on 23-02-16
-
Access Accents
- Received Pronunciation (RP) - An Accent Training Resource for Actors
- By: Gwyneth Strong, Penny Dyer
- Narrated by: Penny Dyer, Denise Gough
- Length: 1 hr and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Access Accents bring the highly sought-after voice techniques of top voice coach Penny Dyer to the actor's audio device. They offer a unique opportunity to prepare for auditions at short notice.
-
-
Hmmm
- By James Leader on 23-01-15
-
America 51
- A Probe into the Realities That Are Hiding Inside "The Greatest Country in the World"
- By: Corey Taylor
- Narrated by: Corey Taylor
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The always-outspoken hard rock vocalist Corey Taylor begins America 51 with a reflection on what his itinerant youth and frequent worldwide travels with his multiplatinum bands Slipknot and Stone Sour have taught him about what it means to be an American in an increasingly unstable world. He examines the way America sees itself, specifically with regard to the propaganda surrounding America's origins (like a heavy-metal Howard Zinn) while also celebrating the quirks and behavior that make a true-blue American.
-
-
Captivating From Start To Finish
- By Christopher Charles Weatherley on 03-01-18
-
Born Standing Up
- A Comic's Life
- By: Steve Martin
- Narrated by: Steve Martin
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the mid-70s, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. Born Standing Up is, in his own words, the story of "why I did stand-up and why I walked away".
-
-
Interesting insight into a great comedian
- By Alistair on 13-05-11
-
The Voice Exercise Book: The Warm-Ups
- By: Jeannette Nelson
- Narrated by: Jeannette Nelson
- Length: 1 hr and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Essential warm-up exercises for anyone who wants to use their voice more effectively. An accompaniment to The Voice Exercise Book, the accessible and straightforward guide to good voice production. If you're using your voice in a professional capacity - as a performer, a public speaker, a teacher, or even for long hours over the telephone - then warming up is an essential part of ensuring best practice and vocal health. In this audiobook, Jeannette Nelson provides three complete and easy-to-use voice warm-ups that she uses with actors and non-actors alike.
-
-
An improvement in just 40 minutes
- By Mr Gurmit Singh on 01-12-19
-
Voice Over Man
- The Extraordinary Story of a Professional Voice Actor
- By: Peter Dickson
- Narrated by: Peter Dickson
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Voice Over Man is a fascinating insight into the life of one of the world’s most prolific voiceover artists. It’s a frank and very personal account of his career. Not in the full glare of the spotlight, but in the dark spaces behind the scenes that the public never get to see. From barking like a dog on pet food commercials to his universally recognised work on the world’s biggest television shows - The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent together with countless video games and live events; he recounts the highs and lows of his deeply unconventional career.
-
-
Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant
- By Patrick Dee on 02-10-20
-
A Promised Land
- By: Barack Obama
- Narrated by: Barack Obama
- Length: 29 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency - a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
-
-
Dropping a classic
- By jesse on 17-11-20
-
Stop Acting, Start Living
- By: Bernard Hiller
- Narrated by: Bernard Hiller
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stop Acting, Start Living is the culmination of 35 years of performing and teaching experience. Acting teacher and success coach Bernard Hiller has worked with Jeff Goldblum, LL Cool J, Billy Crystal, Chace Crawford, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Emilio Rivera among many others.
-
-
INSPIRATIONAL - A MUST READ!!!
- By SM on 17-10-19
-
Drama
- An Actor's Education
- By: John Lithgow
- Narrated by: John Lithgow
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this riveting and surprising personal history, John Lithgow shares a backstage view of his own struggle, crisis, and discovery, revealing the early life and career that took place out of the public eye. Above all Lithgow’s memoir is a tribute to his most important influence: his father, Arthur Lithgow, who, as an actor, director, producer, and great lover of Shakespeare, brought theater to John’s boyhood. From bedtime stories to Arthur’s illustrious productions, performance and storytelling were constant and cherished parts of family life.
-
-
Just wonderful
- By Mr higgs on 06-09-20
-
Nerd Do Well
- By: Simon Pegg
- Narrated by: Simon Pegg
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zombies in North London, death cults in the West Country, the engineering deck of the Enterprise: actor, comedian, writer, and self-proclaimed supergeek Simon Pegg has been ploughing some bizarre furrows in recent times. Having blasted on to the small screen in the gut-busting and now legendary sitcom Spaced, his enduring appeal and rise to nation’s-favourite-son status has been mercurial, meteoric, megatronic, but mostly just plain great.
-
-
Just fantastic...
- By J Mitchell on 30-01-11
Summary
A rare treat, Bryan Cranston narrates his own fascinating life story with the same wit and raw emotion that characterizes his acting repertoire. Listen as the actor takes us through his early days as a struggling actor to his meteoric rise following his acclaimed, award-winning portrayal of Walter White in Breaking Bad.
Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father, a struggling actor and director, cast him in a commercial. Soon Bryan was haunting the local movie theater, reenacting scenes with his older brother. Acting was clearly his destiny - until one day his father disappeared.
As a young man on a classic cross-country motorcycle trip, he found himself stranded at a rest area in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To pass the time, he read a tattered copy of Hedda Gabler, and in a flash he found himself face-to-face with his original calling. Suddenly he thought this was what he would do with the rest of his life. Act.
In his riveting memoir, A Life in Parts, Cranston traces his journey from chaotic childhood to his dramatic epiphany to megastardom and a cultlike following by revisiting the many parts he's played on camera (astronaut, dentist, candy bar spokesperson, president of the United States, etc.) and off (paperboy, farmhand, dating consultant, murder suspect, son, brother, lover, husband, father).
With great humour and humility, Cranston chronicles his unlikely rise from a soap opera regular to a recurring spot on Seinfeld. He recalls his run as the well-meaning goofball, Hal, on Malcolm in the Middle, and he gives a bracing account of his challenging run on Broadway as President Lyndon Johnson, pushing himself to the limit as he prepared for a tour de force that would win him a Tony to accompany his four Emmys. And, of course, Cranston dives deep into the grittiest, most fascinating details of his greatest role, explaining how he searched inward for the personal darkness that would help him create one of the most riveting performances ever captured on screen: Walter White, chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin in Breaking Bad.
Discussing his failures as few men do, describing his work as few actors can, Cranston has much to say about innate talent and its benefits, challenges and proper maintenance, but ultimately A Life in Parts is about the necessity and transformative power of hard work.
More from the same
What listeners say about A Life in Parts
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 23-10-16
Excellent!
Bryan delivers a beautiful reading and an inspiring account of his childhood, career, and family life. Mr Cranston's career path has been the complete opposite of an overnight success, and he (intentionally or not) teaches the reader important lessons on how to approach your career, perfect your craft, and be a good person along the way.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Liam
- 28-10-16
Thought provoking and expertly read. Loved it!
Pros:
-I think Bryan Cranston is a fantastic actor and this transferred really well into this book. He seems passionate, I really like that.
- It was fascinating hearing him speak about his life, trials & tribulations, as well as the highs.
-Eloquently and expertly read.
-95% of the stories were genuinely interesting and kept my attention completely.
Cons:
-The ending felt a little flat to me, personally I think it should have ended with more of a crescendo, as it was I think it was a little lost.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John
- 04-12-16
A fascinating man & a story of real perserverance
A fascinating insight into the life of a talented actor. I thoroughly recommend it not just because of Breaking Bad. And that's ironic because clearly Mr Cranston is one of the 'good guys'.
That said I had to pause towards the end of the book as I was only part way through season 4 on Netflix and if you haven't seen 'B-B' yet there are a few spoilers in this book.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- joanjava
- 01-11-16
Surprising, riveting and wise.
Is there anything Bryan Cranston can't do? After this book you can start believing that you have it in yourself too, to work hard, overcome adversity and build something good that is yours.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ryan Smith
- 22-10-16
A Mesmerising Life
Bryan Cranston is a true artist. We all know the man can act, but to write and tell his story in poignant and insightful tales of the highs and lows of his life and career, and to actually keep you so invested with each word that you end up reliving that same feeling of addiction you felt when watching his stunning performance as Walter White/Heisenberg in Breaking Bad? That I don't think any of us knew. This isn't just for fans of the actor who wish to know about his truly extraordinary and, sometimes, ordinary life, this is also for those curious up-and-coming actors and writers on how they should play the cards that talent and creativity dealt them, and how to listen, learn from and appeal to the actor, the man, who portrayed one of the greatest written characters in modern television.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Aidan Hamill
- 20-12-16
A really nice man
He is a shining example of how a lack of bitterness and making good choices in life,based not on greed or self-seeking attention can have lasting and rewarding joy in life
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- emma lane
- 05-12-16
Struggled to finish.
Started well, enjoyed listening to stories of his upbringing and early career. as it went on I started to find his admiration of himself and how amazing he is to be tedious.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mukesh
- 03-12-16
The best biography
I really enjoyed this book. It is the best biography I have listened to. I really connected with the author and in many parts I felt very moved.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- B.R.Dillon
- 30-10-16
brilliantly read by Bryan Cranston
Kept me engaged and interested from start to finish very entertaining would definitely recommend...very good : )
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sharon
- 08-11-16
Excellent
This is a brilliant book made all the better by Bryan Cranston's fantastic narration. A wonderful, inspiring, personal journey. Highly recommend.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- DIY
- 17-11-16
Insightful
Insightful to his life but also his techniques and modus operandi!
I recommend it wholeheartedly!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- The Molois
- 25-09-19
Mr Cranston, a wonderful storyteller.
I throughly enjoyed this book. I found it Real. Inspiring. Funny. What a treat. Relistenning for sure.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 24-09-19
All the life in all the parts
Gripping story, passionate rendering. Loved every minute of it! What a life and what a story!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- MasterReader
- 08-12-16
great book and narration
very good look into the personal life of the author, he shares very personal details in great detail. overall very interesting