Bryan Cranston Reveals That He Had COVID-19 — Donates Plasma

Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston took to social media Thursday to tell fans that he has contracted — and survived — COVID-19. He also took the opportunity to urge those who may be tiring of lockdown protocols to be patient and vigilant.

“About now you’re probably feeling a little tied down, restricting your mobility and like me, you’re tired of this,” Cranston wrote on Instagram. “Well, I just want to encourage you to have a little more patience. I was pretty strict in adhering to the protocols and still… I contracted the virus.” The actor suffered only mild symptoms, but still urged people to “keep wearing the damn mask, keep washing your hands and stay socially distant.”

In an accompanying video, a masked Cranston donates plasma to further COVID-19 research at the UCLA Donation Center, narrating the process as he turns over his “liquid gold” to an amused lab tech named Ron. “You may have antibodies in your plasma that attack the virus,” the center’s website reads. “Your donated plasma could be used for compassionate treatment or as part of a scientific trial to determine definitively if this treatment works. It can also be used to support research efforts such as making tests to check immunity to the virus.”

As cases surge across the U.S., Cranston joins a growing list of lucky celebrities who have contracted and survived the virus — including Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who were the first actors to report that they had contracted the virus. Hanks’ case was much more severe than Cranston’s, however. Recently, the actor said that during the period he was sick his bones felt like “soda crackers.”

Like Cranston, Hanks has also come forward to urge people to continue to exercise caution — and has donated plasma to research efforts. “Honestly, if you drive a car, do you think it’s your Constitutional right not to use your turn signals?” Hanks quipped on the Late Show recently. “You give that a shot, don’t you? Isn’t that the least you can do when you’re driving a car? I think the least you can do in the United States of America and around the world is wear a mask and wash your hands and keep your distance, holy smokes.”