Bryan Cranston breaks into 'Modern Family'

Emmy winner Bryan Cranston has directed episodes of his own shows like Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle, but how did he get behind the camera for the April 11 episode of TV’s top-rated comedy, Modern Family? Turns out the One Who Knocks seized the opportunity at the Golden Globes in January after the ABC hit took home the trophy for best comedy series. ”I caught [Modern Family co-creator] Steven Levitan at just the right moment,” Cranston says. ”He was clutching his Globe in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other on the dance floor. He said, ‘Heyy, you oughta direct an episode for us!’ and I said, ‘Heyy, I’m gonna hold you to that!”’ The episode, titled ”Election Day,” follows Claire (Julie Bowen) as she scrambles for last-minute votes in her bid for city council. Cranston found working with such a large cast challenging (”It was like herding wild cats”) but still put a couple of his own touches on the single-camera comedy (look for a gag involving a ”Congratulations” banner, and Nolan Gould‘s Luke kicking a lawn sign) while having a blast with the cast. ”The kids asked if I wanted to have a Nerf war on the set,” he says. ”I said absolutely.”