Entertainment
T-Mobile Taps Bryan Cranston in Bid to Wake Consumers Up to ‘T-Mix’ Plan
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Published 11/5/2026 1:00:00 PM
T-Mobile Taps Bryan Cranston in Bid to Wake Consumers Up to 'T-Mix'
We are all about to get a very loud wake-up call from T-Mobile.
The telecommunications provider, one of the biggest and most colorful advertisers in the U.S., has dispatched actor Bryan Cranston in a new campaign that may surprise those who have grown familiar with its playful spots featuring celebrities such as Billy Bob Thornton, John Travolta, Zach Braff and Donald Faison. In the new spot, Cranston and a rooster named George aim to serve as an alarm clock of sorts, alerting consumers to “T-Mix,” a new wireless plan that lets consumers pick only the features they want ,and comes with perks.
“Come on sleepyheads, it’s up and at ‘em!” Cranston crows in the ad. “Because there’s been a change in plan!” Meanwhile, he sets about rousing people from hotel rooms, airplane seats and bedrooms.
In the commercial, “I represent all the people who need to hear this information,” says Cranston in a recent interview. “Because I was one of them until moments ago.”
The 60-second ad debuts during Amazon Prime Video’s “ Thursday Night Football” and will roll out across national broadcast, streaming, cinema, digital, social media platforms, as well as on radio and out-of-home, says Lucy McLellan, executive vice president and chief brand and communications officer at T-Mobile. And while T-Mobile is known for launching big campaigns, the company will also use digital to launch some bespoke creative that targets specific consumer niches.
The new work, created with a new agency of record, Highdive, will attempt “to reach new audiences who have tuned out the category completely,” says McLellan, and make an effort to “appeal to audiences beyond the millennials that T-Mobile has traditionally appealed to.”
Other telecommunications giants are also trying to reach out to bigger crowds. Verizon in June tapped actor Michael Meyers to reprise his “Austin Powers” character, and reconvene that film’s cast to tout a new “Simplicity Plan” that offered new promotions including a return on dollars spent as well as prizes and rewards.
The new “T-Mix” offer lets subscribers change elements of their plan every 90 days instead of being locked into a particular option for longer periods of time. Members can also choose to get benefits including Apple Music, Apple TV, DashPass by DoorDash, Delta miles, ESPN Unlimited, Google Gemini, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount+, SiriusXM, XBOX Game Pass and YouTube Premium, alongside options like T-Satellite, Optimized Video Calls and device promotions. A family of four, says McLellan, might save up to $7000 depending on the options they choose.
Creating the high-energy pitchman wasn’t done in seconds. Cranston says the entire shoot took two days and that “we did each of those scenes several times from several different vantage points.” Telling a story via commercial is much more difficult than doing so in a TV series or movie, the actor says. “Every second is critical, whereas in a two-hour movie, well, you could let things linger,” he adds. “But this has to be cut to a millisecond in order to make the time requirements.”
Known best for roles like Walter White in “Breaking Bad,” Hal in “Malcom in the Middle” and Tim Whatley in “Seinfeld,” Cranston says he has long done commercials, which were “my life source” when he first started his acting career. Cranston has tackled ad assignments for CoffeeMate, for example, and is heard frequently as the voice of commercials for Ford Motor Co.
The character he plays for T-Mobile is “almost a Pied Piper,” he says. “I think my character was just another person who happened to have this epiphany that, wow, this is amazing. I can create my own plan. I don’t have to adhere to what was done, you know, decade after decade. And I can do this on my own,” he explains “I think that allowed me to be able to present it in an effusive way, in an energized way, without it being silly.”
George, the rooster who accompanies the actor throughout much of the ad, also maintained his demeanor. Relationships with animals — and, often, people too, says Cranston, are often “governed by food,” and the same was true of his fowl actor. “There was a little bowl of food on a stick that I can rattle, and here’s the rattle, and he would turn close to me. I was holding it, and I would hold it close, and then as soon as he turns toward me, I drop it out of frame. So the camera wouldn’t see it, and I tried to get closer and closer and closer to him, you know, just put my face right into his beak, you know, and have a stare down. And, you know, all you need is a couple seconds of that.”
And in a commercial, every second counts.
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Mexico’s beloved Guillermo del Toro descended on the 24thMorelia Film Festival like the rockstar he is, greeted by hordes of shrieking fans that impressed even the most jaded in the crowd.
In town to present the much-anticipated 3D Re-Release of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” he was everywhere all at once, holding a masterclass where tickets were as elusive as a seat at Cannes that went on for nearly three hours and a free-wheeling press conference that extended past its time limit.
It was his third time at the fest, 20 years after his multi-Oscar winning “Pan’s Labyrinth’ first played there and years later with his 2018 best picture Academy Award winner “The Shape of Water.”
Before the presser kicked off, Del Toro, an Honorary Doctorate recipient from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), received the Filmoteca UNAM Medal, an honor also bestowed on Alfonso Cuarón, in town to support his son Jonas Cuarón’s opening night film, “Campeón Gabacho,” which he produced.
Alongside Del Toro were festival director Daniela Michel, “Pan’s Labyrinth” producer Bertha Navarro, his then young lead Ivana Baquero and DP Guillermo Navarro, who took home the cinematography Oscar for his stunning work on the anti-fascist fable.
Reflecting on a question posed midway through the press conference about what has stayed the same and what has changed over the 20 years since “Pan’s Labyrinth,” del Toro responded with tears.
“The state of our species and society today goes beyond anything we could have imagined back then. But I recognize the same sadness and despair. It pains me deeply to see one, two, or three generations fail the next. We’re handing down a world in ruins, morally, socially and spiritually fractured, with the very fabric that once allowed us to tell fables and parables falling apart.”
Asked whether he knew beforehand if “Pan’s Labyrinth” would be well received, Del Toro recounted how his collaborations with both Navarros sustained him through all the challenges they faced.
“We embarked on an adventure that was financially horrifying but cinematically beautiful,” he said.
“You never know how a film will be received. We only found out when we screened it for the first time at Cannes. We got that famous standing ovation that lasted more than 22 minutes, and from that moment on, everything changed. It changed our lives.”
“I think ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ marked a before and after for me. In terms of creative freedom, possibilities and everything else, I’m where I am today because of that film. But none of it would have been possible without the faith of my immediate family, Bertha and Guillermo.”
Said DP Navarro: “Guillermo and I share the belief that cinematic language is storytelling through images that convey emotion and narrative. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is the ultimate expression of that. The camera is constantly searching, discovering and communicating.”
“It was also an incredibly difficult shoot. We had a limited budget, had to find unconventional solutions and took risks that could easily have failed. But we gambled and we won. Without a doubt, it’s my best film, and I hold that experience close to my heart. I hope new generations will continue to discover and appreciate it. And now, 20 years later, it returns. Olé!”
Producer Navarro, who also backed Del Toro’s career-launching feature debut “Cronos” and his much-lauded “The Devil’s Backbone,” said: “When he gave me the screenplay for ‘Cronos,’ I was absolutely fascinated. Talent shines, and you have to know how to recognize that light. That’s what I saw in Guillermo.”
“It’s been an incredible privilege to have made those three great films with Guillermo. I’ve produced many films throughout my life, but those three hold a much deeper significance for me. They changed my life.”
Baquero concurred: “’Pan’s Labyrinth’ undoubtedly opened doors for me, both into the genre and in my career. We’ve talked this afternoon about how much the film changed our lives, professionally and personally. For me, acting went from being a hobby – I had worked before ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ – to becoming my profession. Without that film, I might not be here today. It unquestionably marked a turning point in my career.”
Reflecting on its impact on young audiences. Del Toro noted: “There’s an urgency and a fragility and ferocity that coexist in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ And somehow, I think it’s an urgent moment to speak, for the film to speak to a new audience.”
Local politics also crept into the conference, with a journalist asking him what he would say to the young people protesting in his hometown of Guadalajara over its current issues of contaminated water, repression and the alleged kidnapping of protesters on Oct. 11.
He responded:“This morning at my masterclass, I gave young people the floor to speak about these issues. It’s terrifying that something so fundamental should have to be fought for instead of being resolved through basic humanity and responsible leadership.”
“I said it clearly: “Their voices must be heard, and I stand with them 100%. It’s unacceptable that this remains unresolved or that anyone would try to silence them. Speaking out, protesting, and demanding a solution are fundamental rights – anytime, anywhere.”
The Morelia Film Festival began on Oct. 16 and wraps Oct. 25.
