Taylor Dearden

Taylor Dearden Cranston was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 12, 1993.^[2] She is the daughter of actors Bryan Cranston and Robin Gale Dearden.^[3][4] Her paternal grandfather was producer and actor Joseph Cranston.^[5][6] In 2015, she graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in theater.^[7][8][9]

In 2010, Dearden appeared in the Breaking Bad episode "No Más".^[10] From 2011 to 2016, she appeared in various short films.

From 2013 to 2014, Dearden portrayed the character McKenzie in two seasons of the web series 101 Ways to Get Rejected.^[11] The show was created and written by fellow USC student Susie Yankou and was directed by Mike Effenberger.^[12]

In 2016, Dearden was cast in the MTV TV show Sweet/Vicious, where she played the character Ophelia Mayer.^[13] Written and created by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson,^[14] the show was critically acclaimed for its portrayal of campus sexual assault.^{[1][15][16][17]} Despite being beloved by critics, with Dearden's work positively reviewed,^[18] it was canceled after one season.^[19][20][21]

In 2017, Dearden appeared in the film The Last Champion, which stars Cole Hauser as former Olympic wrestler John Wright.

In 2018, Dearden appeared in season two of the Netflix mockumentary American Vandal, where she played the character Chloe Lyman, acting alongside co-stars Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck, and Travis Tope.

She portrays Dr. Melissa King in the 2025 HBO Max medical drama The Pitt^[22] and was nominated for the Astra TV Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series^[23] and the Dorian Award for Best Supporting TV Performance^[24] in that role. She was also nominated for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards.^[25] In January 2026, Dearden appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! ^[26] In March 2026, Dearden won an Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, for The Pitt. In April 2026, Dearden appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.^[27]

Dearden revealed in 2025 that she has ADHD, which was diagnosed during her childhood.^[28][29][30] She has described how this influenced her portrayal of Dr. Mel King, and how the fast-paced filming of The Pitt has been challenging to her as a neurodivergent actress.^[31] She also has Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.^[32]