I found this book absolutely gripping from start to finish. How much of that is because the writing is good and how much of it is because Bryan Cranston narrated it—that’s anyone’s guess. But I’d guess it’s both. Bryan is a captivating storyteller, and it turns out that’s true even with the story he’s telling is his own.

The title of the book frames the way the author structures the work—with different “roles” he’s played serving as the chapters. Some of these are actual character roles like “Hal” and “Walter,” in which he tells stories about his time on the sets of Malcolm in the Middle and Breaking Bad, respectively. But many of them are life roles like “Brother” and “Son,” in which he tells of the shenanigans he got into with his older brother and his complicated and ultimately unresolved relationship with his father.

I typically only really enjoy memoirs if they are about something specific, unique, and noteworthy that happened in the life of the author. This is not that. Cranston’s story is about a guy he grew up in California and ultimately hustled his way into becoming a successful actor. Sure, there are obstacles he overcame and challenges he still faces, but the “plot” is substantively the same as the myriad of actors’ biographies filling the bookshelves.

That being said, it’s still worth reading merely for the pleasure of the storytelling. I haven’t laughed this hard from any other book this year. The situational humor in the tales he tells will make you laugh so hard, you feel it in the ribs. On top of that, there are serious moments that really give you insight into the human experience—including one that tells you that you really don’t want to get on Bryan’s bad side. So, if you see him out at dinner with his family, don’t f***ng interrupt them to ask for his autograph, LOL.