There's a reason why Bryan Cranston is so convincing as meth cook Walter White on "Breaking Bad." (Besides the fact that he's an amazing actor, that is.) He may have had some practice when he prepared for what he calls "the greatest role of" his life.

When the star of AMC's hit drama hit up "The Howard Stern Show" on SiriusXM Tuesday to promote his new film "Argo," he dished -- with some probing from his host -- on how he got into the role of the terminally-ill chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin.

Cranston told Stern: "We were taught how to make meth (by) DEA chemists who were our consultants on the show. We didn't cook it, but we were told exactly the process at that high level."

But Stern didn't buy the Emmy-winning actor's claim that he never cooked up a batch or two. "I have a feeling you actually cooked meth," the shock jock said. "I think, like, in preparation for the role, the DEA let you cook up a little meth."

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"Maybe," the actor teased. "I can't tell you one way or the other. It's extremely difficult (to cook meth). There are so many volatile components to it that at any given time, you could literally blow up. So you had to be very careful and very specific to follow this. Most of the cooks are also meth heads themselves. That's why they get themselves in trouble and you see burn marks, or their hands are missing."

Stern didn't let it end there. "When you cooked, how did your batch turn out? Tell the truth!" he insisted.

"Well, I made one with and one without nuts," Cranston joked. "I was a pretty good chef."

The final eight episodes of "Breaking Bad" will air on AMC starting in July 2013.

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