Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston has suggested the rise of Donald Trump could be a “good thing” and argued it could serve as a “wakeup call” to the catastrophe which could have ensued if Mr Trump became president.

The 60-year-old, who is best known for playing the role of Walter White in the hugely popular show, said he was keen to play the role of the Republican and admitted he was deeply intrigued by the billionaire.

Cranston, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton, likened Mr Trump to an archetypal tragic Shakespearean character and said he was a “demagogue”.

“It's cyclical I think there are periods of time when people feel disenfranchised and not listened to,” Cranston told BBC Newsnight.

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“I think the presence of Donald Trump is actually, in the long run, a good thing because it could be a wake-up call to what could have been a disaster.”

Explaining why he would be eager to play Mr Trump in a film or TV show, Cranston said: "Yes I am fascinated by Trump because he is a classic tragic Shakespearean character. What’s so amazing about Donald Trump is that he’s unabashedly a demagogue”.

‘He talks about issues and problems and if you listen to that you would think that every thing is horrible. He also doesn’t present any solutions. I’m just going to 'make it great', 'it’ll be great again I can guarantee it' … 'great, great, great' and you go ‘he is saying nothing’,” Cranston said while mimicking Mr Trump’s hand gestures.