Not that anyone had any doubts over Bryan Cranston’s acting talents after five breathtaking seasons on Breaking Bad, but now he has finally got a leading film role that shows them off.

His portrayal of school teacher Walter White’s descent into a drugs kingpin while suffering from cancer earned him four Golden Globe nominations, including one win, and now his turn in biopic Trumbo has given the 59-year-old actor his first Oscar nod.

Released on February 5, Trumbo is the true story of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo whose left-wing views in McCarthy-era Hollywood saw him not just ostracised but imprisoned and later denied the chance to claim his Oscars for movies including Roman Holiday and The Brave One.

Speaking at the film’s UK premiere, as part of the BFI’s London Film Festival, in Leicester Square in October, Cranston joked: “All my friends have ostracised me too, I have no friends so it was easy to get into his shoes.”

Really, though, the Trumbo’s troubles are more significant and not just for historical reasons.

Cranston added: “The story of Trumbo is really one of what would you do to retain your civil liberties in a society that prides itself on its enlightenment and advancement?

“To all of a sudden have those liberties taken away and demand under the penalty of incarceration: what affiliations do you have politically, if you are religious what do you practice, are you gay, are you straight?

“The Nazis used that – where are all the Jews? – to persecute, to harm and it is wrong under any description.

“I think what Trumbo does in a very oddly entertaining way is it reminds people that civil liberties are not to be taken lightly and they should be considered constantly by any government.”

His co-star, John Goodman, was more frank about Trumbo’s modern parallels. He told us: “We’re in America with a political party that trades in fear and paranoia, and they capitalise on it.  It is not unlike what happened then.”

You would be mistaken to think Trumbo is a straight-laced, stony-faced biopic. Its cast includes comedian Louis CK and Goodman, famed for the likes of Roseanne, The Big Lebowski and Monsters Inc.

Responsible for bringing a sense of fun to a serious story was director Jay Roach, whose other movies include Meet the Parents and two Austin Powers films.

Talking to Vibe, Cranston’s co-star Goodman joked that Roach was a hard taskmaster.

He said: “He tended to whip me, except he’d do it where he wouldn’t show the marks.”

He added: “He was great. He has got a great light touch, he’s very funny. I would love to work with him again.”

Among Goodman’s films are a whopping six collaborations with the Coen brothers, who he said had a different – and very precise – modus operandi.

He said: “Joel and Ethan write their stuff, nothing changes. They know exactly what they want so it is a little different in that respect.”

Trumbo (15) is out Friday, February 5.

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