Taylor Dearden Cranston (born February 12, 1993) is an American actress known for her work in television drama and comedy. She stars as Dr. Melissa “Mel” King in the HBO Max medical series The Pitt and has also appeared as Ophelia Mayer in MTV’s Sweet/Vicious and Chloe Lyman in the second season of Netflix’s American Vandal.
Early Life and Education
Dearden was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of actor Bryan Cranston and actress Robin Gale Dearden, and the granddaughter of producer and actor Joseph Cranston. She attended the University of Southern California, graduating in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater.
Career
Dearden made an early screen appearance in 2010 on Breaking Bad, later spending several years working in short films and independent projects. From 2013 to 2014, she appeared as McKenzie in the web series 101 Ways to Get Rejected, a project created by fellow USC students.
Her first major television role came in 2016 with MTV’s Sweet/Vicious, in which she played Ophelia Mayer. The series earned critical acclaim for its handling of campus sexual assault and female friendship, and Dearden’s performance was widely praised, despite the show’s cancellation after one season.
In 2017, she appeared in the feature film The Last Champion, followed by a prominent role in the second season of Netflix’s satirical crime series American Vandal in 2018, portraying Chloe Lyman.
Dearden gained broader recognition for her role as Dr. Melissa “Mel” King in the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt, which premiered in 2025. Her performance earned multiple award nominations, including recognition for supporting roles in dramatic television.
Personal Life
In 2025, Dearden publicly shared that she has been diagnosed with ADHD.
