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Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...
'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off '' Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has received five nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. As a producer on ''Better Call Saul'' since its premiere, he has also received six nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. He is also known for the HBO
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...
series ''
Mr. Show with Bob and David ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', also known as ''Mr. Show'', is an American sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995, to December 28, 1998. Cross and Odenkirk introduced mos ...
'' (1995–1998), which he co-created and co-starred in with fellow comic
David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/ Netflix sitco ...
. In 2015, he and Cross reunited, along with the rest of the ''Mr. Show'' cast, for ''
W/ Bob & David ''W/ Bob & David'' is a comedy sketch show created by and starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross that premiered on Netflix on November 13, 2015. The sketch show consists of four half-hour episodes plus an hour-long making-of special entitled "B ...
'' on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
. Odenkirk wrote for television series ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' (1987–1991) and '' The Ben Stiller Show'' (1992), winning Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1989 and 1993. He also wrote for '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' (1993–1994) and acted in a recurring role as Agent Stevie Grant in '' The Larry Sanders Show'' (1993–1998). In the early 2000s, Odenkirk discovered the comedy duo Tim & Eric. He produced their television series '' Tom Goes to the Mayor'' (2004–2006) and '' Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' (2007–2010). His feature directorial credits include the films '' Melvin Goes to Dinner'' (2003), '' Let's Go to Prison'' (2006), and '' The Brothers Solomon'' (2007). The success of ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul'' led to acting work in high-profile projects such as ''
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
'' (2013), the first season of '' Fargo'' (2014), '' Hell and Back'' (2015),
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
's '' The Post'' (2017), Pixar's '' Incredibles 2'' (2018), ''
Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the live ...
'' (2019) and, as the lead, the action film '' Nobody'' (2021), which he also produced.


Early life

Odenkirk was born in Berwyn, Illinois, then raised in Naperville. He is the second oldest of seven siblings born to Walter Henry Odenkirk, who was employed in the printing business, and Barbara Mary ( Baier) Odenkirk (1936–2021), Catholics of German and Irish descent. His parents divorced in part due to Walter's
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
, which influenced Bob's decision to avoid alcohol as much as possible. He describes his father as "remote, fucked-up, and not around". Odenkirk would later say that he grew up "hating" Naperville as a 15-year-old because "it felt like a dead end, like Nowheresville. I couldn't wait to move into a city and be around people who were doing exciting things." Walter Odenkirk died of bone cancer in 1986. Odenkirk's younger brother is comedy writer Bill Odenkirk. Bob had helped with Bill's early career. Odenkirk attended
Naperville North High School Naperville North High School is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Mill Street in the northern-central part of Naperville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the co ...
and graduated at 16; he was "tired of high school", and because he had enough credits, he was able to leave high school when he was still a junior. Because he was so young and thought he would be awkward at any college, he decided to attend the local
College of DuPage College of DuPage is a public community college with its main campus in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The college also owns and operates facilities in the Illinois communities of Addison, Carol Stream, Naperville and Westmont. With more than 20,000 ...
in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. After a year, he went to
Marquette University Marquette University () is a private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Martin Henni, the first Bishop of the diocese of ...
in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
, then transferred to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, "honing his sketch-writing and performance skills with live shows on both colleges' radio stations". He began his foray into comedy writing as a radio DJ for WIDB, the local non-broadcast college station at SIU. At WIDB he created a late-night (midnight to 4 am) radio comedy show called ''The Prime Time Special''. After three years of college, Odenkirk was three credits short of graduating when he decided to try writing and improv in Chicago. He completed the credits at Columbia College Chicago and received his bachelor's degree from SIU in 1984. First studying with
Del Close Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was ...
, Odenkirk attended the
Players Workshop Created in 1971 by Josephine Forsberg, The Players Workshop was Chicago's only official school of improvisation for over a decade. Although it was never officially a part of The Second City cabaret theater, The Players Workshop was often referred ...
where he met Robert Smigel, and they began a collaboration that would last for years and take Odenkirk to ''Saturday Night Live''. He also performed at the
Improv Olympic iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as "ImprovOlympic") is an improv theater and training center in central Chicago, with a former branch in Los Angeles, called iO West and in Raleigh, North Carolina called iO South. The theater taught and hosted p ...
alongside notable comedians Chris Farley and Tim Meadows. Odenkirk would sharpen his stand-up and improv skill's at Elmhurst's now defunct Who's on First comedy club, then part of The Steve and Leo show.
Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick Leonard William Benvenuti (born October 10, 1959) and Stephen Mark "Steve" Rudnick (born February 24, 1958) are a Chicago-based film and television writing and producing team. The two met in 1978 while studying with Josephine Forsberg at The Play ...
Odenkirk visited Chicago's Second City Theater at the age of fourteen. He said his strongest comedic influence was ''
Monty Python's Flying Circus ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (also known as simply ''Monty Python'') is a British surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, who became ...
'', primarily due to its combination of cerebral humor and verbal slapstick, which Odenkirk characterized as "laugh-out-loud" humor. Other influences included radio personality Steve Dahl, '' SCTV'', Steve Martin's '' Let's Get Small'',
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
, The Credibility Gap, and
Bob and Ray Bob and Ray were an American comedy duo whose career spanned five decades, composed of comedians Bob Elliott (1923–2016) and Ray Goulding (1922–1990). The duo's format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, such ...
.


Career


1980s–1990s: ''Saturday Night Live'', writing and ''Mr. Show''

Odenkirk was hired as a writer at ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' in 1987 and worked there through 1991. Working alongside Robert Smigel and Conan O'Brien, he contributed to many sketches they created but felt uncertain of the efficacy of his writing at the show. When ''SNL'' took its 1988 summer break, Odenkirk returned to Chicago to perform a stage show with Smigel and O'Brien, titled '' Happy Happy Good Show''. The following summer he did a one-man show, ''Show-Acting Guy'', directed by Tom Gianas. During his final summer hiatus, he wrote and acted in the Second City Mainstage show, ''Flag Burning Permitted in Lobby Only''. In that particular show, he wrote the character "
Matt Foley Matt Foley is a fictional character from the sketch comedy program ''Saturday Night Live'' performed by Chris Farley. Foley is a motivational speaker who exhibits characteristics atypical of someone in that position: whereas motivational speakers ...
, Motivational Speaker", for Chris Farley, which would later be reprised on ''SNL''. He acted in several small roles on the show, most visibly during a 1990 parody commercial for Bad Idea Jeans. During his final year at ''SNL'', he worked alongside
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...
, David Spade, Chris Rock and Chris Farley, but eventually he decided to leave the show in order to pursue performing. He has credited ''SNL'' with teaching him many lessons about sketch writing, from senior writers like Jim Downey and Al Franken, as well as his friends Smigel and O'Brien. In 1991, Odenkirk relocated to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
and was hired to write for the TV show '' Get a Life'', which starred ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production compa ...
'' alumnus Chris Elliott. He wrote for ''
The Dennis Miller Show ''The Dennis Miller Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Dennis Miller. The show launched in January 1992 and was hosted by the former ''Saturday Night Live'' Weekend Update anchor as an attempt b ...
''. Odenkirk's friendship with Ben Stiller, with whom he briefly shared an office at ''SNL'', would lead to his being hired for the cast of '' The Ben Stiller Show'' in 1992. Working as both a writer and actor on the show, he created and starred in the memorable sketch "Manson Lassie", and helped the show win an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for writing. However, the show had already been canceled by the time it won the award. Odenkirk served as a writer on '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' for the show's 1993 and 1994 seasons. Odenkirk met
David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/ Netflix sitco ...
at ''Ben Stiller''; shortly afterward, the pair began performing live sketch shows, which eventually evolved into ''Mr. Show with Bob and David''. In 1993, Odenkirk began a recurring role on '' The Larry Sanders Show'' as Larry Sanders' agent, Stevie Grant. He would continue the character through 1998. Also in 1993, he had brief acting roles on ''
Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Rosea ...
'' and
Tom Arnold Tom Arnold may refer to: * Tom Arnold (actor) (born 1959), American actor * Tom Arnold (economist) (born 1948), Irish CEO of Concern Worldwide * Tom Arnold (footballer) (1878–?), English footballer * Tom Arnold (literary scholar) (1823–1900), B ...
's ''
The Jackie Thomas Show ''The Jackie Thomas Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on the ABC network from December 1992 to March 1993. The series received widespread attention due to its creators Roseanne Arnold, then starring in the fifth season of her comedy ''Rosea ...
''. Odenkirk's first movie roles were very minor parts in films such as '' Wayne's World 2'', ''
The Cable Guy ''The Cable Guy'' is a 1996 American black comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, written by Lou Holtz Jr. and starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick. It was released in the United States on June 14, 1996. The film co-stars Leslie Mann, Jack B ...
'', ''
Can't Stop Dancing ''Can't Stop Dancing'' is a 1999 feature-length film written and directed by Steven Falick and Ben Zook and starring Ben Zook. The film showed at the 1999 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Plot Randy Rubio, a leader of a small-time dance ...
'' and '' Monkeybone''. Odenkirk briefly attempted a stand-up career in the mid 90s, but ditched it soon after, admitting he "hated telling the same joke twice." Created by Odenkirk and
David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/ Netflix sitco ...
, ''
Mr. Show ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', also known as ''Mr. Show'', is an American sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995, to December 28, 1998. Cross and Odenkirk introduced mos ...
'' ran on HBO for four seasons. The series featured a number of comedians in the early stages of their careers, including Sarah Silverman,
Paul F. Tompkins Paul Francis Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television on such programs as ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', '' Real Time with Bill Maher'', and ''Best Week Ever'', later ...
, Jack Black, Tom Kenny,
Mary Lynn Rajskub Mary Lynn Rajskub (; born June 22, 1971) is an American actress and comedian who is best known for portraying Chloe O'Brian in the action thriller series ''24 (TV series), 24'', and the character Gail the Snail in ''It's Always Sunny in Philadel ...
,
Brian Posehn Brian Edmund Posehn (; born July 6, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, and writer. After numerous appearances as a television guest star, Posehn acquired his first major recurring role in HBO's ''Mr. Show with ...
and Scott Aukerman. While nominated for multiple Emmy awards in writing and generally well-liked by critics, it never broke out of a "cult" audience into larger mainstream acceptance due to being a premium cable show. After ''Mr. Show'', Bob and David and the writers from the staff wrote the movie '' Run, Ronnie, Run''. The film was an extension of a sketch from the show's first season. However, the studio took production control away from Cross and Odenkirk during the editing stages, and the pair disowned the final product.


Early 2000s: After ''Mr. Show''

Odenkirk starred in numerous television shows and some films. He has written and produced many TV pilots, including ''The Big Wide World of Carl Laemke'' and ''David's Situation'', but none have made it to air or been picked up as a series. In 2003, Odenkirk directed '' Melvin Goes to Dinner'' and played the role of Keith. The film received positive reviews from critics and won the Audience Award at the SXSW Film and Music Festival. It was later self-released in five cities, then distributed on DVD by
Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pla ...
. In 2004, Odenkirk received an unsolicited package including the work of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. Inspired by their unique voice, he connected with them and helped them develop a semi-animated show for
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
called '' Tom Goes to the Mayor''. He assisted Tim and Eric with the development of their second series, ''
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' is an American sketch comedy series created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which premiered February 11, 2007 on Adult Swim and ran until May 2010. The show features surreal and often sat ...
''. He had several small featuring roles on TV shows, including '' Everybody Loves Raymond'', '' Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist'', '' NewsRadio'', '' Just Shoot Me!'', ''
Joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horace ...
'', '' Curb Your Enthusiasm'', '' Arrested Development'', '' Entourage'', '' Weeds'', and '' How I Met Your Mother''. Odenkirk was considered for the role of Michael Scott in the pilot of ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original ser ...
'', a role that ultimately went to Steve Carell. Odenkirk finally guested in the final season of ''The Office'' as a Philadelphia manager strongly reminiscent of Michael Scott. In 2006, Odenkirk directed '' Let's Go to Prison'', which was written by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, and starred Will Arnett, Dax Shepard and Chi McBride. The film received a 12% "All Critics" score from the website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
and had a total box office gross of a little more than US$4.6 million. The following year Odenkirk directed '' The Brothers Solomon'', written by Will Forte and starring Forte, Will Arnett and Kristen Wiig. The film received a 15% "All Critics" score from Rotten Tomatoes and had a total box office gross of approximately $1 million.


2009–2014: ''Breaking Bad''

In 2009, Odenkirk joined the cast of AMC's ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...
'' as corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman. Writer Peter Gould, as well as several others, had been quickly drawn to Odenkirk for this role based on his ''Mr. Show'' performances. The Goodman role was only intended to cover a three-episode guest spot in the second season, but Odenkirk's performance led Gould and Vince Gilligan to extend the character as an ongoing role. Odenkirk became a series regular as Goodman for the show's
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hi ...
through fifth and final season. In 2011, Odenkirk wrote and developed ''Let's Do This!'' for
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
, starring Cal Mackenzie-Goldberg a "two-bit movie mogul and head of Cal-Gold Pictures as he leads a collection of crazy, fame-hungry strivers chasing Hollywood dreams". The pilot can be seen on Adult Swim's website. Odenkirk executive produced the sketch comedy show ''
The Birthday Boys ''The Birthday Boys'' is a novel by Beryl Bainbridge. First published in 1991, this book tells the story of Captain Robert Scott's 1910-13 expedition to Antarctica. Plot introduction Five first-person narratives give different perspectives o ...
'', which starred the comedy group of the same name. Odenkirk also appeared in and directed a number of the sketches on the show. It premiered on IFC on October 18, 2013. In 2014, Odenkirk played Police Chief Bill Oswalt in FX's miniseries '' Fargo''. In fall of 2014, Odenkirk played Dr. Stork, a
podiatrist A podiatrist ( ) is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for ...
who specializes in cutting off people's toes, in
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
's anthology series ''
Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories ''Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories'' (also known as ''Bedtime Stories'') is an American horror comedy television series on Adult Swim. ''Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories'' was created by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim of the comedy duo Tim & Eric, who ha ...
''. After starring in ''Breaking Bad'', Odenkirk began to have more prominent roles in critically successful films, such as '' Incredibles 2'', ''
Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the live ...
'', '' The Post'', '' The Disaster Artist'', '' The Spectacular Now'', which received the Special Jury Award for Acting at the
2013 Sundance Film Festival The 2013 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 17, 2013, until January 27, 2013, in Park City, Utah, United States, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ogden, Utah, and Sundance, Utah. The festival had 1,830 volunteers. Films A r ...
, and the Alexander Payne-directed ''
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
'', which was nominated for a Palme d'Or at the
2013 Cannes Film Festival The 66th Cannes Film Festival took place in Cannes, France, from 15 to 26 May 2013. Steven Spielberg was the head of the jury for the main competition. New Zealand film director Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the Cinéfondation and ...
.


2015–2022: ''Better Call Saul'' and film work

It was reported in April 2015 that Odenkirk was teaming with former co-star
David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/ Netflix sitco ...
to produce a new sketch comedy series based on their previous production, ''
Mr. Show ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', also known as ''Mr. Show'', is an American sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995, to December 28, 1998. Cross and Odenkirk introduced mos ...
'', called '' W/ Bob and David''. The series was commissioned by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
with the first season having been released in November 2015, featuring four 30-minute-long episodes, along with an hour-long behind-the-scenes special. Odenkirk and Cross both write, star in, and produce the show. Odenkirk has expressed interest in doing more seasons. Odenkirk starred in the title role of '' Better Call Saul'', a ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...
'' spinoff. Primarily set in the early 2000's, years before the character's debut in ''Breaking Bad'', the series follows lawyer Saul Goodman's journey from court-appointed defense attorney origins to his eventual status as a successful, though unscrupulous, criminal defense lawyer. He is also credited as a producer for the series. The first season consists of ten 47-minute-long episodes, with a
second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ea ...
and third season of ten episodes apiece following in early 2016 and 2017, respectively.
The fourth season ''The Fourth Season'' is the fourth album by the Australian progressive metal band Vanishing Point A vanishing point is a point on the image plane of a perspective drawing where the two-dimensional perspective projections of mutually paral ...
was available on Netflix as of August 6, 2018, and the fifth season premiered on AMC on February 23, 2020. The show's final sixth season, which started production in February 2020 but was delayed due to
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
, started airing on April 18, 2022. Odenkirk co-wrote, produced, and starred in '' Girlfriend's Day'', a
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
original film. This film-noir comedy about a greeting card writer was directed by Michael Stephenson and influenced by '' Chinatown''. It was a movie Odenkirk had wanted to make for 16 years, after ''Mr. Show'' writer Eric Hoffman sent him the original script and they began developing it. In April 2020, with the end of ''Better Call Saul'' in sight, Odenkirk established his own production company Cal-Gold Pictures and signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television. Odenkirk, with Cal-Gold, plans to develop unique stories, with dynamic characters and social relevance. Former Comedy Central vice president Ian Friedman will serve as Cal-Gold's head of television. In March 2021, Odenkirk starred as Hutch Mansell in the action-thriller film '' Nobody'', which opened at number one at the US box office, with $6.7 million in ticket sales. Odenkirk received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 18, 2022, the date of the premiere of the final season of ''Better Call Saul''. Odenkirk's star is located next to the star of his ''Breaking Bad'' co-star Bryan Cranston.


Upcoming projects

In 2022, a new series starring Odenkirk was announced for AMC, entitled Straight Man. It is planned to air in 2023.


Personal life

In the early 1990s, Odenkirk was linked romantically to fellow comedian, actress, and writer Janeane Garofalo, who introduced him to ''
Mr. Show with Bob and David ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', also known as ''Mr. Show'', is an American sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995, to December 28, 1998. Cross and Odenkirk introduced mos ...
'' co-creator
David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/ Netflix sitco ...
. In 1997, Odenkirk married Naomi Yomtov, who was later the executive producer of '' W/ Bob and David''. They have two children. Discussing costume choices on ''Better Call Saul'', Odenkirk stated he has a bit of color blindness, and leaves it to the costume department to select the right outfits for his roles. On December 15, 2019, Odenkirk's alma mater SIU announced it had awarded him the
honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...
of Doctor of Performing Arts. On July 27, 2021, Odenkirk was hospitalized in Albuquerque after having what he described as a "small
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
" on the set of the sixth season of ''Better Call Saul''. Three days later, on July 30, Odenkirk reported that he would "be back soon", and on September 8 he reported he had returned to work. In 2022, Odenkirk revealed that he had two stents placed in his
coronary arteries The coronary arteries are the arterial blood vessels of coronary circulation, which transport oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. The heart requires a continuous supply of oxygen to function and survive, much like any other tissue or organ ...
shortly after the widow-maker heart attack due to arterial plaque build-up, which he had been diagnosed with earlier in 2018; he also said that his condition was more severe than had initially been understood, disclosing that his heart stopped and he required
cardiopulmonary resuscitation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spont ...
and
defibrillation Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current (often called a ''coun ...
to recover a pulse.


Filmography


Bibliography


Awards and nominations


References


Further reading

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Odenkirk, Bob 1962 births 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American music video directors American people of Dutch descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American sketch comedians American television writers Comedians from Illinois Comedy film directors Living people Male actors from Illinois American male television writers Primetime Emmy Award winners Screenwriters from Illinois Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumni Writers from Naperville, Illinois