Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk | |
---|---|
Born | Robert John Odenkirk October 22, 1962 Berwyn, Illinois, U.S. |
Alma mater | Southern Illinois University Carbondale |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1987–present |
Spouse |
Naomi Yomtov (m. 1997) |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Bill Odenkirk (brother) |
Website | bobodenkirk |
Robert John Odenkirk[1] (/ˈoʊdənkɜːrk/; born October 22, 1962[1]) is an American actor, screenwriter, comedian and producer.[2] He is known for his role as Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill on Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and its spin-off Better Call Saul (2015–2022). For the latter, he has received six 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 series Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995–1998), which he co-created and co-starred in with fellow comic David Cross.[3] In 2015, he and Cross reunited, along with the rest of the Mr. Show cast, for W/ Bob & David on Netflix.
Odenkirk wrote for television series Saturday Night Live (1987–1991) and The Ben Stiller Show (1992), winning an 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
Early life and education
Robert John Odenkirk was born in Berwyn, Illinois, then raised in Naperville. He is the second oldest of seven siblings born to Walter Henry Odenkirk (1930–1986), who was employed in the printing business, and Barbara Mary (née Baier) Odenkirk (1936–2021),[4][5][1] Catholics of German and Irish descent.[6][7][8] His parents divorced in part due to Walter's alcoholism, which influenced Bob's decision to avoid alcohol as much as possible. He describes his father as "remote, fucked-up, and not around".[9] 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."[6] Walter Odenkirk died of bone cancer in 1986.[1][7] Odenkirk's younger brother Bill Odenkirk is also a comedy writer, and helped Bob's early career.[10]
Odenkirk attended
Odenkirk sharpened his stand-up and improv skills at Elmhurst's now defunct Who's on First comedy club, then part of The Steve and Leo Show.[citation needed]
Odenkirk visited Chicago's Second City Theater at the age of fourteen. He said his strongest comedic influence was Monty Python's Flying Circus, primarily due to its combination of cerebral humor and verbal slapstick, which Odenkirk characterized as "laugh-out-loud" humor.[14] Other influences included radio personality Steve Dahl, SCTV, Steve Martin's Let's Get Small, Woody Allen, The Credibility Gap, and Bob and Ray.[14]
Career
1987–1999: Saturday Night Live and Mr. Show
Odenkirk was hired as a writer at Saturday Night Live 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.[15] 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, Motivational Speaker" for Chris Farley, which would later be reprised on SNL.[14]
He acted in several small roles on the show, most visibly during a 1990 parody commercial for Bad Idea Jeans.[16] During his final year at SNL, he worked alongside Adam Sandler, David Spade, Chris Rock and Chris Farley, but eventually he decided to leave the show in order to pursue performing.[15] 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.[14] In 1991, Odenkirk relocated to Los Angeles and was hired to write for the TV show Get a Life, which starred Late Night with David Letterman alumnus Chris Elliott.[17] He wrote for The Dennis Miller Show.[18]
Odenkirk's friendship with
Created by Odenkirk and
2000–2008: 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 most didn't make it to air and none were picked up as a series.
In 2004, Odenkirk received an unsolicited package including the work of
Odenkirk was considered for the role of
2009–2014: Breaking Bad
In 2009, Odenkirk joined the cast of
In 2011, Odenkirk wrote and developed Let's Do This! for
After starring in Breaking Bad, Odenkirk began to have more prominent roles in critically successful films, such as
2015–2022: Better Call Saul
It was reported in April 2015 that Odenkirk was teaming with former co-star
Odenkirk starred in the title role of Better Call Saul, a Breaking Bad spinoff. Primarily set in the early 2000s, 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.[38]
In 2017, Odenkirk published his first book, A Load of Hooey, a collection of comedic sketches and essays. Odenkirk co-wrote, produced, and starred in Girlfriend's Day, a Netflix 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.[37] 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.[41] 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.[42]
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.[43] In 2022, a new series starring Odenkirk was announced for AMC, entitled Lucky Hank, based on the novel Straight Man by Richard Russo. It premiered on March 19, 2023.[44] In 2022, Odenkirk published his memoir, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama. This was followed by a collection of children's poetry in 2023, Zilot & Other Important Rhymes, written with his daughter, Erin.
2023–present
Odenkirk starred as Tommy Wiseau's character Johnny in a 2023 remake of The Room, which is in post-production.[45] In 2023 he acted in the FX series The Bear he playing Uncle Lee in the episode "Fishes".[46]
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 co-creator David Cross.[47]
In 1997, Odenkirk married Naomi Yomtov, who was later the executive producer of
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.[49]
On December 15, 2019, Odenkirk's alma mater SIU announced it had awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Performing Arts.[50]
On July 27, 2021, Odenkirk was hospitalized in Albuquerque after having what he described as a "small
On the PBS show Finding Your Roots, Odenkirk learned that he is descended from an illegitimate son of Frederick Charles, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, making him an eleventh cousin to King Charles III.[58] He also learned one of his ancestors, Jean Jacques Fricker, was a French soldier during the Napoleonic Wars who fought at the Battle of Aspern-Essling.[59][60]
Acting credits and accolades
Bibliography
Year | Title |
---|---|
2013 | Hollywood Said No!: Orphaned Film Scripts, Bastard Scenes, and Abandoned Darlings from the Creators of Mr. Show |
2014 | A Load of Hooey |
2022 | Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir |
2023 | Zilot & Other Important Rhymes |
References
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- ^ Credits
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- ^ Bob Odenkirk Learns Ancestor Fought in Napoleonic Wars | Finding Your Roots | PBS. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
Further reading
- Raftery, Brian (November 2013). "The Internet Owes Its Sense of Humor to This Man". Wired. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
External links
- Bob Odenkirk at IMDb
- Bob Odenkirk on X
- Bob Odenkirk on Instagram