Bob Odenkirk: ‘I can’t believe Vince Gilligan chose me!’

Bob Odenkirk approached Breaking Bad with caution as he was jaded by his many years in showbusiness.
The 53-year-old American actor landed his biggest role late in life, when he signed up to play sleezy lawyer Saul Goodman in the hit TV series about a chemistry teacher turned meth cook. Bob’s cheeky and charming alter ego was such a hit with fans that the show’s creator Vince Gilligan gave the attorney his own programme, Better Call Saul, the second series of which has just launched on Netflix.
With so many lovable characters on Breaking Bad, such as DEA agent Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), Bob can’t believe his luck that Vince chose him, as well as cop-turned-crook Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), for a spinoff.
“I want to see the Gustavo Fring (Breaking Bad character) and the Hank Schrader stories now,” Bob grinned to Britain’s ShortList magazine. “I loved the backstory of Mike in Season 1, Episode 6 (of Better Call Saul). God, it was great. I could watch a whole series of that guy. How pleased was I that I got picked? I approach the whole thing with a wariness and uncertainty that’s grown out of my 30 years of being in showbusiness. I didn’t accept they were going to create a show about me until I saw the billboards.”
When it comes to his own taste in TV, Bob has a few favourites he shared with the publication. Ricky Gervais’ comical stint as David Brent in The Office is one of the star’s most-loved small screen performances, as he’s a big fan of British humour.
“There’s an absurdity to it that’s silly but intelligent,” Bob added. “British comedy mixes absurdity and intelligence in just the right formula. Americans are a little more ham-handed. Their silliness is a little too desperate, their absurdity is a little too thin and unmoored and their intelligence is low. I’m an American so I’m talking about myself as I say that.”