Bob Odenkirk trivia: 46 facts about the actor

Bob Odenkirk is an American actor and he is best known for the role of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul!

Let’s dive into some trivia and facts about his life and career!

1. His full name is Robert John Odenkirk
2. He was born on October 22, 1962
3. He is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
4. He is best known for his role as smooth-talking lawyer Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill on the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul
5. And for the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David
   Which he co-created and starred in with fellow comic and friend David Cross
6. From the late 1980s to 1990s, Odenkirk worked as a writer for television shows Saturday Night Live and The Ben Stiller Show
7. Winning two Emmys for his work
8. He also wrote for Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Get a Life
9. And acted in a recurring role as Agent Stevie Grant in The Larry Sanders Show
10. In the early 2000s, Odenkirk discovered the comedy duo Tim & Eric
11. And produced their television series Tom Goes to the Mayor and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
12. He directed three films
13. These are Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003), Let’s Go to Prison (2006), and The Brothers Solomon (2007)
14. He was also an executive producer of the sketch comedy show The Birthday Boys
15. Developing the show with the comedy group after seeing their work at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles
16. In 2015, he and David Cross reunited, along with the rest of the Mr. Show cast, for W/ Bob & David on Netflix
17. Odenkirk co-wrote, produced and starred in the Netflix original film Girlfriend’s Day
18. It was released in 2017
19. The success of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul led to acting work in high-profile projects
20. Such as Nebraska, directed by Alexander Payne, Fargo, written by Noah Hawley, The Post, directed by Steven Spielberg, and Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2, written and directed by Brad Bird
21. Odenkirk was born in Berwyn, Illinois
22. He was raised in Naperville
23. He is one of seven siblings born to Walter Odenkirk, who was employed in the printing business, and Barbara Odenkirk, Roman Catholics of Irish, German, and Dutch descent
24. His parents divorced in part due to Walter’s alcoholism
25. Which influenced Bob’s decision to avoid alcohol as much as possible
26. He would later say that he grew up “hating” Naperville 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”
27. Walter Odenkirk died of bone cancer in 1986
28. Odenkirk attended Naperville North High School
29. He then went on to attend College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
30. Followed by Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then transferred to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois
31. He began his foray into comedy writing as a radio DJ for WIDB, the local non-broadcast college station at SIU
32. At WIDB he created a late-night (midnight to 4 am) radio comedy show called The Prime Time Special
33. He worked beside such other fledgling stars like Greg Weindorf and Matt Helser
34. After three years of college, Odenkirk decided to try writing and improv in Chicago
35. First studying with Del Close, Odenkirk attended “The Players Workshop of the Second City” where he met Robert Smigel
36. And they began a collaboration that would last for years and take Odenkirk to Saturday Night Live
37. He also performed at the Improv Olympic alongside notable comedians Chris Farley and Tim Meadows
38. Odenkirk said his strongest comedic influence was Monty Python’s Flying Circus
39. Primarily due to its combination of cerebral and simple humor
40. Other influences included radio personality Steve Dahl, SCTV, Steve Martin’s Let’s Get Small, Woody Allen, The Credibility Gap, and Bob and Ray
41. He visited Chicago’s Second City Theater at the age of fourteen
42. His younger brother is comedy writer Bill Odenkirk
43. In 1997, Odenkirk married Naomi Yomtov
44. Who was later the executive producer of W/ Bob and David
45. They have two children together
46. Discussing costume choices on Better Call Saul, Odenkirk stated he has a bit of color blindness, and leaves it to the costume managers to select the right outfits for his roles