Bob Odenkirk spent nearly 14 years playing fast-talking conman-turned lawyer Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and its spin-off prequel, Better Call Saul.
It almost killed him. In July 2021, Odenkirk suffered a heart attack while filming.
“I was trending,” he says. “Any time someone trends on Twitter, I get scared if it’s a celebrity. But in this case, it was a near-death experience and people found out. It was a rare moment when the Twitter universe came together with just an outpouring of love.
“I was knocked out by the response. I heard about it over the following two weeks because I had a loss of memory during the incident and even during the week after, and I had to hear about it from everybody. I’m curious as to why, because I play rascals mostly,” he shrugs. “But I’ll take it.”
Now Odenkirk’s gone back to school and returned to his comedic roots in Lucky Hank.
Again, he’s the title character – William “Hank” Devereaux Jr, a seemingly permanently exasperated English professor and head of department at a middling college somewhere in Pennsylvania.
“I play another crabby guy but, like most older crabby guys, he’s a likeable crab.”
Again, he’s the fast-talking centre of a show that’s a mix of satirical comedy and drama. Hank’s long-unfinished second novel and a class full of creative-writing students, selfdeluded about their talents, are all adding to an apparent mid-life crisis.
“Well, it’s not really a crisis,” he says. “It’s just a moment. Death and birth hit you at [times] and it makes you think about life. This show is about that.
Denne historien er fra April 08-14 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra April 08-14 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.