Bob Odenkirk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Odenkirk
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Odenkirk in 2018
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Robert John Odenkirk
October 22, 1962 Berwyn, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | Southern Illinois University Carbondale (BA) |
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| Years active | 1987–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Naomi Yomtov
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Bill Odenkirk (brother) |
| Awards | Full list |
Robert John Odenkirk (born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, writer, comedian, and producer. He started his career in comedy. Later, he became well-known for acting in serious roles. He has won many awards, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Critics' Choice Television Awards. He was also nominated for five Golden Globe Awards.
Odenkirk began his career writing for popular TV shows. These included Saturday Night Live (1987–1991) and The Ben Stiller Show (1992). He won Emmy Awards for his writing in 1989 and 1993. He also wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–1994). He acted as Agent Stevie Grant in The Larry Sanders Show (1993–1998). He is also famous for the HBO comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995–1998). He co-created and starred in this show with David Cross. They also made the Netflix series W/ Bob & David (2015).
As an actor, Odenkirk became very popular for playing Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill. This character appeared in Breaking Bad (2009–2013) and its spin-off Better Call Saul (2015–2022). For Better Call Saul, he received six nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He also played Bill Oswalt in the first season of Fargo (2014). He starred in the AMC series Lucky Hank (2023). He was nominated for an Emmy for his role in The Bear (2024).
Odenkirk directed his first movie, Melvin Goes to Dinner, in 2003. He also directed Let's Go to Prison (2006) and The Brothers Solomon (2007). He wrote Run Ronnie Run! (2002) and Girlfriend's Day (2017). He had supporting roles in films like Nebraska (2013) and The Post (2017). He also appeared in Incredibles 2 (2018) and Little Women (2019). He starred in and produced the action film Nobody (2021). He made his Broadway debut in Glengarry Glen Ross in 2025. For this role, he was nominated for a Tony Award.
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Early Life and Education
Robert John Odenkirk was born in Berwyn, Illinois. He grew up in Naperville. He is the second oldest of seven children. His parents were Walter Henry Odenkirk and Barbara Mary Odenkirk. They were of German and Irish background.
Odenkirk went to Naperville North High School. He graduated at 16 because he had enough credits. He then attended College of DuPage. After a year, he went to Marquette University and then Southern Illinois University. There, he practiced writing and performing comedy for college radio. He created a late-night comedy show called The Prime Time Special.
After three years of college, Odenkirk moved to Chicago. He wanted to try writing and improv comedy. He finished his degree at Columbia College Chicago and graduated from SIU in 1984. He studied with Del Close at The Players Workshop. There, he met Robert Smigel, who he would work with for many years. He also performed at the Improv Olympic with future Saturday Night Live stars.
Odenkirk improved his stand-up and improv skills at a comedy club in Elmhurst. He first visited Chicago's Second City Theater when he was fourteen. He said his biggest comedy influence was Monty Python's Flying Circus. He liked its smart humor and silly physical comedy. Other influences included radio personality Steve Dahl and SCTV.
Career Highlights
Early Comedy and TV Work
Odenkirk became a writer for Saturday Night Live in 1987. He worked there until 1991. He wrote many sketches with Robert Smigel and Conan O'Brien. During summer breaks, he performed stage shows in Chicago. He wrote the famous character "Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker" for Chris Farley. This character later appeared on SNL.
He had small acting roles on SNL, including a funny commercial in 1990. He left the show to focus on performing. He learned a lot about writing from senior writers and friends at SNL. In 1991, Odenkirk moved to Los Angeles. He wrote for the TV show Get a Life. He also wrote for The Dennis Miller Show.
Odenkirk's friendship with Ben Stiller led him to join The Ben Stiller Show in 1992. He wrote and acted on the show. He created the sketch "Manson Lassie". The show won an Emmy Award for writing. Odenkirk also wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1993 and 1994. He met David Cross on The Ben Stiller Show. They started performing live comedy shows together. These shows later became Mr. Show with Bob and David.
In 1993, Odenkirk began a recurring role on The Larry Sanders Show. He played Larry Sanders' agent, Stevie Grant, until 1998. He also had small acting roles on Roseanne and The Jackie Thomas Show. His first movie roles were small parts in films like Wayne's World 2 and The Cable Guy. Odenkirk tried stand-up comedy in the mid-1990s but stopped because he did not enjoy telling the same jokes repeatedly.
Mr. Show and Directing
Odenkirk and David Cross created Mr. Show, which aired on HBO for four seasons. The series featured many comedians who later became famous. These included Sarah Silverman and Jack Black. The show was nominated for Emmy awards and liked by critics. After Mr. Show, Bob and David wrote the movie Run, Ronnie, Run.
Odenkirk acted in many TV shows and some films. He wrote and produced several TV pilot episodes. In 2003, Odenkirk directed Melvin Goes to Dinner. He also acted in it. The film received good reviews and won an award at the SXSW Film and Music Festival.
In 2004, Odenkirk helped Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim develop their animated show Tom Goes to the Mayor for Adult Swim. He also helped them with their second series, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job. He had small roles on shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Arrested Development.
Odenkirk was considered for the role of Michael Scott in The Office. That role went to Steve Carell. Odenkirk later appeared in the final season of The Office. In 2006, Odenkirk directed Let's Go to Prison. The next year, he directed The Brothers Solomon.
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
In 2009, Odenkirk joined the cast of AMC's Breaking Bad. He played the lawyer Saul Goodman. The creators were impressed by his performances in Mr. Show. The role was planned for only three episodes at first. However, Odenkirk's acting led them to make Saul Goodman a regular character. He was a series regular from the third to the final season of Breaking Bad.
In 2011, Odenkirk created Let's Do This! for Adult Swim. He also executive produced The Birthday Boys, a sketch comedy show. Odenkirk appeared in and directed some sketches for that show. In 2014, Odenkirk played Police Chief Bill Oswalt in FX's miniseries Fargo. He also played Dr. Stork in Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories.
After Breaking Bad, Odenkirk took on bigger roles in successful films. These included Incredibles 2, Little Women, and The Post. He also appeared in The Spectacular Now and Nebraska.
In April 2015, it was announced that Odenkirk and David Cross would make a new sketch comedy series. It was based on Mr. Show and called W/ Bob and David. Netflix released the first season in November 2015. Odenkirk and Cross wrote, starred in, and produced the show.
Odenkirk starred as the main character in Better Call Saul. This show is a spin-off from Breaking Bad. It takes place before Breaking Bad. The series follows lawyer Saul Goodman's journey. It shows how he became a successful, but sometimes tricky, criminal defense lawyer. Odenkirk was also a producer for the series.
The first season of Better Call Saul had ten episodes. The second and third seasons also had ten episodes each. The fourth season was available on Netflix in August 2018. The fifth season premiered in February 2020. The show's final sixth season started airing in April 2022.
In 2017, Odenkirk published his first book, A Load of Hooey. It is a collection of funny sketches and essays. Odenkirk also co-wrote, produced, and starred in Girlfriend's Day. This film was a comedy about a greeting card writer. In April 2020, Odenkirk started his own production company, Cal-Gold Pictures. In March 2021, Odenkirk starred as Hutch Mansell in the action film Nobody. The movie was very popular at the US box office.
Odenkirk received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 18, 2022. This was the same day the final season of Better Call Saul premiered. His star is next to his Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston's star. In 2022, a new series starring Odenkirk was announced for AMC. It is called Lucky Hank and is based on a novel. It premiered in March 2023. In 2022, Odenkirk published his memoir, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama. In 2023, he released a collection of children's poetry called Zilot & Other Important Rhymes. He wrote it with his daughter, Erin.
Recent Projects
In 2023, Odenkirk acted in the FX series The Bear. He played Uncle Lee in the episode "Fishes". This performance earned him a nomination for an Emmy Award. In 2025, Odenkirk made his Broadway debut. He played Shelly Levene in a new version of the play Glengarry Glen Ross. He starred alongside Kieran Culkin and Bill Burr. Odenkirk's performance was highly praised. He received a nomination for a Tony Award.
Odenkirk will appear as the main character, Johnny, in The Room Returns!. This film is a remake of the 2003 movie The Room.
Personal Life
In the early 1990s, Odenkirk was friends with comedian and actress Janeane Garofalo. She introduced him to David Cross, who later co-created Mr. Show with Bob and David.
In 1997, Odenkirk married Naomi Yomtov. She later became an executive producer for W/ Bob and David. They have two children, a son and a daughter.
Odenkirk has some color blindness. Because of this, he lets the costume department choose his outfits for his roles.
On December 15, 2019, Odenkirk's college, SIU, gave him an honorary degree. It was a Doctor of Performing Arts.
On July 27, 2021, Odenkirk was in the hospital in Albuquerque. He had a small heart attack while on the set of the sixth season of Better Call Saul. Three days later, he said he would "be back soon". By September 8, he had returned to work. In 2022, Odenkirk shared that he had two medical devices placed in his heart. This was because of a condition he had been diagnosed with in 2018. He also said his condition was more serious than first thought. His heart stopped, and he needed help to get his pulse back. The showrunner for Better Call Saul said they would not have continued the show if Odenkirk had not recovered.
On the PBS show Finding Your Roots, Odenkirk learned about his family history. He found out he is related to a duke from a royal family. This makes him a distant cousin to King Charles III. He also learned that one of his ancestors was a French soldier during the Napoleonic Wars.
Acting Roles and Awards
As an actor, he is known for his role as Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill on Breaking Bad (2009–2013) and its spin-off Better Call Saul (2015–2022). For Better Call Saul, he received six nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. This ties the record for most nominations in that category without a win. For this role, he also received five nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He also received five nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. He received six nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, winning the award three times. As a producer on Better Call Saul, he has also received seven nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
See also
In Spanish: Bob Odenkirk para niños
