Bob Odenkirk received acclaim for his role as Saul Goodman on AMC’s Breaking Bad. Odenkirk recently disclosed on Howard Stern’s Sirius XM radio program that he was insolvent before being given the job on the highly successful sitcom. The actor remembered that Breaking Bad was not a popular program at the time, and his agency had encouraged him to decline the role. According to Odenkirk:
“And he says, ‘Dude, I haven’t said no in a year and a half – maybe you didn’t notice that,'” he says. Before joining the cast of Breaking Bad, Odenkirk dabbled with directing, working on many film projects that did not pan out commercially. During his chat with Stern, he admitted to lacking imagination and vision. Odenkirk said that the film he was directing put him in a financial bind, prompting him to seek assistance from his business manager, who then astonished him by requesting a $900,000 loan to help his client remain afloat.
Although Bob Odenkirk was first hesitant about taking part, he sought advice from a friend before accepting it. He stated:
“I still looked it up because I wanted to know what the h*ll the show was. I contacted a buddy, Reid Harrison, with whom I’d been writing, and he said, ‘Oh, that’s the finest program on TV.’ You have to do it. ‘That’s the greatest there is.'”
His success on Breaking Bad prompted the character to get his spinoff, Better Call Saul, which began on AMC in 2015 and is set to finish later this year.
A Look Into Bob Odenkirk’s net worth
Bob Odenkirk is best recognized for his role as Saul Goodman on AMC’s Breaking Bad and its sequel Better Call Saul. He has also been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for both programs. According to CelebrityNetWorth, the 59-year-old is worth around $16 million as of September 2023, having built his money as an actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer. The Blood into Wine actor and his wife Naomi Odenkirk paid $675,000 for a mansion in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills area in 1998. The 2,900-square-foot home has soaring ceilings and huge windows with views of the surrounding valleys and city lights.
In 2014, the couple listed the residence for $2.49 million. They did, however, settle for $2.45 million. In 2010, they paid $675,000 for a home in Bronson Canyon. However, the house had fallen into disrepair, and it was believed that the couple would refurbish it and either sell it or keep it as a rental property. Given its humble appearance, it was thought improbable that they would ever live in it.
In 2015, Bob Odenkirk purchased a 2,800-square-foot property in Hollywood Hills. He and his wife spent $3.3 million on the villa, which had typical Spanish style and stunning views of the valleys. Other amenities in the outside area included a pool, jacuzzi, and groomed gardens. Each episode of Breaking Bad paid Odenkirk $100,000. However, when he started acting in and producing Better Call Saul, he was paid $150,000 per episode for the first season. He is being paid $200,000 every episode, for a total of $2 million per season.
Bob Odenkirk’s heart attack Onset
On the set of Better Call Saul on July 27, 2021, Bob Odenkirk experienced a minor heart attack. In Howard Stern’s program, he emphasized his health, stating that CPR, defibrillators, and being in shape helped preserve his life. After Odenkirk fainted, someone on the set was able to perform CPR on him, and a defibrillator was used on him three times. He elaborated:
“Which is quite a lot, Howard. It’s not good when the defibrillator doesn’t work even once. When it doesn’t work the second time, it’s as if you’ve given up. But then they turned it up a third time, and I was able to go back into a groove.”
Odenkirk said that he was in terrific physical shape because of his role in the 2021 thriller Nobody, which he credits with keeping him alive. He said that since he was in excellent health, the veins surrounding his heart enlarged, enabling more blood to flow to his seat during CPR.
