Today, Bob Odenkirk may be known to many for his humorous and layered betrayal of seedy lawyer Saul Goodman on hit dramas Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. However, before landing his acclaimed role, Odenkirk was known mostly for his work in the comedy world, including his stint as a writer on Saturday Night Live. While he did manage to make more than a few contributions to the iconic sketch show, he recently revealed he holds a big regret.
Bob Odenkirk is pretty particular when it comes to his work, and this was the case when he worked on Saturday Night Live. He recently recalled that he could have been a little less “stuck up” during his tenure:
I was so opinionated. I was a very opinionated comedy writer. I was a writer on the show and Lorne would sometimes have me do a part in the scene, a small part like that. And I did, and of course I was starstruck at Catherine O'Hara, who was just the best. . . . I’m kind of sad right now, and happy. I wish I wasn't such a stuck up young man. I wish I was a sweeter fellow, because I had a great opportunity there. I made the most of it. I learned a lot about comedy writing and I made some great friends for life at that show, but I still wish I'd just handled it better. But don't you always think that about your young self?
Based on his recent comments on PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing, it sounds like Bob Odenkirk definitely wishes he would have handled some things differently during his time at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. But if anything, it also sounds like the comedian learned a lot from his past actions and aimed to work differently in his subsequent jobs.
Bob Odenkirk began writing for Saturday Night Live in 1987 and worked with colleagues Conan O’Brien and Robert Smigel. Aside from writing duties, Odenkirk would also appear as an actor on the show in bit parts, as the actor mentioned in his comments. He eventually left the show in 1991 with the intention of focusing on his acting career.
Today, Bob Odenkirk definitely appears to be more of an easy-going guy, though that doesn’t seem to have affected his work ethic in the slightest. He’s put his all into all his roles, especially Saul Goodman, who Odenkirk has helped define over two television shows. And for his efforts, he’s won and been nominated for a plethora of awards.
Given the way Bob Odenkirk carries himself in public, it’s somewhat hard to believe that he was ever “stuck up.” Still, people change over time and, like the Better Call Saul star, all we can do is learn from our mistakes and work towards bettering ourselves.
Both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad are currently streaming on Netflix.
