Bob Odenkirk, best known for his role as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, opened up about his 2021 heart attack on the set of the hit spinoff in a new interview.
In July 2021, Odenkirk, who was 58 at the time, collapsed while filming Better Call Saul Season 6. The actor reflected on how the incident gave him added perspective.
Bob Odenkirk details heart attack incident during Better Call Saul filming
Bob Odenkirk, one of Breaking Bad’s defining characters and the lead actor of its successful spinoff, Better Call Saul, recently spoke to The Times of London about his 2021 heart attack. The actor reflected on the harrowing experience, which took place while he was filming Better Call Saul Season 6.
“I went down and Rhea [Seehorn] and Patrick [Fabian] grabbed me, and they were screaming, but [the crew members who noticed] thought they were laughing,” Odenkirk told The Times of London. “So there were delays in reacting because we were all so far apart from each other. I was gone. I turned gray. Eventually, the on-set medic showed up, and he didn’t know what to do. He’d never done CPR.”
Odenkirk continued, “A lot of people get that wonderful reel of film of their life, or they have a person who says, ‘Do you want to go back?’” He added, “None of that for me. The first memory I have is leaving the hospital a week after I got there.”
Though the experience was difficult, Odenkirk said that he was able to better appreciate his life after the incident. He called his recovery period “such a gift.”
“I felt just very, very delighted and engaged,” he added.
The Times of London reported that Odenkirk’s heart attack was caused by a buildup of plaque that blocked an artery. The actor has since taken preventive measures.
