How much celebrities earn has always been a topic to pique our curiosity. And if you are inquisitive about Bob Odenkirk’s net worth, it becomes even more complicated: Though being in the limelight for decades, the actor has always been discreet about his fortune.
Following the sounding failure of Games of Thrones last season, AMC’s hit show Breaking Bad firmly established itself as the greatest TV series of all time. From IMDb to Rotten Tomatoes, every site has given it the highest possible rating on its scale, not to mention winged words from audiences.
Of course, a huge part of Breaking Bad’s success can be attributed to its colorful cast. Among them, Saul was the most outstanding. Over the course of 5 seasons, Bob Odenkirk had done justice to his part, successfully resurrected his acting career with this iconic role. However, you will be shocked to know that acting is not even Odenkirk’s second-best talent.
Let’s take a look at 13 surprising facts that you might not know (or couldn’t predict) about Bob Odenkirk, from his personal life and wealth to the recent accident that made him collapse on the set of Better Call Saul.
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Bob Odenkirk Is A True Illinois Pride
Perhaps you don’t know, but Bob Odenkirk is not the actor’s birth name. Born Robert John Odenkirk, he came from Berwyn, Illinois but grew up in the nearby town of Naperville. According to Vince Gillian, the director of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”, this is why Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman is an Illinois native. They wanted the character to come from the same state as the actor as a homage to him.
Well, Illinois is a pretty great place to call home, especially when many eminent personalities were born here. Knowing that Bob Odenkirk also hails from this state, folks now have another reason to be proud of where they belong. Little did we know that the actor used to hate Naperville a lot because “it felt like a dead end, like Nowheresville. I couldn’t wait to move into a city and be around people who were doing exciting things.”
Odenkirk’s Parents Divorced Due To His Father’s Alcoholism
And he had a reason to say that. Following his parents’ divorce, Bob Odenkirk had gone through a difficult upbringing. In an interview, he revealed that his father, Walter Odenkirk, “drank booze for a living”, while his mother, Barbara, was working tirelessly to keep them alive.
Ultimately, Walter’s alcoholism led to their separation. A few years later, Walter passed away due to bone cancer and was “pretty down on his luck”. Traumatized by his father’s struggle, Bob decided early on that he would avoid alcohol completely. He never drinks hard liquor, whether at parties or social gatherings.
You will be surprised to know that he is the second oldest of seven siblings. While that made it harder for his mother to make ends meet in his childhood, the star now says it is wonderful to have many sisters and brothers. One of his siblings, Bill Odenkirk, is a co-executive producer of the famous comedy animation The Simpsons. Bill also worked on the sci-fi series Futurama and was a member of the Mr. Show writing team.
He Kickstarted His Career In Comedy
Looking at his current success, Bob is no longer living the dead-end life he felt stuck in during his teenage. Still, his road to fame wasn’t strewn with flowers.
The actor began working as a radio DJ in high school, where he wrote and hosted a late-night comedy show for his school’s radio station. That’s when the young Bob discovered his passion for acting. Shortly after graduation, he attempted to kickstart his career by performing stand-up comedy for several years. Now you know that your lawyer is capable of doing stand-up!
Bob Odenkirk Stand Up
Nevertheless, Bob still failed to make a name for himself. Only when he met Robert Smigel, who helped him become a writer for ‘Saturday Night Live’, did his career begin to thrive.
Bob spent 8 years on the show, from season 13 to season 20 (1987 – 1995). Working alongside Robert Smigel and Conan O’Brien helped the young man big time in learning the nuances of sketch writings and comedy writings. He even appeared several times on the show and performed stage shows during summer breaks.
He Got Himself In Trouble For Using His Grandfather’s Picture In A Joke
Bob certainly had something for comedy – it was thanks to comedy that he managed to gain recognition. Still, not everyone found his jokes funny.
In 1995, with David Cross as his partner and co-writer, Bob worked on a comedy show named “Mr.Show”. It featured live sketch comedy performances in front of audiences. In one episode, a photo of an old man was required, and Bob thought it would be okay to use the picture of his late grandfather as the butt of the joke. Turned out, some of his relatives were outraged after watching the episode. A lesson for aspiring comedians here, kids, don’t mess with your family members!
Aside From His Iconic Characters, Odenkirk Also Did Minor Roles
Needless to say, we all remember Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad. It is hard to imagine him as someone else, but the actor made small appearances in movies like The Cable Guy, Can’t Stop Dancing, Monkeybone, and Wayne’s World 2. He was also in some popular comedic TV series like The Office, How I Met Your Mother, and Arrested Development.
Can you guess which role he played in The Office, though? We have a big surprise for you in the next part!
He Almost Starred As Michael Scott In The Office!
Any fan of Bob Odenkirk and The Office will wow at this, I’m sure. In the 16th episode of The Office’s last season, Pam had an interview for a new position in Philadelphia, only to learn that her would-be employer, played by Bob Odenkirk, was an alternate version of Michael Scott. Of course, she declined the opportunity since she couldn’t work for another Michael Scott again.
The Office – Michael Scott Reincarnated
In some ways, you can say that Bob played an alter-ego of the character for which he was almost hired back in 2005. The production team of The Office seriously considered him since he “really wanted the part” and “had a great take on the character”, according to producer Ben Silverman. The trouble with Bob Odenkirk, which also made him suitable for Saul Goodman, was that he had an edge about him. He had the kind of humor Michael Scott had, but it was darker.
And that’s why they decided to choose Steve Carell. To them, Carell was “a jerk and a douche”, while Odenkirk was too much of an asshole. They felt that Carell wasn’t very intimidating, which would be more approachable for American viewers. Well…time has proven that no one could make better Michael Scott than Steve Carell, and Bob Odenkirk is the perfect Saul Goodman, so it was a win-win, wasn’t it?
In the mood for some light-hearted sitcom? Check out the best season of The Office!
The Actor Won Two Emmys… But Not For Acting
The fact that Bob Odenkirk received numerous nominations for his performance in Better Call Saul is not new, but not so many heard about his two Emmys as a writer.
As mentioned, before playing the iconic Saul Goodman, Bob Odenkirk wrote for Saturday Night Live and The Ben Stiller Show. He did a fantastic job, acquiring an Emmy for SNL and another for Ben Stiller. During his time in the SNL writing crew, Bob Odenkirk was recognized for creating some of the show’s most memorable characters. That’s what I meant when I said acting is not even his second-best talent!
He Has Been Married To His Wife For More Than Two Decades!
Aside from a successful career, our charismatic Saul Goodman is successful in romance as well. We can rarely find a love story like Bob and his wife in Hollywood.
The two met each other for the first time in 1994 during his comedy show. Many years later, Bob’s wife, Naomi, recalled having a crush on him, but she was shy and avoided it when their friends suggested introducing her to him. Bob didn’t seem interested in her at first, but they got along very well when the two bumped into each other at a comedy club in Santa Monica. “It was as if I suddenly became his type”, Naomi joked.
Bob and Naomi came to the decision to tie the knot in 1997 and have been together ever since. Although Naomi doesn’t reveal much information about herself aside from the marriage, she has a long list of producing credits, including 2003’s Melvin Goes to Dinner or the sketch comedy series W/Bob and David. This ambitious woman also played an essential role in his career, taking over as his manager. She contributes a large part to Bob Odenkirk’s net worth, which is an impressive number for an actor hailed from comedy.
Bob Odenkirk’s Net Worth Is A Whopping 16 Million!
With his extensive discography in films and TV shows, Bob Odenkirk’s net worth is currently at a whopping $16 million, as shown by Celebrity Net Worth. It is reported that the comedy/action star pocketed a massive $100,000 per episode while filming Breaking Bad and $1500,000 per episode in the first season of Better Call Saul. As the show processed, he then hit $200,000 per episode, and since BCS is still ongoing, Bob Odenkirk’s net worth is expected to increase even further.
In case you are curious about his real estate as well, the actor owns a luxurious mansion in Hollywood Hill. The 2,827 square foot upscale house is decorated in a classic Spanish style with stunning views of the valleys. To get this magnificent mansion, Bob had to pay $3.3 million, as reported by LA Times. The house welcomes the guests with a kitchen-family room combo with a fireplace, a living room, a den, a dining room, a library/study, an office, five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and a half bath.
Maybe He Is Not As Tall As You Think…
So, how tall is Bob Odenkirk? Looking at the cunning Jimmy McGill on the screen, many guessed he could be taller than 6 feet.
That’s…not so far from the truth. While some sources claim that he is 5’9’’ tall, others say Bob is only 5’6’’. Still, we know for sure that he is muscular enough to play 30-year-old Saul at the age of 57, which is all that matters.
Aside from Bob Odenkirk, a celebrity that often got his height guessed wrongly is John Krasinski. You will be shocked to know how tall he really is!
He Suffered A Heart Attack On The Set Of “Better Call Saul”
On July 28th, 2021, Bob Odenkirk’s stans woke up to bad news: He collapsed on the set of Better Call Saul due to a “heart-related problem”. When the incident happened, he was shooting in New Mexico for the sixth and final season of the series. The Emmy winner was quickly rushed to a local hospital and received medical attention.
Later that same week, Odenkirk took to Twitter to reassure fans: “Hi. It’s Bob. Thank you. To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week. And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and cares for me. It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much.”
“I had a small heart attack,” he added. “But I’m going to be OK thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery… I’m going to take a beat to recover but I’ll be back soon.”
“Don’t Drink And Drive, But When You Do, Call Saul.”
Well, of course, fans can’t stop worrying about the actor’s health condition. A small heart attack is still a big deal, but the fact that he quickly tried to calm the fans down and returned to the set of Better Call Saul just a few months later proves his diligence and hard work. If you still wonder how Bob Odenkirk’s net worth is amassed, that’s the answer: He has been contributing tirelessly as an actor, writer, and producer, so he got what he deserves.
And that’s something Bob shares with his iconic character, Saul Goodman. Both of them have the tenacity to follow their paths, even if it means risking their own selves.
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