This IL Actor Was Only Meant for 4 Episodes and Became a TV Legend

The Midwest Roots That Shaped Bob Odenkirk

One thing about me, is my favorite show of all time is Breaking Bad. To start the new year I started rewatching Better Call Saul and did a little bit of a deep dive on the some of the actors. The cast in the whole Breaking Bad Universe is insane but I wanted to focus on a specific character that had so much depth and has a great story on and off the show. We're talking about Bob Odenkirk (Saul). Before Bob Odenkirk became one of the most unforgettable characters on television, he was just a Midwest kid with a sharp sense of humor and a college radio show.

Odenkirk was born in Berwyn, Illinois, and raised in Naperville, a suburb of Chicago. Naperville is actually where I went to college at as well. His love for comedy started early, while he was a student at Southern Illinois University. That’s where he worked at the campus radio station, WIDB, and created a late-night comedy show called 'The Prime Time Special'. It was his first real taste of writing and performing, and it lit the spark that would shape his entire career.

After college, Odenkirk moved to Chicago and trained at the legendary Second City theater. If you know comedy, you know how big of a deal that is. Second City helped him sharpen his improv skills and solidified the style he’d become known for — smart, self-aware, and just the right amount of ridiculous.

Odenkirk has often credited the Midwest for his comedic mindset. He says the humility and self-deprecating humor common in the region played a huge role in how he approaches comedy. For him, it was never about being flashy. It was about poking fun, cutting things down to size, and finding humor in everyday life — something that was deeply rooted in his family upbringing.

That Midwestern comedy background opened doors to some major opportunities. Odenkirk went on to write for Saturday Night Live, The Ben Stiller Show, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, winning two Emmy Awards along the way.

Then Came a Surprising Career Turn

When 'Breaking Bad' creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould were developing the character of Saul Goodman, they were already fans of Odenkirk’s cult-classic sketch series Mr. Show. They didn’t even ask him to audition — they offered him the role outright.

At the time, Saul Goodman was only supposed to appear for a few episodes in season two, mainly as comic relief. Odenkirk himself wasn’t even sure about the show and had to ask a friend if Breaking Bad was worth doing. Believe it or not, the series wasn’t a massive hit yet and was nearly canceled early on.

But once Odenkirk stepped into the role, everything changed. His portrayal of the sleazy yet strangely lovable lawyer connected immediately with fans and the creative team. Saul became a regular by season three, and eventually, the breakout character earned his own critically acclaimed spin-off, Better Call Saul.

It’s a pretty incredible reminder that sometimes, staying grounded — and a little Midwest humble — can take you all the way to television history.

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