Bob Odenkirk Goes Action Star

Bob Odenkirk joins Rich for a full interview in support of his new film Normal, in theaters April 17th. The conversation covers the movie, the action-star pivot, Saturday Night Live, Saul Goodman, and the Cubs.

Odenkirk explains that Normal is an independent production, which means getting the word out falls on the cast. Derek Kolstad, who wrote Nobody and John Wick, wrote the script. Ben Wheatley directed. Odenkirk helped build out the first third of the film and pitched the title Normal because he grew up in Naperville, Illinois, right near Normal, Illinois. They premiered the film in Normal. The old marquee is still there.

Henry Winkler co-stars. Odenkirk does not want to spoil what happens to Henry, but he promises it is not Fonzie territory.

Odenkirk talks about training for the Nobody films. Daniel Bernhardt, who trained him for Nobody and Normal, would fly to Albuquerque twice a year to run stunt workouts. Odenkirk worked out at Jackson Wink in ABQ, the MMA gym, where the real fighters would watch him run stunt-fighting choreography and laugh. Stunt fighting is not real fighting. It is dangerous, actually, because you open your face up and swing wide.

On SNL, Odenkirk reflects on his four years as a writer from roughly 1987 through 1991. He worked across three cast eras. Jan Hooks, Jon Lovitz, Nora Dunn. Then Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman. Then his final year with Sandler, Spade, Rock, and Farley. He admits the show was hard for him for three years. He finally figured it out in his last year.

Then he tells the story of writing the Matt Foley motivational speaker sketch for Chris Farley. Farley had done an improv coach character at Second City. Odenkirk had been listening to Tony Robbins. The two ideas collided. He wrote the sketch in one sitting and handed it to Farley. Lightning. Odenkirk says when his daughter asked him what his favorite moment was at work, he said it was performing that sketch with Chris.

On Saul Goodman, Odenkirk admits he had not watched Breaking Bad before accepting the role. He thought Saul was a three-episode part. Better Call Saul forced him to reconfigure everything he thought about acting. Two years of real fear and sweat. He lost his voice the first week.

Rich closes by asking if football is real. Odenkirk is not sure.