Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad actor Bob Odenkirk has opened up about his time on Saturday Night Live in a new interview.
Speaking on comedian Tig Notaro’s podcast Don’t Ask Tig, Odenkirk revealed how a conversation with his son led him to reflect on his insecurities as a young actor on SNL when he was 25 years old.
Odenkirk worked on SNL for three years, from 1987 to 1991. While there, he wrote for actors including Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Chris Rock, Mike Myers and Tim Meadows.
“I was unsure of myself. It was hard. It was existentially dangerous. I had feelings of ‘I should erase myself,’” Odenkirk revealed.
“I was too young when I got hired at SNL,” Odenkirk continued. “That was not a good thing. That could’ve gone wrong. That could’ve gone so wrong. It came this close so many times to going so wrong. You gotta believe me. And it’s hard for kids to believe you when you say, ‘I had no fucking clue what I was doing and I was scared outta my wits for years.’”
You can listen to the full podcast with Odenkirk here.
This year, Odenkirk joined the cast of FX’s The Bear for its second season. The news was first seemingly confirmed by anonymous sources to Variety.
The FX-produced Hulu show quietly became one of the most-talked-about shows of the summer earlier last year. The highly-praised show follows chef Carmen Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) from fine dining kitchens back to his family’s sandwich shop after the death of his brother Mikey (Jon Bernthal).
Odenkirk appeared in the series as Uncle Lee Lane, who is revealed to have a complicated relationship with the Berzatto family.
In a four star review of the second season, NME said: “What happens when you stop fighting to survive and, instead, let go and start again?
“After an intense first season, that’s the question season two of The Bear posits, as hot-shot chef Carmy, rising sous Sydney and their team stop clinging on to failing sarnie bar The Beef and attempt to create something new…It’s another intense ride, but it’s served up so deliciously, you’ll definitely be craving more come the end.”