The “Better Call Saul” cast and crew were left severely distressed after Bob Odenkirk suffered a heart attack in July 2021, People reports. They were filming in New Mexico when the actor suddenly keeled over and stopped breathing. Odenkirk shared that “the cast and crew were more traumatized” than he was, as he had no memory of what had happened. They thought they had watched him die after witnessing paramedics unsuccessfully attempt to revive Odenkirk at the scene.
“They all were standing right there,” Odenkirk said. “And they watched me go down, and they watched them use the defibrillator three times on me, and they watched the professionals around look at each other and say he’s not coming back.” Thankfully, after Odenkirk stayed in the hospital, he was given the all-clear and returned to work. He admits that despite not remembering details of the medical emergency, it still had a massive impact on his life.
Meanwhile, with “Better Call Saul” Season 6 on the way April 18, Odenkirk is looking to the future — by returning to his past. Despite scoring a total of 13 Emmy nominations for his acting, Odenkirk still retains a passion for writing, which is what he did for years on “Saturday Night Live” before hitting the big time. “I loved writing comedy so much that I figured I’d stay in that corner,” Odenkirk told Variety. “I loved it, and I still do love it.”