'Better Call Saul' star Bob Odenkirk in hospital after collapsing on set

The Emmy-nominated star of the hit show, who is 58, is receiving medical care

Bob Odenkirk collapsed on the set of 'Better Call Saul' in Los Angeles on Tuesday and had to be hospitalised. AP

Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk is in the hospital after collapsing on the set of the hit show.

The actor, 58, who portrays a con-man and lawyer was filming the sixth and final season of the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated show in New Mexico, Variety reports.

Crew members immediately called an ambulance and Odenkirk is still receiving medical care, according to TMZ, which first reported news of the incident. The cause of the collapse has not been disclosed.

A spin-off of the hugely successful AMC drama Breaking Bad, which ended after five seasons in 2013, Better Call Saul debuted in 2015 with Odenkirk as the titular character. Pegged as a prequel, the show has received critical acclaim, with the actor earning rave reviews and a spate of Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations.

Season six was scheduled to premiere in 2022 with 13 episodes.

Bob Odenkirk as the shifty lawyer Saul Goodman in the television series 'Better Call Saul'. AP

Odenkirk, who was last seen in the 2021 film Nobody, first made his career as a writer, scripting for shows such as Saturday Night Live and The Ben Stiller Show in the 1990s. He's also directed and executive produced a number of films. But it was the success of Breaking Bad and later Better Call Saul that would turn him into an A-list star, appearing in a number of high-profile films such as Steven Spielberg's 2017 film The Post and Greta Gerwig's much-praised take on Little Women in 2019.

In April, Odenkirk announced he was writing a memoir, which publisher Random House said will address “the highs and lows of showbiz, his legendary cult status as a comedian, and what it’s like to reinvent a showbiz career after 50 and scale new heights.”

Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir, to be published in 2022, charts Odenkirk’s journey from nowhere comedy clubs to drama and acting with a capital A, Random House said. “Featuring never-before-seen photos, wild characters, and laugh-out-loud stories, all delivered with Python-esque wit and writing chops, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama is sure to delight Odenkirk’s longtime followers and introduce him to new fans of his dramatic work as an artist of incredible range and depth," it said.

In an interview with Esquire in June, the actor spoke about the ending of Better Call Saul, saying he takes it one script at a time.

"I don’t jump ahead. I don’t want to know! I only want to know what’s next for me. Just like the character does, I try to be surprised, as he makes these twists and turns," Odenkirk told the magazine.

"I do not know. I mean, come on. Why would I do that to myself? I’m going to be playing this character and we’re going to be shooting until November. And if I already knew what was happening, I would be depriving myself of so much excitement."