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

Culture

Television

'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

David Tusing

July 28, 2021

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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
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."


Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

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Updated: July 29, 2021, 4:46 AM
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