Actor Bob Odenkirk is in stable condition after collapsing on the set of Better Call Saul due to a "heart related incident" on Tuesday, his representative said.
“We can confirm Bob is in stable condition after experiencing a heart related incident,” read the statement, released on Wednesday. “He and his family would like to express gratitude for the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, as well as his cast, crew and producers who have stayed by his side. The Odenkirks would also like to thank everyone for the outpouring of well wishes and ask for their privacy at this time as Bob works on his recovery.”
Odenkirk, 58, collapsed on set in New Mexico where the Breaking Bad spin-off is shooting its sixth and final season. Crew members called an ambulance that took him to a local hospital.
Shortly before the statement was released, Odenkirk’s son Nate, the elder of his two children, tweeted: “He’s going to be OK.”
Better Call Saul's network AMC also released a statement Wednesday.
“Bob is someone we have known and been lucky enough to work with for a long time,” AMC said. “The immediate outpouring of affection and concern from fans around the world is a clear reflection of his immense talents and ability to both move and entertain people. Like everyone else, we are so grateful to know he is in stable condition and receiving excellent care. We are holding him close in our thoughts and wishing for a fast and full recovery.”
In Better Call Saul, Odenkirk plays a down-on-his-luck lawyer named Jimmy McGill who becomes increasingly corrupt and adopts the pseudonym Saul Goodman, the “criminal lawyer” who appeared in dozens of episodes of Breaking Bad.
The show debuted in 2015, pegged as a prequel to Breaking Bad, and has received critical acclaim, with Odenkirk earning rave reviews and a spate of Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations.
Season six is scheduled to premiere in 2022 with 13 episodes.
The actor's co-stars and colleagues have also taken to social media to wish him well.
Michael McKean, who played his brother on Better Call Saul tweeted: “Sending huge love to our @mrbobodenkirk. You got this, brother.”
Odenkirk’s Breaking Bad co-stars also showed their love and concern.
“Today I woke up to news that has made me anxious all morning,” Bryan Cranston said on Instagram, along with a photo of himself with Odenkirk. “Please take a moment in your day today to think about him and send positive thoughts and prayers his way.”
Cranston’s co-star Aaron Paul posted an Instagram picture of Odenkirk with the caption, “I love you my friend.”
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 called Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: 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.”
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.
– Additional reporting by AP
