When Bob Odenkirk joined ‘SNL’ he was ‘very young’ and ‘unsure’ of himself: ‘It came close to being wrong a few times’ Most Popular Must Reads Sign up for various newsletters More from our brands
Bob Odenkirk is reflecting on his time as a writer on “Saturday Night Live.”
In a recent interview on comedian Tig Notaro’s podcast “Don’t Ask Tig,” the “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” actor recalled a discussion he had with his 24-year-old son Nate, who wants to pursue a career in . As a comedy writer.
Odenkirk, who joined “SNL” at age 25, shared his insecurities in writing professionally at a young age, saying, “I was unsure of myself. It was difficult. It was existentially dangerous. I had feelings like ‘I should destroy myself.’
He added, “When I got the job on ‘SNL,’ I was very young.” “That was not a good thing. He could be wrong. This could have gone very wrong. It came so close to going wrong so many times. you have to trust me. And it’s hard for kids to believe you when you say, ‘I had no idea what I was doing and I was scared out of my wits for years.'”
Odenkirk worked on “SNL” from 1987 to 1991 and wrote for notables such as Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Tim Meadows and Chris Farley. Despite his struggles on late-night live television sketch comedy, Odenkirk has previously shared some positive moments while working on the series, most notably Chris Farley’s Matt Foley sketch.
“I played the father in the sketch, and we did it seven times a week at Second City,” he said on an episode of “Hot Ones” in March. “Every time I did it it was the most fun I’ve ever had in show business.”
