Bob Odenkirk’s Top 9 Roles Beyond Saul Goodman

While most viewers will immediately think of the criminal lawyer Saul Goodman when they hear the name Bob Odenkirk, this was just one of many great roles he’s played over the years. As an essential Breaking Bad character and the protagonist of the equally acclaimed prequel Better Call Saul, Odenkirk showcased incredibly dramatic and comedic talent with this role.

However, this was just the tip of the iceberg for Odenkirk, as he has popped up in guest roles in acclaimed sitcoms, worked with prestigious directors like Steven Spielberg, and showcased his skills as an action hero. As a man of many talents with a likable sense of charm, it’s always a treat to see Odenkirk’s name on the credits.

Ben In Seinfeld

Most will be well aware that Bob Odenkirk got his start in comedy, and many of his earliest roles were bit parts on TV series like The Ben Stiller Show and The Larry Sanders Show. Hot on the heels of his early success with Mr. Show with Bob and David, Odenkirk also landed a guest role on Seinfeld in 1996.

Odenkirk showed up in Seinfeld’s season 8 episode “The Abstinence” as Ben, a wannabe doctor dating Elaine. She brags about her new MD boyfriend, only to discover he’s flunked the licensing exam three times. The joke pays off perfectly when Ben can’t handle a real medical emergency, leaving her humiliated and him exposed as hopelessly unqualified.

Ray Wentworth In Girlfriend’s Day

The success of Better Call Saul has recontextualized Bob Odenkirk’s career, allowing him to excel as a leading man like never before. This was perfectly illustrated in Girlfriend’s Day, a quirky neo-noir mystery where Ray Wentworth plays a greeting card writer who falls ever further into a conspiracy.

As a Netflix film filled with genre pastiche, Girlfriend’s Day didn’t reach a big audience but stands as an interesting precursor to Odenkirk’s future as an action star in Nobody. With a script co-written by Odenkirk, this is exactly the kind of unusual, off-kilter project that he does so well.

Father Robert March In Little Women

One thing that has consistently shone through Bob Odenkirk’s career is his intensely likable nature, which was deeply apparent in his gentle and warm performance as Father Robert March in Little Women. As the patriarch of the March family, it was clear that his family valued him deeply, and he made a big impact with very little screen time.

While Greta Gerwig’s Little Women was primarily concerned with the emotional journeys of its female co-stars, Odenkirk enhanced the ensemble when his character surprisingly returned after a long absence. Acting alongside major actors like Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep, Odenkirk proved he can really hold his own alongside acting heavyweights.

Uncle Lee In The Bear

One of the most enjoyable things about watching The Bear is you never know who’s going to show up in guest roles, with the appearance of Bob Odenkirk being a particularly welcome addition. Odenkirk plays Uncle Lee Lane, Donna’s on-and-off boyfriend who has shown up intermittently since season 2.

As a confrontational character who’s known to get into his fair share of arguments, Uncle Lee immediately matched the frantic and over-the-top energy of this FX on Hulu series. Odenkirk has only been in a handful of episodes, and he first appeared in the anxiety-inducing classic “Fishes,” which depicted a Christmas dinner from Hell.

Ross Grant In Nebraska

Director Alexander Payne has made some of the most thoughtful and interesting dramas of recent times, with Nebraska standing as a particularly impactful exploration of aging, dementia, and family. With a standout Oscar-nominated performance from Bruce Dern as an elderly father who believes he has won a million-dollar sweepstakes prize, Bob Odenkirk played the family’s eldest son, Ross.

Nebraska was a simple story that was intensely relatable for anyone who has experienced a parent with memory issues, and Odenkirk played a son who doesn’t feel like he owes his father anything due to his poor parenting. As a family with years of trauma informing their situation, Nebraska captured the everyday trials of suburban families in small-town America.

Ben Bagdikian In The Post

Bob Odenkirk has collaborated with some impressive directors over the years, but his role in Steven Spielberg’s The Post stands as a significant milestone in his career. As the real-life journalist Ben Bagdikian, Odenkirk portrayed the longtime Washington Post executive editor as they published the infamous Pentagon Papers, classified documents that explored U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

The Post was a clever and mature drama from Spielberg outlining the importance of journalism, and Odenkirk acted alongside an all-star cast including Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. As an ensemble story where each character added something vital to the narrative, Odenkirk was an essential part of the movie’s appeal and success.

Chief Bill Oswalt In Fargo

When they first announced the Fargo TV series, it seemed like nothing could match the cult appeal of the Coen brothers’ original movie; yet, the show managed to tap into that same magic. This was thanks, in no small part, to the show’s exceptional cast of supporting characters, which included Bob Odenkirk as Chief Bill Oswalt.

Odenkirk played the police chief in Bemidji, whose naïveté often stands in the way of Deputy Molly Solverson’s investigation to discover the truth behind the strange happenings in her town. Odenkirk brought just the right mix of small-town charm and bumbling incompetence to the role, and he nailed the Midwestern nice stereotype that Fargo has become so well known for.

Jacob Winograd In Undone

Undone stands as one of the most unique and underrated TV series of recent years, as it explores themes of mental health, reality, and the fragile nature of the human psyche. While the show focused on a Mexican-American woman named Alma who can manipulate and move through time after a car crash, its supporting cast was just as vital.

Bob Odenkirk played Alma’s father, Jacob, who appears to his daughter in visions despite having died 20 years before. Undone was unlike anything else on television, offering an existential journey into a woman’s mind and the challenges of modern living.

Hutch Mansell In Nobody/Nobody 2

While nobody would have predicted 30 years ago that Bob Odenkirk would become one of the most exciting action heroes of modern times, this came true with the Nobody series. As Hutch Mansell, a former government assassin trying to lead a normal life, Odenkirk tapped into the same late-career action movie stylings that worked well for Liam Neeson in Taken.

Hutch Mansell blends Odenkirk’s impeccable comedic timing with the heartfelt vulnerability that made Saul Goodman such an enduring and beloved character. As a role that signals the start of a new phase of Bob Odenkirk’s career, we hope to see him in many more over-the-top action movies like Nobody and Nobody 2.