-Welcome back. -Thank you, buddy.
-I'm so happy you're here. -Wow, thanks.
-I have a lot to talk to you about.
-All right. -First of all,
since "Better Call Saul"... -Yeah.
-Okay, it has now ended. It has come to an end.
-It did? Are you sure? -Barely.
It was so fresh. I mean, no -- I know, it is.
-"They keep calling me back."
-But you did that character for 13 years?
-Yeah. I was supposed to do three or four episodes.
They asked. Yeah. -No way.
-Yeah, and then it turned into my whole life.
So... -[ Laughs ] -Yeah.
-And then -- I'm thankful for it.
But it was -- -Are you happy with the way
everything wrapped up? -Oh, very happy.
And I don't know if everyone's seen the finale,
but if you haven't yet, it -- it plays out really beautifully.
The writers just did such a great job.
So, I'm -- I'll -- you know, always be thankful
for that role, the role of a lifetime.
I -- I -- the last season, I was scared
because we heard news that you had a heart attack.
-Yeah, I did. -You had a heart attack.
-I sure did. And, you know,
it was a classic heart attack.
[ Laughter ] -Oh, wow!
-I said, "Gimme the top -- the best one."
But it all -- it all played out fine
because everyone was there to save my life,
and I had CPR done right away, and I have two stents.
-Someone did CPR on the set? -Oh, yeah.
Yeah. The -- The ambulance didn't show up
for 25 minutes, so I -- I have two stents.
And I'm great. I'm great.
-I'm so happy, dude. [ Cheers and applause ]
I'm so happy. I -- I -- 'cause --
I was like -- I got scared, but I know you.
And I know you were in great shape.
-I was. -Because I saw "Nobody."
-Yeah. I did an action film called "Nobody."
-It's fantastic. It's a great movie.
-It got me in -- [ Cheers and applause ]
Actually, you know, I was in really good shape,
and that helped my heart to survive that incident, so...
-Really? -...exercise, and it'll
help you through everything. -Yeah.
-Yeah. -I know you from "Mr. Show."
-As a comedy writer, you know me.
-I know you. -Because that's what I did...
-"Saturday Night Live." -...for most of my career.
-Yeah. -And then you started there
after I left. -Yeah.
I -- I once met you on the street once in L.A.
-And I do remember that. -You do?
-And it was outside the Virgin Megastore.
-Virgin Megastore. -And you were either just about
to do the Boston movie or -- or had done it.
-No, right before. I was brand-new
on "Saturday Night Live." -Yeah, you were anxious.
-And I was so nervous to see you.
-You were very nervous, yes. -'Cause I was like,
"It's Bob Odenkirk." -It was great talking to you.
-You were so nice to me. I will never forget that
because when you're a comedian --
-Well, as soon as you walked away, I said...
-"I hate this guy." -..."This [bleep] guy."
[ Laughter and applause ]
I said it to no one. -"He talked my ear off."
[ Laughter ]
No, you were so nice to me.
And when you're first starting out in comedy,
anyone who's nice to you, just -- it takes just even
two minutes of being nice to you.
-Yeah, nothing -- I -- yes. -I'll never forget.
Robin Williams -- I remember when David Cross and I
did "Comic Relief VIII," and we were doing "Mr. Show,"
and hardly anyone saw us when that show was on -- or since.
[ Laughter ]
And -- And we did "Comic Relief VIII,"
and we were so proud to be invited and to be a part of it.
And then only Robin came to us and said,
"You guys are really funny." And he had seen "Mr. Show,"
and it was so great. -That's so great.
-It meant so much to us. -You don't forget that.
-No. -It's like -- it's the best.
-So, I'm looking at this list. "Rolling Stone" released
this list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
-Oh. -And it's always good.
It starts a little debate and all this stuff.
You know, "What is the best?"
You're on it three times, bud. Three different shows.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Look at that. That's not too shabby.
"Mr. Show," "Better Call Saul," "Breaking Bad."
[ Applause ]
-And I don't know -- my publicist did not tell me
how much that cost, but... [ Laughter ]
-Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But that's amazing.
You had to go from a comedy -- a comedian -- a comedy writer...
-Yeah. -...you know --
-Drama acting -- it's weird, and somehow, I -- I don't know.
Showbiz is weird. You know that.
-Showbiz is weird, yeah. But you're -- you --
you're a very talented guy. -Oh, thank you, buddy.
-You can do "Saul." You just got honored with this.
-Yeah. -2023 Man of the Year...
-Look at this. -...Hasty Pudding, Harvard.
-Harvard -- at Harvard. [ Cheers and applause ]
-Harvard's -- Harvard's Hasty Pudding.
This is a big deal.
-Okay.
So, I think that this means I can tell people
I went to Mr. Harvard's college.
[ Laughter ] -Yeah.
Mr. Harvard. You went to Harvard.
Yeah, exactly. -I did.
-What -- did it -- -It was great fun.
-I found your college I.D. online.
-Oh, yeah. And now my real college experience.
Ready for this? -"Look at this."
-Look out. [ Laughs ]
-What was this -- what was this dude all about?
[ Laughter ]
What -- What was he all about?
-He was a good guy. -Yeah.
[ Laughter ]
-A little confused.
Actually, what happened there was --
I was very young when I went to college.
So, I'm 17, and this is my second year of college.
And -- And I walk in through the rain.
It was raining at SIU, Southern Illinois University.
It's -- picture day was rainy day.
And I -- -Drenched.
-I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a novelist,
which is -- ties into this show that I just made, "Lucky Hank,"
for AMC. But I -- at that time,
I wanted to be a serious writer.
I love Jack Kerouac writing. And I -- I read a lot.
I read John Gardner and literary criticism.
I really was serious about it.
Except then, when I would sit down to write,
I would just write comedy sketches.
[ Laughs ]
I would write parody commercials!
[ Laughter ] Like, how is that --
That's never gonna get you to a novel.
-No. But you -- you couldn't stop writing funny bits.
-But I just did it -- I just loved it.
I -- I loved doing it.
I love "Monty Python" so much.
And after a few months and I had a little radio show on the --
WIDB, the local radio station, which no one listened to...
-Yeah. -...which is great.
When you're starting out, do perform, write,
but make sure there's no audience.
[ Laughter ]
-Yeah, 'cause then you -- that's good advice.
-'Cause there's no record of it. [ Laughter ]
It's so great because I'm sure it was awful.
But you know what?
You know, you do that for a couple years
and you get good at something, and eventually,
I got to "SNL" when I was 25. And --
And then I had to get good fast.
-Yeah. You did. And you got --
So, let's talk about "Lucky Hank."
-"Lucky hank," the new show. Yeah.
-The other show is still fresh.
-Very fresh. -You just finished that.
And now you have this show. -I know.
-It premieres this Sunday. You play Hank.
What -- What is this? -He's a college professor.
He's a crabby old man. [ Laughter ]
Well, look, I'm playing a guy who's closer to my age,
which is kind of great.
And he's funny. He jokes constantly.
And it's an amazing cast of funny characters, actors,
great actors who play this,
you know, all these professors in this English department.
And it's really about, they say, a midlife crisis.
And it's just about people being stupid and cruel to each other.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. [ Laughter ]
Why not? -Because -- Because in academia,
like any workplace situation,
you prove your worth by getting one over on the guy next to you
or the lady next to you. -Yeah.
-And so that's what these people are doing.
They're trajectorizing and trying to make it.
You know, trying to be important.
And so there's a lot of comedy in it.
Peter Farrelly did a wonderful job directing our first episode.
-Come on, Peter Farrelly. -One of the greats.
One of the greats. -Oscar winner, by the way.
-Yeah, and I can't wait for you to see it.
If you're looking for some comedy and drama, mixed 50/50,
not easy to do. -Yeah.
-That's what we shot for. -I want to show a clip.
Here's Bob Odenkirk in "Lucky Hank."
Take a look at this.
-You're here. You're here.
The main piece of evidence is that you are here.
The fact that you're here means you didn't try very hard
in high school, or for whatever reason,
you showed very little promise.
Did that sound harsh? I'll tell you what.
I'll smile through the rest of this.
You are here. And even if you're presence
at this middling college in this sad, forgotten town
with some bizarre anomaly,
and you do have the promise of genius,
which I'll bet a kidney that you don't, it will never surface.
I am not a good enough writer or writing teacher
to bring it out of you.
And how do I know that? How?
Because I, too, am here!
At Railton College, mediocrity's capital.
[ Laughter, cheers, applause ]
-"I, too, am here. So I can relate."
-Poor fella. -That's so well done.
-Yeah. -I don't know --
I don't know how you do it. But you just wrapped
"Better Call Saul," and you already filmed
a whole new other series. -Whoa!
One series? I actually -- two.
-What? I didn't -- -You know, there's anot--
-I didn't know you had another show.
-Well, yeah. This --
I joined the cast of "Blippi" this season.
[ Laughter ] -The -- The children's show,
"Blippi"? -Did they write that?
-No. [ Laughter ]
-Well, I play Blippi's evil nemesis, Gorpi.
[ Laughter ]
-I didn't even know Blippi had a nemesis.
I mean, what's going on -- on the show?
-Just a lot of Blippi stuff, you know.
[ Laughter ]
I mean, basically -- I guess I should say spoiler alert.
But my character, Gorpi, stole Blippi's magic strawberry
that teaches him the alphabet. -Wow.
-And now Blippi can't speak because he forgot the alphabet.
So that means he can't RSVP to Mr. Toothbrush's cleanup party.
[ Laughter ]
But what Blippi doesn't know -- right? --
-Uh-huh. -Is that I've kidnapped his date
to the cleanup party, Mavis Manners.
And this -- this is throwing the entire world in turmoil
because now -- [ Laughter ]
And you guys are -- you already know this.
But anyway, no one knows how to say "please and thank you."
Also, just, this entire season is a dream
that the number eight is having. -Well, that -- this is --
[ Laughter ] It's interesting.
I wouldn't think that you would do a children's show.
-I --
[ Laughter ]
Well, I mean, they paid me a lot of money.
[ Laughter ]
Plus, they gave me complete creative control.
You know what? They even let me write my own dialogue.
I -- I brought a clip if you guys want to --
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Can we do that? -Let's go.
Can we see it? -Rick, can we see it?
-Can we see it? Is there any way to see it?
Do we have any TVs?
-Bob Odenkirk as the villain, Gorpi,
in the new season of "Blippi." -It's happening.
♪ So much to learn about ♪
♪ It'll make you want to shout ♪
♪ Blippi ♪
-All right, listen up, you pieces of [bleep]
I'm basically [bleep] here!
Blippi just met a talking crayon that taught him
how to tie his [bleep] shoes. [ Laughter ]
You're the only three letters I trust --
A, Q, and Z.
Here's what we're gonna do.
A, I want you to break into Professor Naptime's treehouse.
Steal that [bleep] finger paints.
Z, I need you to put down the apple slices
and [bleep] up Barry Broccoli at lunchtime
when he's singing his healthy lunch song.
Make it look like an accident.
And, Q, I need to you find out when Blippi is taking
his next bubble bath
'cause I'm gonna teach that mother [bleep]
a little something about electricity.
[ Laughter and applause ]
-♪ Blippi ♪
-Wow!
Wow! Bob Odenkirk -- -I've just been working.
I've just been working. -Yeah, I'm so happy.
Congratulations. Bob Odenkirk.
"Lucky Hank" premieres this Sunday on AMC and AMC+.
We'll be right back with more "Tonight Show," everybody.