Bob Odenkirk has reflected on the heart attack he suffered while on set for Better Call Saul last year.
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On July 28, 2021, the 58-year-old star of the Breaking Bad prequel series collapsed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His son, Nate Odenkirk, reassured fans the following day that the actor was “going to be okay”.
Two days after the incident, Odenkirk, speaking for the first time since the incident, told fans on Twitter that he had suffered “a small heart attack” and would “be back soon”.
In a new interview with The Guardian, Odenkirk has reflected on the incident, saying that it has made him realise that he has “to keep going”.
“Some people make their way through an experience like that and think: ‘I have to change my life, I have to stop whatever,’” he said. “And my thought was: ‘I have to keep going. This is great.’”
Discussing how he experienced memory loss during and after the incident, Odenkirk added: “I missed out on that existential lightning bolt. On the other hand, there’s a lingering … Is there such a thing as a lingering lightning bolt? We’ll invent that term.”
Asked whether he thinks that the heart attack changed his life, the actor said: “I think I’m still thinking about it.”
He then spoke of how the recent death of Bob Saget made him re-evaluate his life. “That made me think I’ve got to chase what I want more determinedly, because you don’t get to just linger for ever,” he said. “And Saget passing made me think I could do a lot of work in being a more present and considerate person.
“Artistically – if you want to call me an artist, and fuck you if you call me an artist – I’ve been very rewarded, and no one could ask for more. So maybe I need to shift my focus to just be a better person around other people.”
Filming for Better Call Saul‘s sixth and final season began March 2021 but was halted after Odenkirk suffered the heart attack. Production then started back up in September.
It was confirmed this month that the new season of AMC’s award-winning show is set to kick off on April 18 with a two-episode premiere.
The post Bob Odenkirk reflects on 2021 heart attack: “I have to keep going” appeared first on NME.
