Bob Odenkirk Wanted Better Call Saul To Finish After His Heart Attack, Even If They Had To Recast Him

Well over a year later, it still feels surreal to know just how close we came to losing Bob Odenkirk. In July of 2021, the immensely talented and popular actor collapsed during filming of the final season of "Better Call Saul" and had to be rushed for medical attention after suffering a heart attack. After friends, family, and fans at large waited together with bated breath for updates on his condition, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief when it was revealed that Odenkirk was on the mend. Thankfully, he not only made a full recovery, but he was also able to get back on set of "Better Call Saul" to resume production within a matter of weeks after his health scare.

In the big picture, the fate of a critically acclaimed television series ranked dead last in comparison to the well-being of Odenkirk and his family, friends, and colleagues. But months removed from the emergency and with full knowledge that this story had a happy ending, the actor himself is now looking back at how "Better Call Saul" ultimately wrapped up (which it did in spectacular fashion, it should go without saying). Although the creative team behind "Better Call Saul" vowed not to move forward in any capacity without Odenkirk's full involvement, he's indicated that he would've preferred that someone else simply pick up where he left off and carried the show across the finish line. 

Having established his reputation as a genuinely sweet and down-to-earth guy over the years, it comes as no surprise that Bob Odenkirk would take a completely ego-less view of how "Better Call Saul" ought to have proceeded in the worst case scenario. Should he have been unable to carry on in the role following his medical crisis, those involved with the show — namely, creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould — had no intention of moving forward if they couldn't do so with Odenkirk. Recasting Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman/Gene Takovich would've been unthinkable ... but not to the star of the show.

In a behind-the-scenes clip from the upcoming Blu-ray release for the final season exclusively revealed by Fandom (vie IndieWire), the "Better Call Saul" actor opened up about that traumatic day on set and his wishes for how the show would've continued on without him.

"It was a scary day for everybody there. I've heard the stories. I mean, I really went down, I really turned grey. It really seemed over. They would have just stopped the show if I wasn't capable of doing it. They wouldn't have tried to go on, which makes me feel bad! If that'd happened, I would have liked it if they got some actor to play him. Just to tell the story that they had written."

Amazingly, Odenkirk expresses his concerns that the wonderfully well-written story be told to completion, even if it meant recasting. As he admits, "It wouldn't have been great, but it would have been better than nothing." It's impossible to imagine any other actor stepping up in such difficult circumstances to fill Odenkirk's shoes — and, luckily, we'll never have to. Here's to many, many more years with Bob Odenkirk, both on and off the screen.