Bob Odenkirk | Celebrity Net Worth 2026

Biography & Early Wealth Journey

Bob Odenkirk pulled off one of the more unlikely career reinventions in Hollywood history. He spent decades as a respected comedy writer and cult sketch-comedy performer before becoming internationally famous in his late 40s as crooked lawyer Saul Goodman on "Breaking Bad." He then turned Saul into one of television's most acclaimed dramatic characters through six seasons of "Better Call Saul."

Before audiences knew him as Jimmy McGill or Saul Goodman, Odenkirk had already won two Emmy Awards as a comedy writer. He wrote for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Ben Stiller Show," helped create Chris Farley's famous "Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker" character, and co-created and starred with David Cross in HBO's influential sketch series "Mr. Show with Bob and David."

Odenkirk reinvented himself yet again in his late 50s as an action star. He starred in and produced 2021's "Nobody," returned for "Nobody 2" in 2025, and co-created and produced the 2026 action thriller "Normal." His later career has also included "Lucky Hank," an Emmy-nominated guest role on "The Bear," and his Broadway debut in "Glengarry Glen Ross," which earned him a Tony Award nomination.

Better Call Saul Salary

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

By the end of his run on "Breaking Bad," Odenkirk was earning $100,000 per episode.

When he became the star and a producer of "Better Call Saul," his compensation rose to $150,000 per episode during the first season. By the sixth and final season, his salary had reached $200,000 per episode.

Because the final season contained 13 episodes, that worked out to $2.6 million in acting compensation for season six before any additional producer pay.

Across 63 episodes of "Better Call Saul," the series became by far the most financially significant television role of Odenkirk's career.

Early Life

Robert John Odenkirk was born on October 22, 1962, in Berwyn, Illinois, and grew up primarily in Naperville. He was the second of seven children born to Barbara and Walter Odenkirk. His father worked in the printing business and struggled with alcoholism, and Bob's parents eventually divorced.

Odenkirk became eager to leave suburban Naperville while still a teenager and accumulated enough credits to graduate from Naperville North High School at just 16. He attended the College of DuPage before transferring to Marquette University and later Southern Illinois University.

At Southern Illinois, Odenkirk began experimenting seriously with comedy through the student radio station. He created a late-night comedy program called "The Prime Time Special" and became increasingly convinced that writing comedy could become a career.

Wealth Trajectory & Future Earnings Projections

He left college three credits short of graduation to move to Chicago, completed the remaining credits through Columbia College Chicago, and received his bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University in 1984.

Chicago Comedy and Saturday Night Live

Odenkirk immersed himself in Chicago's improv and sketch-comedy scene, studying under legendary teacher Del Close and working at venues including Second City.

During this period, he met writer Robert Smigel, beginning a creative partnership that would help take both men to New York. Odenkirk was hired as a writer for "Saturday Night Live" in 1987.

The writing staff during his years at "SNL" included performers and writers who would become major comedy figures, including Conan O'Brien and Smigel. Odenkirk struggled at times to find his footing within the show's competitive writing culture, but he contributed to several memorable ideas and won the 1989 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program with the show's writing staff.

One of his most enduring contributions originated outside "SNL." Odenkirk had developed the angry motivational speaker Matt Foley with his friend Chris Farley in Chicago. Farley later brought the character to "Saturday Night Live," where the famous "van down by the river" sketch became one of the show's most celebrated routines.

The Ben Stiller Show and Conan

After leaving "Saturday Night Live," Odenkirk continued writing for television and worked on shows including "Get a Life" and "The Dennis Miller Show."

He then joined Ben Stiller's Fox sketch series "The Ben Stiller Show." The program lasted only one season but developed a strong critical reputation, and its writing staff won the 1993 Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, giving Odenkirk his second Emmy.

He also briefly wrote for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" during the early days of that program.

By this point, Odenkirk had established himself as a successful comedy writer, but the project that would define the next phase of his career grew out of his partnership with David Cross.

Mr. Show

Odenkirk and Cross began performing live sketch comedy together in Los Angeles and eventually turned their stage material into HBO's "Mr. Show with Bob and David."

The series premiered in 1995 and ran for four seasons through 1998. "Mr. Show" never attracted a huge mainstream audience, but its tightly constructed sketches, absurdist ideas, elaborate callbacks, and willingness to experiment made it enormously influential among comedians and comedy writers.

Future stars and writers who worked around the show included Paul F. Tompkins, Sarah Silverman, Brian Posehn, Scott Aukerman, Tom Kenny, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.

Odenkirk and Cross revived their partnership for Netflix's "W/ Bob & David" in 2015.

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Producing, Directing, and Comedy Development

Odenkirk spent much of the late 1990s and 2000s developing comedy projects both in front of and behind the camera.

He helped champion Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim after discovering their work, becoming involved with "Tom Goes to the Mayor" and helping the duo establish themselves at Adult Swim. He later worked on "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!"

Odenkirk also directed feature films including "Melvin Goes to Dinner," "Let's Go to Prison," and "The Brothers Solomon." His work as a producer and mentor became an important part of his career even when the projects themselves remained relatively niche.

His acting credits during this era included appearances on "The Larry Sanders Show," "Seinfeld," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and "Arrested Development."

Odenkirk also came remarkably close to playing Michael Scott on "The Office." He was one of the finalists for the role before it went to Steve Carell. Years later, Odenkirk appeared in the show's final season as a Philadelphia office manager whose personality deliberately resembled Michael Scott.

Breaking Bad

Odenkirk's career changed completely when he joined AMC's "Breaking Bad" in 2009.

He was cast as Saul Goodman, the flamboyant criminal lawyer hired by Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. The role was initially conceived as a relatively limited guest part, but Odenkirk's performance made Saul an immediate audience favorite.

He appeared opposite Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, bringing much-needed comic energy to a show that became progressively darker.

Saul's cheap television commercials, gaudy suits, elaborate schemes, and seemingly endless criminal connections made him memorable, but Odenkirk also gradually showed flashes of fear, desperation, and vulnerability beneath the character's salesman persona.

He remained with "Breaking Bad" until its conclusion in 2013. What originally looked like a successful supporting role ultimately generated an entire second television series.

Better Call Saul

"Better Call Saul" premiered in 2015 as a prequel centered on the man who would eventually become Saul Goodman.

The series begins with Odenkirk playing Jimmy McGill, an underpaid Albuquerque attorney trying to build a legitimate legal career while living in the shadow of his accomplished older brother. Over six seasons, the show follows Jimmy's gradual transformation into Saul while also exploring his relationship with attorney Kim Wexler, played by Rhea Seehorn.

Rather than simply imitate "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul" developed its own slower, more character-driven identity. Odenkirk's performance moved increasingly into dramatic territory and transformed the actor's reputation.

The series ran for 63 episodes from 2015 through 2022 and received seven consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series. Odenkirk received repeated nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and also shared in nominations as one of the show's producers.

Despite its enormous critical acclaim, "Better Call Saul" famously completed its run without winning a Primetime Emmy in any category.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

2021 Heart Attack

Odenkirk nearly died while filming the final season of "Better Call Saul."

In July 2021, he collapsed on the show's set in New Mexico after suffering a severe heart attack caused by a blockage in his left anterior descending artery. Co-stars and crew members called for help, and Odenkirk received CPR and multiple shocks from a defibrillator before his heartbeat was restored.

Doctors subsequently inserted two stents.

Odenkirk later said he has no memory of the heart attack itself or most of the following week. After recovering, he returned to the set and completed the series.

The experience changed his outlook on work and life and became especially striking because it occurred shortly after Odenkirk had undergone extensive physical training to transform himself into an unlikely action star.

Nobody

That transformation began with 2021's "Nobody."

Odenkirk starred as Hutch Mansell, an apparently ordinary suburban husband and father whose violent past gradually emerges after a home invasion. To prepare for the role, Odenkirk trained for nearly two years in stunt fighting, boxing, martial arts, and weapons work.

He also produced the movie.

"Nobody" was released while theaters were still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and nevertheless earned $57.5 million worldwide on a $16 million budget. Its success gave Odenkirk yet another improbable professional identity: action hero.

He returned as Hutch in 2025's "Nobody 2," alongside Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, and Sharon Stone. Odenkirk again served as a producer. The sequel grossed more than $43 million worldwide.

Lucky Hank and The Bear

After "Better Call Saul," Odenkirk returned to AMC in 2023 with "Lucky Hank."

He played William Henry Devereaux Jr., the frustrated chairman of the English department at a struggling Pennsylvania college. The eight-episode series was adapted from Richard Russo's novel "Straight Man," with Odenkirk also serving as an executive producer.

The show lasted one season.

That same year, Odenkirk appeared in the acclaimed "Fishes" episode of FX's "The Bear" as Uncle Lee, a hostile family friend whose confrontation with Michael Berzatto becomes one of the episode's most explosive moments. The performance earned Odenkirk an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

He later returned to the role in subsequent seasons.

Broadway and "Normal"

Odenkirk made his Broadway debut in 2025 in a revival of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross."

He played aging salesman Shelly Levene opposite Kieran Culkin and Bill Burr. Odenkirk's performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

He continued his unlikely action career with "Normal," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 and received a wide theatrical release in 2026.

Odenkirk plays Ulysses, a temporary sheriff who discovers that the quiet Midwestern town where he has taken a job is hiding a violent secret. He helped develop the story with "John Wick" and "Nobody" writer Derek Kolstad and served as a producer.

The film co-stars Henry Winkler and Lena Headey.

Books

Odenkirk published his memoir, "Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama," in 2022.

The book traces his path from Chicago sketch comedy through "Saturday Night Live," "Mr. Show," years of professional uncertainty, "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul," and his late-career emergence as an action star.

"Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama" became a New York Times bestseller.

Production Business

Odenkirk has also remained active behind the scenes through the production and management business associated with his wife, Naomi Odenkirk, and producer Marc Provissiero.

The company, long known as Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment and later rebranded as OPE Partners, has been involved with projects including "Nobody," "Nobody 2," "Normal," "PEN15," and "No Hard Feelings."

Bob has served as a producer on several of the company's films while Naomi has worked extensively as a manager and producer.

Personal Life

Odenkirk married producer and talent manager Naomi Yomtov in 1997. They have two children, Nate and Erin.

Naomi has played an important role in Bob's career and was instrumental in encouraging him to take the role of Saul Goodman when he initially had reservations about joining "Breaking Bad."

Their son Nate has pursued writing and acting, while daughter Erin is an artist and illustrator.

Real Estate

In 1998, Bob and Naomi paid $675,450 for a Midcentury Modern home in the Hollywood Hills. The roughly 2,900-square-foot property sat on half an acre and featured canyon and city views.

They sold that house in December 2014 for $2.45 million, producing a substantial gain over their original purchase price.

Shortly afterward, Odenkirk upgraded to another Hollywood Hills property. In late 2014, he paid $3.3 million for a restored Spanish-style home built in 1940.

The roughly 2,800-square-foot residence includes five bedrooms, a library, office, courtyard, swimming pool, spa, fire pit, and canyon views. It became the family's primary Los Angeles residence during the "Better Call Saul" years.

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