Bobo Said He Got Some People Me Bobo Said He Got Some Beef With Me
Bob Odenkirk on Chicago's amazing audiences and Italian beef
We spoke with the star of 'Better Telephone call Saul' nigh starting his career in Chicago and portraying a character from Cicero, IL.
Earlier he helped set a template for contemporary sketch comedy with the HBO serialMr. Prove with Bob and David and was cast as slimy lawyer Saul Goodman in the hitting serialBreaking Bad (and its subsequent spin-off,Amend Call Saul), Bob Odenkirk was simply a kid from Naperville, IL who got a gustation of Chicago's thriving one-act scene when he attended a prove at the 2nd City every bit a teenager. That formative experience—and a hazard meeting with improv guru Del Shut—are expanded upon in the opening chapters of Odenkirk's new memoir,Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama, which looks back on his career as a author, comedian and unlikely action moving picture star.
This week, Odenkirk returns to Chicago in support of his book, chatting with boyfriendSat Night Livealum Tim Meadows at the Music Box Theatre on Wednesday, March two during an event presented by the Chicago Humanities Festival. Alee of his appearance, we had a quick conversation with Odenkirk about his memories of Chicago and his cravings for Al's #1 Italian Beefiness.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
In your mind, why was Chicago the best place to begin your career?
I was very lucky to have grown up in Naperville near Chicago, and every bit a result have a neighbor bring me to 2nd Metropolis—and that was pretty much all the reason you demand to start your career in Chicago, if you love one-act and sketch comedy. Only the truth is, Chicago was and is a neat city to start your career considering it has a thriving theater scene, and people actually become to theaters in Chicago. Of class the pandemic has probably upended this, merely at that place'due south a sense of fun to going out and seeing a live show there. Young people, including my nephews and my son, do shows in Chicago all the time. It's all the same a great place for small theaters where y'all can do experimental things, similar the CIC, which is back up and running, or the Annoyance, which Mick [Napier] does such a great chore with. You can notice your voice and you don't get the personal critique of yourself, where you're judging yourself against the monstrosity of a career in evidence concern, instead of focusing on 'What's the testify I desire to practise that excites me.' I did stand-up. I did sketch, which I loved. I did improv, which I only sorta loved. I even did a play called Line at the Prop Thtr, it was their first show ever.
What is it most Chicago that makes information technology such a nifty identify for comedians an entertainers to become started?
I both blame and celebrate the audition. I talk about this in my volume; at that place's an old rule that information technology'due south never the audience'due south error, your show is either good or bad. But information technology's not truthful—I think finding the right audition is role of finding your way. And the audiences in Chicago are open up to new things, they are generally upbeat and positive. I guess I wouldn't necessarily connect that to a comedy club where people are drunk, and the audience and the performers are in a contest. But in general, you just have access to a pretty goddamn great audience in Chicago. And that means so much, that tin can define everything nearly what yous're able to do and able to discover. I'one thousand a big believer in finding the audience and so that you tin can observe yourself. But yous need those audiences to mind, you need them to want you to win, and those audiences are in Chicago.
Merely in general, you just have access to a pretty goddamn corking audience in Chicago.
There'due south been a Midwestern sensibility to many of the characters you've played, only information technology became overt inMeliorate Telephone call Saul. Did learning that Jimmy McGill (a.thou.a. Saul Goodman) was from Cicero, IL change your understanding of the character?
Yes, I'thousand going to tell you right now, that came from me growing up in Chicago. At present, I wouldn't have chosen Cicero because I don't know if there'due south much of an Irish population in that area. That's because Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan did not grow upward in Chicago, so they chose Cicero. I hateful, I'k perfectly fine with Cicero and I've been there many times— in the volume I talk nigh the Stay Out All Night disco most Cicero, which Jeff Garlin, Lew Schneider and I played. I like Cicero, zippo confronting it, but I would have put Jimmy McGill on the S Side in more than of an Irish gaelic-based neighborhood.
You're all-time known for acting and writing, but you've as well helped produce shows like Tom Goes to the Mayor and The Birthday Boys throughout your career. Why is working with young comedians important to you?
I am just naturally excited past new voices that tickle me. I get very excited and I just want to tell everyone almost it—that'due south ane reason my Twitter feed volition take book recommendations and stuff, which is not particularly something I think people would look to me for, but I can't help myself. I only saw this picture show, The Worst Person in the World, and oh my god it's my favorite movie of last year. I've watching it twice and I desire to run up to everybody on the street, grab them by the shoulders and tell them you've got to watch this movie right now, it's and so good. It's the way I felt when I saw Tim [Heidecker] and Eric [Wareheim's] stuff, it's how I felt when I saw the Altogether Boys. The other function of it is that, for me, some things took a longer time than they needed to. It would accept helped to have somebody tell me, somebody who'd been there already tell me what to expect from show biz, an agent, a manager. I like the idea of helping somebody become a shortcut. Now, not everybody takes your advice or wants to hear what you have to say, only in the case of Tim and Eric, they really listened. And any notation I ever gave them, they made it their own. They didn't simply exercise what I said verbatim; they took the core purpose of my annotation and turned it into a Tim and Eric version of the idea. They're a very special talent and certainly one I could say that, whether I helped them or not, they would have gone far. They're fucking great.
One last questions. Whenever y'all come back to Chicago, what'southward the 1 affair you have to eat while you're here?
Al's #1 Italian Beef for certain. That goes dorsum to my 2nd City days, probably further back than that. An Al's Italian beef... I honey it so much. Okay, at present I want to eat one.
Meet Bob Odenkirk in conversation with Tim Meadows at the Music Box Theatre on Wednesday, March 2 at 7pm, presented by the Chicago Humanities Festival.
- Editor, Fourth dimension Out Chicago
Source: https://www.timeout.com/chicago/news/bob-odenkirk-on-chicagos-amazing-audiences-and-italian-beef-022822
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