Bob Odenkirk movies and tv shows demonstrate how a talented comedy writer became an award-winning television performer and a leading action-film star. From his unforgettable portrayal of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul to his action-packed performances in Nobody and Nobody 2, Odenkirk has built a career spanning comedy, crime drama, animation, and Hollywood filmmaking. His other notable credits include Lucky Hank, The Bear, The Post, and Little Women, reflecting his ability to succeed in very different entertainment genres.
Odenkirk’s success did not happen overnight. He spent years developing his skills as a comedy writer and performer before gaining widespread recognition as an actor. His early television work helped establish his distinctive sense of humor, while his portrayal of Saul Goodman demonstrated his ability to deliver emotionally complex performances. More recently, his action films have introduced him to audiences who appreciate his combination of physical intensity and understated comedy.
His filmography offers something for nearly every type of viewer. Whether audiences enjoy character-driven dramas, dark comedies, crime stories, or action thrillers, Odenkirk’s work provides an extensive collection of memorable performances.
Bob Odenkirk’s Latest Movies and Career Developments
Odenkirk has continued to explore demanding leading roles in recent years. His return as Hutch Mansell in Nobody 2 brought the character back to theaters in 2025. The sequel follows the former assassin as he attempts to balance family responsibilities with a dangerous past that refuses to remain behind him.
His 2026 film Normal introduces a different character. Odenkirk plays Ulysses Richardson, a substitute sheriff who arrives in a seemingly peaceful Midwestern community. A bank robbery exposes the town’s darker secrets and draws Richardson into a complicated investigation.
These projects reinforce Odenkirk’s growing presence in action cinema. Unlike many performers who build their careers around one recognizable genre, he has successfully moved between television dramas, independent comedies, and large-scale entertainment productions.
His television appearances remain equally important. Odenkirk played Uncle Lee in The Bear, contributing to the series’ intense exploration of family relationships. He also starred in Lucky Hank, portraying a college professor dealing with professional frustration and personal uncertainty.
Together, these performances demonstrate an actor who continues to explore different characters rather than relying entirely on his most famous role.
Better Call Saul: The Role That Established His Dramatic Reputation
Better Call Saul remains one of the most significant achievements in Odenkirk’s career. The AMC series premiered in 2015 and concluded in 2022 after six seasons.
Odenkirk plays Jimmy McGill, an ambitious lawyer who struggles to establish a respectable career. His financial difficulties, complicated family relationships, and willingness to bend the rules gradually shape his transformation into Saul Goodman.
The character initially appears to be a struggling attorney who wants recognition and professional success. However, Jimmy repeatedly makes decisions that undermine his ambitions. His relationship with his brother Chuck creates significant emotional conflict, while his romance with Kim Wexler adds another layer to his personal journey.
Odenkirk makes these contradictions central to the performance. Jimmy can be charming and funny, but he can also be manipulative and self-destructive. His ability to persuade others frequently helps him escape difficult situations, although his choices often create new problems.
The series also explores the criminal underworld associated with Breaking Bad. Mike Ehrmantraut and Gus Fring return in important roles, connecting the two shows while allowing Jimmy’s story to develop independently.
Odenkirk received multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work. His performance helped transform Saul Goodman from a supporting character into a compelling television protagonist whose personal struggles drive an entire series.
Breaking Bad: The Character That Made Him Famous
Before Better Call Saul became a successful standalone drama, Odenkirk introduced audiences to Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad.
Saul enters the story as a criminal defense lawyer who helps Walter White and Jesse Pinkman manage the legal and practical consequences of their illegal activities. His professional connections and unconventional methods make him an important part of their increasingly dangerous world.
The character’s humor comes from his confidence, colorful language, and willingness to suggest questionable solutions. Yet Saul is not simply a source of comic relief. He understands how criminal organizations operate and knows how to navigate situations that would overwhelm an inexperienced lawyer.
Odenkirk balances the character’s exaggerated personality with a strong instinct for survival. Saul often appears fearless, but his decisions reveal someone who understands the danger surrounding him.
His popularity became an important part of Breaking Bad‘s appeal. The subsequent development of Better Call Saul allowed audiences to discover the history behind his professional identity and examine the decisions that led him there.
Watching both series provides a deeper understanding of Odenkirk’s best-known character and illustrates why the role remains such an important part of his career.
Mr. Show with Bob and David: His Foundation in Comedy
Odenkirk began building his entertainment career long before he became a television drama star. One of his most important early projects was Mr. Show with Bob and David, an HBO sketch comedy series he co-created and starred in with David Cross.
The show ran from 1995 to 1998 and became known for surreal humor, unconventional storytelling, and sketches that connected through unexpected transitions. Its format differed from traditional sketch programs, giving the performers opportunities to explore unusual characters and absurd situations.
Odenkirk’s work on the series demonstrated his abilities as a performer, writer, and creative collaborator. He helped develop material that relied on sharp observations and unexpected comedic turns rather than conventional punchlines.
His earlier television writing credits include Saturday Night Live and The Ben Stiller Show. These experiences helped him develop the timing and storytelling skills that later became important to his acting.
For viewers who know him primarily as Saul Goodman, Mr. Show provides a valuable look at his comedic origins. It also explains why humor remains an important part of his performances, even when he plays characters facing serious consequences.
Lucky Hank: A Story About Frustration and Middle Age
In the 2023 series Lucky Hank, Odenkirk plays William Henry Devereaux Jr., an English department chair at a financially troubled college in Pennsylvania.
The comedy-drama adapts Richard Russo’s novel Straight Man. Its central story focuses on academic politics, professional dissatisfaction, family relationships, and the challenges of navigating middle age.
Hank is an experienced academic who has become increasingly frustrated with his workplace. His sarcastic attitude and impulsive behavior frequently create complications, even though he possesses the intelligence to recognize many of his own problems.
Odenkirk gives the character a different rhythm from Saul Goodman. Hank’s humor is often dry and uncomfortable, emerging from his dissatisfaction with everyday life rather than an elaborate scheme.
The series also explores the tension between professional identity and personal happiness. Hank must confront the possibility that his frustrations are not simply the result of his workplace but also reflect choices he has made over the years.
Lucky Hank ran for one season. Although its setting differs greatly from Odenkirk’s crime dramas, it remains an important example of his work as a leading television actor.
The Bear: Odenkirk’s Memorable Guest Role
Odenkirk appears as Uncle Lee in FX’s The Bear, a series that follows the demanding world of a Chicago restaurant and the complicated relationships surrounding its central family.
His most prominent appearance comes in the second-season episode “Fishes.” The episode centers on an emotionally charged family gathering that exposes years of resentment, personal conflict, and unresolved problems.
Uncle Lee contributes to the tension through his confrontational personality. Odenkirk’s performance fits the episode’s uncomfortable atmosphere, showing how a supporting character can influence the emotional direction of a story.
The role differs considerably from Saul Goodman. Uncle Lee does not rely on legal knowledge or elaborate persuasion. Instead, his personality creates conflict within an already strained family environment.
The appearance also illustrates Odenkirk’s versatility. He can move from leading a series to delivering a memorable guest performance without losing his distinctive screen presence.
Nobody: His Breakthrough as an Action Star
Released in 2021, Nobody introduced Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell, an apparently ordinary suburban father whose violent past returns to disrupt his family life.
At first, Hutch appears trapped in a repetitive routine. His marriage feels strained, his relationship with his children lacks excitement, and his daily responsibilities seem to have drained his enthusiasm.
A confrontation on a bus changes the direction of his life. Hutch becomes involved in a dangerous conflict that exposes skills and experiences he has kept hidden.
The movie combines action, family drama, and dark comedy. Odenkirk brings an understated quality to Hutch, making the character’s sudden bursts of violence particularly striking.
Rather than portraying an invincible hero, he plays a man who must deal with the consequences of his decisions. His actions affect his family, complicate his personal relationships, and bring him into conflict with dangerous people.
The role represented a significant change in Odenkirk’s screen image. Audiences accustomed to seeing him as a lawyer or comedian discovered that he could also carry an action film.
Nobody 2: Hutch Mansell’s Story Continues
Odenkirk returned to the role of Hutch Mansell in Nobody 2, released in 2025.
The sequel continues the character’s struggle to maintain a stable family life while dealing with the consequences of his violent background. Hutch takes his family on vacation, hoping to reconnect with them and escape the pressures of his usual responsibilities.
However, the trip becomes dangerous, bringing him into another conflict that threatens the family’s plans.
Connie Nielsen returns as Becca, Hutch’s wife, while RZA reprises his role as Harry. The cast also includes Sharon Stone, Colin Hanks, and John Ortiz.
The sequel maintains the original film’s combination of action and dark humor. Hutch remains a character whose desire for an ordinary life repeatedly clashes with circumstances that demand his extraordinary abilities.
For viewers who enjoyed the original, the second film continues the character’s development while introducing a new set of challenges.
Normal: A Different Kind of Crime Thriller
In Normal, Odenkirk plays Ulysses Richardson, a substitute sheriff assigned to a Midwestern town.
The assignment initially appears routine, but a bank robbery reveals that the community hides dangerous secrets. Richardson must investigate the incident while trying to understand the people and circumstances surrounding it.
Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Derek Kolstad, the film also features Henry Winkler and Lena Headey.
Richardson differs from Hutch Mansell in his approach to conflict. Hutch’s story revolves around a concealed past, while Richardson’s responsibilities as a law enforcement officer place him at the center of a developing investigation.
The movie continues Odenkirk’s work in action-driven storytelling while allowing him to explore another character shaped by pressure, uncertainty, and danger.
Other Bob Odenkirk Movies Worth Watching
Odenkirk’s filmography includes historical dramas, romantic comedies, animated features, and independent productions.
Nebraska (2013)
In Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, Odenkirk plays Ross Grant, a family member in a story about an elderly man who believes he has won a million-dollar prize. The black-and-white drama stars Bruce Dern and Will Forte.
The film explores aging, family relationships, and the disappointment that can develop when relatives struggle to understand one another. Odenkirk’s supporting role contributes to its realistic portrayal of complicated family dynamics.
The Post (2017)
Odenkirk portrays journalist Ben Bagdikian in Steven Spielberg’s The Post. The historical drama follows the Washington Post’s decision to publish classified documents concerning the Vietnam War.
Starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, the film examines press freedom, journalistic responsibility, and the challenges journalists face when reporting information that powerful institutions want to keep secret.
Girlfriend’s Day (2017)
Odenkirk stars as Ray Wentworth in Girlfriend’s Day, a dark comedy about a greeting-card writer caught in an unusual mystery. He also contributed to the film as a writer and producer.
The movie highlights his interest in unconventional stories and offers an alternative to his more widely recognized crime and action roles.
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Odenkirk voices Winston Deavor in Pixar’s Incredibles 2. Winston is a wealthy businessman who wants to restore public support for superheroes and help them return to legal acceptance.
The role demonstrates his ability to contribute to animated family entertainment while maintaining his distinctive comedic style.
Little Women (2019)
In Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women, Odenkirk plays Father March. The film follows the March sisters as they navigate ambition, relationships, family expectations, and adulthood.
The ensemble includes Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, and Timothée Chalamet.
Long Shot (2019)
Odenkirk appears as President Chambers in the romantic comedy Long Shot, starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen. The film combines political satire with an unexpected relationship between a presidential candidate and a journalist.
Bob Odenkirk’s Filmography at a Glance
| Title | Year | Format | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Show with Bob and David | 1995–1998 | Television | Co-creator and performer |
| Breaking Bad | 2009–2013 | Television | Saul Goodman |
| Nebraska | 2013 | Film | Ross Grant |
| Better Call Saul | 2015–2022 | Television | Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman |
| The Post | 2017 | Film | Ben Bagdikian |
| Incredibles 2 | 2018 | Animated film | Winston Deavor, voice |
| Little Women | 2019 | Film | Father March |
| Nobody | 2021 | Film | Hutch Mansell |
| Lucky Hank | 2023 | Television | William Henry Devereaux Jr. |
| Nobody 2 | 2025 | Film | Hutch Mansell |
| Normal | 2026 | Film | Ulysses Richardson |
Which Bob Odenkirk Movies and TV Shows Should You Watch First?
Choosing a starting point depends on the type of entertainment you enjoy. For crime drama, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul offer his most celebrated performances. Together, they provide a detailed look at Saul Goodman’s personality, ambitions, and complicated moral choices.
Action fans can begin with Nobody before watching Nobody 2 and Normal. Those who prefer comedy should explore Mr. Show with Bob and David, while viewers interested in character-focused television may appreciate Lucky Hank and The Bear.
His dramatic film credits, including The Post and Little Women, offer further opportunities to see his versatility.
Bob Odenkirk has built a career that extends well beyond one famous character. His work as a comedian, writer, television star, and action-film lead demonstrates an unusual ability to adapt while retaining a recognizable personality.
Which Bob Odenkirk performance stands out most to you? Share your favorite movie or TV show in the comments and stay tuned for more updates on his screen career.