Bob Odenkirk Seeks Out Projects He Knows Will Fail
Bob Odenkirk would appear to have a blessed career from a cursory glance at his resume. He made waves in the sketch comedy world with "Mr. Show" but proved he had dramatic chops as well by playing Saul Goodman in "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul." From dramas like "Little Women" to action movies like "Nobody," Odenkirk seems adept at anything he puts his mind to, but he's the first to admit he has plenty of failures under his belt, too.
While promoting his latest comedy-drama series, "Lucky Hank," on "Hot Ones," Odenkirk looked back at his career to some of the projects that maybe didn't do too well. And he's more than happy to admit when something isn't well-received, stating, "I think sometimes people don't understand how much a filmmaker or an actor maybe agrees with your appraisal of their work." Of course, he goes on to mention how they can't admit that in the moment because they have to be supportive of all of the people who worked on the film or TV show, but he's not afraid to take a chance on something that carries a high risk of failure.
Bob Odenkirk believes people need to embrace failure sometimes
When someone has had a career as long and expansive as Bob Odenkirk, there are bound to be a few duds among the mix. And naturally, having even just a few of those in a row can tank someone's career. Odenkirk obviously understands how to pick good projects, but he also knows that can get boring and predictable after a while. He also knows how to get outside of his comfort zone, even if it means being associated with something perceived as bad.
Odenkirk went on to say, "I almost pursue failure sometimes because if you get afraid of that, you're f***ed. Again, I would and have, go ahead and look at my resume, you'll be able to pick them out, done projects that were really wobbly, like 'Did you think that was gonna work?' And just so you know ... No, I didn't." Fortunately, Odenkirk is at a stage of his career where he can afford to take chances, and even if something doesn't hit, he'll still be remembered for Saul Goodman.
Precisely picking which Odenkirk projects were failures is a matter of personal taste. But it would definitely be interesting to one day hear what Odenkirk thinks were his most disappointing works.