Better Call Saul Star Bob Odenkirk Has A Surprising Connection To King Charles III
It would be the ultimate con. Ol' Slippin' Jimmy tries to make a big score off the royal family. It could happen at some far-out family reunion based on recently revealed information linking Bob Odenkirk, known for playing Saul Goodman on "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," to King Charles III. The two are 11th cousins.
The revelation came during an episode of PBS' "Finding Your Roots," hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. The show frequently gets famous faces to appear, with Gates revealing some intriguing (or occasionally devastating) information about their ancestors. Odenkirk stops by, and before finding out about his powerful relative, he doesn't have kind things to say about the concept of monarchies. "I'm an American," he states. "I'm not a monarchist. I don't believe in that. You know, I feel like it's a little twisted." Soon after, Gates reveals his connection to King Charles III, and the actor can't help but laugh.
The connection lies with Odenkirk's fifth great-grandfather on his dad's side of the family. Gates even starts razzing Odenkirk about disrespecting the royal family, leading the "Mr. Show" star to jokingly say, "Well, maybe I'll change my mind."
Finding Your Roots has uncovered many interesting tidbits from the past
To some, Bob Odenkirk may be the king of comedy due to his penchant for popping up in various funny shows like "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson" and "Drunk History." It turns out he has a connection to an actual king, even if it's unlikely he'll score an invite to a royal gathering any time soon. It's just one of those fun trivia pieces that "Finding Your Roots" specializes in, and there have been many fascinating developments to arise on the documentary show.
One intriguing revelation came in 2017 when Larry David was a guest. It was discovered that the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star is related to former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders after he had already portrayed the politician on "Saturday Night Live." It's one of the best political impressions in "SNL" history, and there may have been a familial reason why. In a far more controversial instance, "Finding Your Roots" made headlines when Ben Affleck reportedly tried to get the information that one of his ancestors was a slave owner removed from an episode.
Bob Odenkirk's discovery is far more amusing, and he's not even the first actor to be connected to King Charles III. Ralph Fiennes is an 8th cousin to the monarch, so he slightly edges out Odenkirk.