Nearly eight months after Bob Odenkirk collapsed on the set of Better Call Saul, he reflected on his “heart incident” and his recovery.
“It was [deadly serious] and my widow-maker artery was completely blocked,” Odenkirk, 59, told Willie Geist during a Friday, March 11, clip of his upcoming Sunday Today interview. “That’s why it’s called the widow-maker ’cause you die when that happens. But I went down. And I was very lucky that my co-stars, Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian, were right nearby and they rushed over to me and set off the alarm, screaming.”
Odenkirk collapsed while filming the sixth and final season of the AMC series in July 2021. After Odenkirk’s small heart attack, health officials on set began CPR and used a defibrillator on him in “three tries,” he told Geist, 46. The actor was then taken to a local hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“I was not present for any of it,” the Breaking Bad alum recalled during the interview, which airs in full on Sunday, March 13. “But I’m told it was a pretty shocking day on set. And traumatizing for all my costars and crew members and people I love very much who love me and stood by my side and then went to the hospital with me.”
Odenkirk’s rep previously confirmed the comedian’s health scare, explaining via a statement to Us Weekly that the actor and his family “would like to express gratitude for the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, as well as his cast, crew and producers who have stayed by his side.”
The rep noted that the Emmy winner had been hospitalized due to a “heart-related incident,” but was in a “stable condition.” The Illinois native’s son, Nate Odenkirk, and comedy partner David Cross both revealed via social media that Bob would be alright amid the health scare. Several days later, Bob broke his silence on what happened.
“Hi. It’s Bob. Thank you,” he tweeted at the time. “To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week. And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me. It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much.”
The Nebraska star explained that he had a small heart attack, but his doctors were able to fix the blockage without surgery. He continued in his post, “I’m going to be OK … Also, AMC and SONYs support and help throughout this has been next-level. I’m going to take a beat to recover but I’ll be back soon.”
