Bob Odenkirk Reveals the Saul Goodman Item He Kept After Better Call Saul Ended

Bob Odenkirk is reflecting on the lasting souvenirs he kept from his years playing Saul Goodman, the slick lawyer he first portrayed on Breaking Bad and later in the acclaimed prequel series Better Call Saul. In a recent interview, Odenkirk said many of Saul’s signature suits and ties were custom-made for the character, and because he does not normally wear suits in his own life, he chose to keep only the ties after production wrapped.

The actor, now 63, became closely associated with Saul Goodman, also known as Jimmy McGill, across both series. Better Call Saul aired from 2015 to 2022 and built on the popularity of the character, earning Odenkirk major awards recognition during its run. He received five Golden Globe nominations and six Emmy nominations for his work on the show, which became one of television’s most praised dramas.

Odenkirk also discussed his interpretation of Saul as a character who is more complicated than his fast-talking, morally flexible image suggests. He described Saul as fundamentally earnest, but someone who recognizes he has the ability to persuade people and get out of trouble. According to Odenkirk, the tragedy of the character is that he cannot find a better or more constructive way to use those gifts, allowing resentment to push him toward con artistry and self-destruction. That duality helped make Saul one of the most memorable figures in the Breaking Bad universe.

The interview also comes after Odenkirk’s serious health scare on the set of Better Call Saul in 2021. The actor previously revealed that he suffered a near-fatal heart attack while filming, and he later recalled that co-stars Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian rushed to help him and were shouting for assistance. He said delays caused by pandemic-era distancing made the emergency response more difficult, and that by the time help arrived, he had turned grey and was unconscious. Odenkirk also said the on-set medic did not know how to perform CPR, underscoring how close the situation came to being fatal.

Despite the initial skepticism some executives reportedly had about the character, Saul Goodman became a breakout role for Odenkirk and a defining part of his career. His performance helped expand the world of Breaking Bad into a successful standalone series that attracted both critical acclaim and industry recognition. The memento he kept from the set — his collection of ties — now serves as a small reminder of a character that shaped nearly a decade of his career and left a lasting mark on television.