Bob Odenkirk Played Another Shady Lawyer 12 Years Before Breaking Bad's Saul Goodman

Few TV actors have had as fascinating a career trajectory as Bob Odenkirk. The actor famously came incredibly close to winning the role of Michael Scott in the beloved sitcom The Office, but lost out to Steve Carell. Michael Scott is by far Carell’s most famous role, but years later, Odenkirk got a career-defining role of his own, playing shady lawyer Saul Goodman, otherwise known as Jimmy McGill, in Breaking Bad and its spinoff Better Call Saul.

Although Odenkirk is mostly known for these crime drama series, and a surprising foray into the action genre with the film Nobody, his background is very much in comedy. This makes sense considering that Saul/Jimmy usually delivers zippy lines and biting sarcasm in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. But over a decade before starring in the series, Odenkirk starred in his own sketch comedy show, Mr. Show with Bob and David, and one sketch in particular was a total precursor to his always entertaining Saul Goodman.

Bob Odenkirk Played A Shady Lawyer In Mr. Show’s Don Pratt Sketch

The Sketch Parodies Cheap Lawyer Ads Much Like Saul’s

Before he starred as Saul Goodman, Bob was a mainstay in the world of sketch comedy. He wrote for Saturday Night Live and was an actor involved with the Chicago branch of Second City. Odenkirk eventually headlined his own sketch comedy show along with his friend and The Ben Stiller Show co-star, David Cross, called Mr. Show with Bob and David, a surrealist sketch comedy series that ran on HBO for four seasons from 1995 to 1998.

I was a huge fan of the highly underrated Mr. Show, even before I watched Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. I felt like Odenkirk and Cross’s offbeat humor was speaking directly to the little indie college film kid I wanted to be. After seeing Odenkirk as Saul Goodman, it reminded me of one particular Mr. Show sketch. Season 3, episode 6 features a sketch in which Odenkirk plays Don Pratt, a man posing as an incompetent lawyer.

Custom Image of Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) pointing in front of imagery from the show's opening credits

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The sketch itself is a parody of poorly made lawyer advertisements, which would go on to be a staple of Saul Goodman’s legal operation. In the sketch, Odenkirk plays against type as a man named Don Pratt who is offering his friendship services. Pratt says he lives with his mother and that he is happy to meet potential clients for lunch, for a movie, or when they just need someone to talk to.

The ad features testimonials from satisfied Don Pratt customers who say that he “didn’t make me feel uncomfortable” and “left our home before he was asked to leave.” The testimonials, along with Pratt’s insistence that he is NOT a lawyer, make the sketch hilarious.

How Bob Odenkirk’s Performance In Mr. Show Led To Breaking Bad’s Saul Goodman

He Impressed Breaking Bad Creator Vince Gilligan

Even though Don Pratt is not a lawyer, Odenkirk did manage to catch the eye of the people behind Breaking Bad. In an audio commentary for Saul’s debut Breaking Bad episode, aptly titled “Better Call Saul”, series creator Vince Gilligan discussed how he first discovered Odenkirk, saying,

“I used to love watching Bob and David Cross, his partner on Mr. Show, the HBO show. That’s where I got to know him.”

Gilligan went on to cast Odenkirk as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad, where he made his debut appearance in season 2. The role was even more important to Odenkirk than fans realize, as for years before booking Breaking Bad, the actor struggled and even went bankrupt (via Business Insider).

Suffice to say, Odenkirk’s financial troubles were over shortly after he snagged Saul Goodman, as the character was at the helm of his own series, Better Call Saul. Even though both of those shows ended their runs, Odenkirk remains a hot commodity as he shined during a guest appearance in The Bear and will be the star of Nobody 2, set to be released later in 2025. Whether he’s in drama or comedy like Mr. Show with Bob and David, Odenkirk always manages to enchant and delight his audience.