In the Breaking Bad episode “Granite State,” Saul Goodman informs drug kingpin Walter White that he is leaving the criminal world and mentions working at a Cinnabon in the Midwest. The joke becomes a reality in the hit spinoff Better Call Saul, where he’s the manager at the shopping mall staple. However, series co-creator Peter Gould revealed that the script initially envisioned a different job for the crooked attorney.
Saul almost worked at the popular American retailer Hot Topics. The fast-fashion brand is known for its trendy apparel and accessories that appeal to teenagers and young adults. In an October 1 post on Bluesky, Gould wrote, “In fact, we found out that Hot Topic was carrying #BreakingBad stuff and we didn’t want to make it look like a cheap promo. So Cinnabon it was! (And they had no idea about it until the episode aired).”
Bob Odenkirk played the “criminal lawyer” Saul Goodman, first introduced in season 2 of Breaking Bad. He quickly became a pivotal character and a fan favorite, leading to the creation of the Better Call Saul prequel. The show, set six years before the events of Breaking Bad, explores his transformation from con man Jimmy McGill into shady attorney Saul Goodman. Each season features flashforward scenes that reveal his life after Breaking Bad, where he’s hiding under the alias Gene Takavic, working at Cinnabon.
Bob Odenkirk Worked at Cinnabon to Prepare for His Role
Saul’s post-criminal job illustrates the promise he made in “Granite State” when he and Walter (Bryan Cranston) are waiting to enter witness protection, and Saul says, “If I’m lucky, a month from now, best case scenario, I’m managing a Cinnabon in Omaha.” The line caught the attention of the bakery restaurant. Following the airing of the penultimate episode, the brand’s social media hit up Odenkirk directly, tweeting, “When you’re ready,” along with a link to their careers page.
Gould previously noted that the Cinnabon line was a “throwaway” remark until the company responded favorably to the scene, according to TheWrap. Jill Thomas, former vice president of Global Marketing for Cinnabon, revealed in 2017 that Odenkirk underwent extensive training to fully immerse himself in the role of the fugitive attorney, performing all tasks as “Gene” to capture the essence of the job.
“Bob went through significant training as any bakery employee would, although he had private lessons. He has shared that it’s a great source of pride that he knows how to make a ‘real, authentic Cinnabon.’”
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Better Call Saul premiered on AMC in 2015 and ran for six seasons, concluding in August 2022. To celebrate the series finale, Cinnabon treated fans with free pastries as a sweet tribute to Saul Goodman. Despite receiving 53 Emmy Award nominations, including several for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, the show did not secure any wins. Odenkirk suffered a heart attack while filming the final season in New Mexico. He later expressed to the Los Angeles Times that he was taken aback by the public’s heartwarming reaction to his health scare, saying:
“The most surprising thing about this journey is the love I felt from the public. I play a character, who, while he reveals earnest sides of himself and can be very likable, most of the time he’s doing unethical, unjustified stuff. He’s not a great guy in a lot of the actions he takes. He’s vindictive, resentful and careless a lot of times. The fact that I had a heart attack and people responded with love and concern, after knowing me through this character? I’m still flabbergasted.”