Bob Odenkirk has been granted another chance at vindication after years of Emmy snubs. The actor already has two Emmys under his belt, one for writing on The Ben Stiller Show in 1993, and the other for writing on Saturday Night Live in 1989. Since then, Odenkirk has accrued 16 nominations without a win, and fans are hoping that the 17th time’s the charm.
Odenkirk is among this year’s Emmy nominees for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his one-episode appearance in FX’s hit show The Bear. Odenkirk played Uncle Lee in the acclaimed Season 2 episode, “Fishes.” The episode took audiences inside a Berzatto family Christmas, as Odenkirk went toe-to-toe (or fork-to-fork) with Jon Bernthal’s troubled Mikey Berzatto. The episode is one of the show’s best, and fans were instantly calling for Odenkirk and his castmates to receive Emmy nominations, which several of them — including Bernthal and Jamie Lee Curtis — did.
The Bear
3.5/5
Set in a Chicago sandwich shop, The Bear follows Carmy Berzatto, a young professionally trained chef who returns to take over his family business after the unexpected death of his brother. At odds with many of the shop’s employees due to his culinary training, Carmy struggles to maintain order and keep the shop from failing entirely. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri.
- Release Date
- June 23, 2022
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu , Disney+
Odenkirk’s fans aren’t just excited that the actor is still succeeding in his career, they also hope that this year’s nomination can finally redeem the Emmys for snubbing Odenkirk for the past five years for his starring role in Better Call Saul. Like Breaking Bad before it, Better Call Saul has been lauded as one of the best shows in modern television history — some even claim it’s better than Breaking Bad. Despite incredible reviews and constant praise for Odenkirk’s performance, the actor never won an Emmy for the role. Odenkirk was nominated for Best Actor for five of the show’s six seasons, and each year the actor was beaten out by the stars of Mr. Robot, Mad Men, Succession, and Squid Game.
Bob Odenkirk Sees a Nomination as a Win
As frustrated as Better Call Saul fans are that Odenkirk never won an Emmy for his performances in the hit series, the actor says he has learned to appreciate the nomination as its own reward. Speaking to Vulture before the 2023 Emmys, Odenkirk said that, while he hopes to win another Emmy one day, he’s happy his performances are even being recognized among the endless wave of television currently being produced. Odenkirk said:
“You’re going to think it’s bullsh*t, but people always say the nomination’s a win. I think more than ever, in the history of television, being nominated in a world where there’s this many f***ing shows is a massive win. You know, winning, of course, would be fine. I guess I’ll find out one day … maybe.
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While you may think Odenkirk finally has a clear shot at the goal at this year’s Emmy awards, his toughest competition actually comes from his own castmate; Jon Bernthal was also nominated for an award in the same category, for the same episode. Many fans consider Bernthal’s heartbreaking performance as Mikey to be one of his best. Additionally, the pair face competition from Will Poulter, who guest-starred as Chef Luca, teaching Marcus (Lionel Boyce) about desserts and pastry at the prestigious Noma restaurant in Copenhagen.
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards air on ABC on September 16, 2024.
The Bear
is available to stream on Hulu.