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On the mend, Bob Odenkirk is enjoying his ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ week of support

Bob Odenkirk, in suit and tie amid others at a nighttime venue, gives a thumbs up.
“Better Call Saul” actor Bob Odenkirk arrives at an event for the 2019 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Bob Odenkirk, known for playing the scheming Jimmy McGill in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” is identifying with another famous Jimmy while recovering from a recent health scare.

While updating concerned fans on his condition Friday, Odenkirk compared the outpouring of support he had experienced to the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring screen icon Jimmy Stewart as a distressed banker who nearly dies — only to return home to an avalanche of hugs, kisses and gifts from friends and family.

Odenkirk’s latest statement came about a week after the actor suffered “a small heart attack” while shooting the final season of “Better Call Saul” in New Mexico. The Emmy winner, 58, is now in recovery after collapsing on set and being rushed to a local hospital.

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“I am doing great,” Odenkirk tweeted Friday. “I’ve had my very own ‘It’s a wonderful life’ week of people insisting I make the world slightly better. Wow! Thank you, I love everyone right now but let’s keep expectations reasonable!”

In the days following his collapse, many of Odenkirk’s Hollywood peers and admirers flooded social media with well-wishes and kind words for the veteran performer.

“Thank you ... 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,” Odenkirk tweeted shortly after his hospitalization.

“It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much ... I’m going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery. ... I’m going to take a beat to recover but I’ll be back soon.”

In a Friday health update, beloved ‘Better Call Saul’ star Bob Odenkirk tweeted about what happened when he collapsed on set earlier this week.

July 30, 2021

Production on the sixth and last season of “Better Call Saul” was delayed previously — along with most other industry projects — because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The popular spinoff series, which premiered in 2015, centers on Odenkirk’s scene-stealing character (a.k.a. Saul Goodman) from the seminal AMC drama “Breaking Bad.” Odenkirk has collected four Emmy nominations for his leading “Better Call Saul” performance opposite costars Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando and Giancarlo Esposito.

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The revered actor and TV writer also serves as a producer on the AMC program, which has received five Emmy nominations for drama series.

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