Bob Odenkirk, Bryan Cranston
Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston issued a heartfelt statement Wednesday morning after his former co-star Bob Odenkirkcollapsed on the set of prequel series Better Call Saul on Tuesday.
“Today I woke up to news that has made me anxious all morning,” Cranston said on Instagram. “My friend, Bob Odenkirk collapsed last night on the set of Better Call Saul. He is in the hospital in Albuquerque and receiving the medical attention he needs but his condition is not known to the public as yet. Please take a moment in your day today to think about him and send positive thoughts and prayers his way, thank you.”
As Cranston says, it’s not yet publicly known what caused the 58-year-old Emmy winner to require hospitalization. Odenkirk was on the set of the show’s sixth and final season, which has been filming in New Mexico.
Cranston posted the message along with a photo of the two:
Another Breaking Bad co-star, Aaron Paul, also posted a brief message, simply writing, “I love you my friend.”
Later on Wednesday, Better Call Saul star Michael Mando added, “Last night our dear Bob was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed on stage. Send all your positive energy and love to him and his family — let’s hope to have him back as soon as possible I love u so much, my friend xo.”
Odenkirk is a four-time Emmy nominee for his role as lawyer Saul Goodman, a role he originated on AMC’s Emmy-winning drama Breaking Bad. He reprises the role as star of prequel spinoff Better Call Saul, which is in production on its sixth season. Pandemic-related delays pushed the highly anticipated final season to a likely 2022 return.
Odenkirk had announced he was penning a memoir about his career, which is also expected in 2022. He recently earned strong reviews for his lead role in Universal feature Nobody, which was released in March.
On Tuesday night, Odenkirk’s close friends and co-stars tweeted their support. David Cross, who starred with Odenkirk in the HBO series Mr. Show With Bob and David, tweeted, “I will share what I know when I can but Bob is one of the strongest people I know both physically and spiritually. He WILL get through this.”
Saul co-star Michael McKean added, “Sending huge love to our @mrbobodenkirk. You got this, brother.”
