‘Better Call Saul' Star Reflects on Near-Death Experience: 'I Was Gone'

Five years have passed since Bob Odenkirk had a life-threatening experience while on the set of Better Call Saul, the prequel to Breaking Bad. In summer of 2021, he woke up in a medically induced coma and learned he had survived a widowmaker heart attack. Now, fully recovered, Odenkirk is reflecting on the experience.

In an interview with The Times of London, Odenkirk shared what others later told him about the incident.

"I went down and Rhea [Seehorn] and Patrick [Fabian] grabbed me and they were screaming, but [the crew members who noticed] thought they were laughing," Odenkirk said to The Times. "So there were delays in reacting because we were all so far apart from each other. I was gone. I turned grey. Eventually the on-set medic showed up and he didn't know what to do. He'd never done CPR."

Odenkirk said he doesn't remember the experience, only waking up in the hospital seven days after his heart attack. He was "ecstatic to be alive, appreciating every moment," The Times said.

"That was such a gift, to experience a few weeks where I felt that way about my presence in the world," Odenkirk said. "I felt just very, very delighted and engaged."

According to The Times, Odenkirk's heart attack was caused by built-up plaque that blocked an artery. He has since cut back on sugar and takes statins, aspirin, and a beta-blocker to reduce blood pressure.

In April, People spoke with the actor, who said that his health is in a good place, and he's "still able to do everything he needs to take on action roles."

"And I'm still going to the gym for stunt fighting," Odenkirk said. "I go twice a week with my same trainer, Daniel Bernhardt."

Odenkirk's latest action-comedy film, Normal, finds the actor in a Midwestern town playing Ulysses, the town sheriff. Odenkirk said that the film wasn't a challenge since he had just finished filming Nobody 2.

"I was up to speed when we rolled into this film," Odenkirk said to People.

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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 10:35 PM.