Bob Odenkirk shockingly revealed that medics had to give him CPR when he had a heart attack on the set of Better Call Saul, claiming his co-stars helped save his life.
The 59-year-old American actor fell ill while filming the final episode of the Breaking Bad spin-off last summer, claiming the heart attack was caused by plaque detachment and a blocked artery.
He said that his co-stars Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian, with whom he was on the sound stage at the time, helped save his life by “screaming heads” by alerting the medic, who then performed CPR.
Life-threatening: Bob Odenkirk spoke about having a heart attack on the set of Better Call Saul, saying medics had to give him CPR.
Speaking on Lorraine on Tuesday, he said: “I had a heart attack, my plaques broke off and blocked an artery, and they [Patrick and Rhea] were right there, they came up, didn’t know what to do, but they screamed, and then the medic came and did CPR. Thank God, very lucky, very lucky.
The Breaking Bad actor, who was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack, said Rhea, 49, and Patrick, 57, were waiting on set at the time due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Bob told the New York Times last month that he was strikingly pulseless when he had a heart attack that “turned him bluish gray” and took three electric shocks for his heart to restart.
He explained, “Since 2018, I have known that I had plaques in my heart. I went to two cardiologists at Cedars-Sinai, they did paint, MRI and all that, and the doctors didn’t agree.”
Shock: The 59-year-old actor fell ill while filming the final episode of Breaking Bad last summer, claiming the heart attack was caused by plaque detachment and artery blockage.
The two doctors offered different options, and Bob ended up choosing to wait and do nothing instead of starting treatment.
The actor said his heart was fine until “one of those pieces of plaque shattered” while he was on set.
He explained, “We were filming the scene, we were filming all day, and luckily I didn’t go back to my trailer.
“I went to play the Cubs game and ride my exercise bike. [at a space where he and his co-stars regularly spent downtime]and I just fell. Rhea [Seehorn] said that I immediately became bluish-gray.
Bob said that he was later transferred to the Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital, and “around 5:00 the next morning, they went through [at my wrist area] and inflated little balloons, and knocked out this sign, and left the stents in two places.
Help: He said co-stars Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian (both pictured right) helped save his life by “shouting at the top of their voices.” Also pictured: Bob and Michael Mando.
In August, Bob spoke to fans about his health after suffering a heart attack in late July on set in New Mexico.
“I’m great. I had my own ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ week when people pushed me to make the world a little better,” the actor began in a tweet.
A month later, the talented star informed his social media followers that he was back at work, sharing an image from the dressing room as he prepared to shoot a scene for his hit television series.
“Back to work on Better Call Saul!” his note began. “So happy to be here and live this special life surrounded by such good people. By the way, thanks to makeup artist Cherie Montesanto, I’m not ugly for filming!”
Hospitalized: Last month, Bob said he was surprisingly pulseless when he had a heart attack that left him “turned bluish gray” and it took three strokes to restart his heart.
The star has since wrapped up filming on the sixth and final season of its Breaking Bad spin-off, confessing to Lorraine that it was “really hard” to say goodbye to the character and the “amazing” crew.
He said: “We just finished the final season about a month ago, it was very hard to say goodbye to him, I’ve been playing this character for almost 12 years, and the spin-off has been six years.”
The series is about lawyer Jimmy McGill. [Odenkirk] who, over several years of bad luck and questionable ethical decisions, renames himself the flattering criminal defense attorney Saul Goodman to Breaking Bad.
The prequel to Bryan Cranston’s spin-off series, Better Call Saul, has managed to find a home among the greats of TV drama.
Comeback: In September, the star told his social media followers that he was back to work, sharing an image from the dressing room as he prepared to film a scene for his hit series.
Better Call Saul executive producer Peter Gould previously confirmed that the show’s final season will be 13 episodes instead of the usual 10.
“From the very beginning, when we started this, I think all our hopes and dreams have been to tell the whole story,” Gould said in a statement.
He added: “And make it a complete story from beginning to end. We’re going to try our best to make sure these 63 episodes land.”
The sixth and final season of Better Call Saul premieres Monday, April 18 on AMC.