Bob Odenkirk credits Chris Farley for wanting to try dramatic acting: 'I can't compete with that'

The Better Call Saul star says his longtime friend inspired his path to more serious roles.

Fans of Bob Odenkirk's dramatic work may have Chris Farley to thank.

Although most of the world now knows Odenkirk for his more serious work on Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, the actor has a long history with comedy — and Farley. While appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, he opened up about his early acting days doing improv as a member of the acclaimed Second City comedy troupe in Chicago.

"I was on stage with Chris Farley and Jill Talley at Second City, and we were improvising a scene," Odenkirk recalled. "And Chris was so funny." The actor explained how he was trying his best to keep up, but at some point, he realized Farley was in a league he could never match.

"Chris and I are acting and I think, 'I should be in a drama. That's what I should do.' And I really had that crazy thought. I think I was just loving his presence so much and he was so wonderful and I thought 'I can't compete with that. So put me in a drama and I'll be so funny.'"

Bob Odenkirk;
Bob Odenkirk and Chris Farley. Lloyd Bishop/NBC; Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

It would be a while before Odenkirk took his dramatic leap. From 1987-1991, he worked as a Saturday Night Live staff writer, a job which earned him an Emmy. Among his claims-to-fame on the show was creating the character of Farley's motivational speaker Matt Foley, which Odenkirk actually wrote during their aforementioned days together at Second City. After SNL, he also created his own sketch series, Mr. Show alongside David Cross.

Although Odenkirk knew how to play and write for laughs, he was always sensitive to his longtime friend Farley — a reason why he admitted he hated the Chippendales sketch from 1990 where host Patrick Swayze and Farley play shirtless auditioning dancers. It was a breakout moment for the late comic, but when recalling the scene in his recent memoir, Odenkirk called the sketch "a huge bummer" because of the reception Farley got due to using his weight for laughs.

Watch the interview above to hear Odenkirk talk about Farley at the 2:45 minute mark.

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