There is definitely an action movie “type” that everyone can picture: a tall, muscular and/or jacked-up man with big arms and a vaguely threatening stance. Sometimes, he has an unruly beard and a sketchy past, but that’s an extra step. So it’s basically the opposite of Bob Odenkirk, a beloved 61-year-old comedian who does not have a beard (or an Emmy). But he has what all of those other guys don’t have: real-life enemies known as Emmy voters.
After being snubbed for just about every award out there, the Better Call Saul actor is channeling that anger into a new role. “I never went to acting school, but if you talk about motivation, using your past to inspire you, I can tell you I’ll be imagining all those enemies in Normal as Emmy voters coming to get me,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. Odenkirk is set to star in Normal from writer-director Derek Kolstad, who also penned Nobody.
Not only will the snub inspire Odenkirk’s drive, but he also has a specific advantage when it comes to his looks. “A lot of action movies, where the guys are too handsome and built, it’s hard for the audience to buy into the idea that they’re in danger,” Odenkirk explains. “I don’t have that problem. Audiences genuinely see me and go, ‘Oh, jeez, this guy is screwed.’” Perhaps he is just projecting the sins of his past characters onto his future ones, but the points are still valid.
This seems to be just the beginning of Odenkirk’s action movie career. After the success of Nobody, the actor expressed interest in pivoting to action star in 2022. “I still train multiple times a week and if I get my way you’re going to see me doing more action. I found the action sequences a great deal of fun and close to doing sketch comedy…I love the early Jackie Chan films which had humor in them. I’d like to get that in in future.” Finally, Odenkirk seems to be getting his way, for once.