Bob Odenkirk in conversation with Jack Black at Live Talks Los Angeles

Bob Odenkirk in conversation with Jack Black
discussing his memoir,
Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama
Buy a signed copy of Bob Odenkirk's book:
livetalksla.square.site/produ...
In this “essential” (Entertainment Weekly), “hilarious” (AV Club) memoir, the star of Mr. Show, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul opens up about the highs and lows of showbiz, his cult status as a comedy writer, and what it’s like to reinvent himself as an action film ass-kicker at fifty.
Bob Odenkirk is an actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer. Odenkirk got his start in improv comedy in the motley Chicago comedy scene of the mid-eighties and went on to write for Saturday Night Live. He has starred in AMC’s Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and written and starred in the sketch comedy cult hit Mr. Show. He has written and produced a number of television shows, including Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show and Great Job!, and directed three films.
Jack Black’s career that includes projects in film, television, music, and more. Most recently, he reprised his role opposite Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in Jumanji: The Next Level, the highly-anticipated follow up film to 2017’s global smash hit Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle. Additionally, Black is behind the viral KZbin channel Jablinski Games, which launched in 2018 and reached one million subscribers in just days. Black also continues to tour internationally as the lead singer of the rock-folk comedy group Tenacious D, which he created with longtime friend and collaborator Kyle Gass.
"I’ve known Bob Odenkirk for more than thirty years, and yet I had to read this book to believe his stunning career arc.”-Conan O’Brien
Bob Odenkirk’s career is inexplicable. And yet he will try like hell to explicate it for you. Charting a “Homeric” decades-long “odyssey” from his origins in the seedy comedy clubs of Chicago to a dramatic career full of award nominations-with a side-trip into the action-man world that is baffling to all who know him-it’s almost like there are many Bob Odenkirks! But there is just one and one is plenty.
Bob embraced a life in comedy after a chance meeting with Second City’s legendary Del Close. He somehow made his way to a job as a writer at Saturday Night Live. While surviving that legendary gauntlet by the skin of his gnashing teeth, he stashed away the secrets of comedy writing-eventually employing them in the immortal “Motivational Speaker” sketch for Chris Farley, honing them on The Ben Stiller Show, and perfecting them on Mr. Show with Bob and David.
In Hollywood, Bob demonstrated a bullheadedness that would shame Sisyphus himself, and when all hope was lost for the umpteenth time, the phone rang with an offer to appear on Breaking Bad-a show about how boring it is to be a high school chemistry teacher. His embrace of this strange new world of dramatic acting led him to working with Steven Spielberg, Alexander Payne, and Greta Gerwig, and then, in a twist that will confound you, he re-re-invented himself as a bona fide action star. Why? Read this and do your own psychoanalysis-it’s fun!
Featuring humorous tangents, never-before-seen photos, wild characters, and Bob’s trademark unflinching drive, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama is a classic showbiz tale told by a determined idiot.

[@LiveTalksLA]

Buy a signed copy of Bob Odenkirk's book: livetalksla.square.site/product/odenkirk/488

[@badtzmarutattoo]

Ted habte-gabr sounds like a name bob would’ve made up on mr show

[@okaminess]

Bought my copy! 🥰🥰🥰😋 I heart Mr Odenkirk. He has my heart.

[@mrluvit8232]

🆒️ 😎👍

[@bentolleson2585]

Mr. Odenkirk is a gem. We are lucky to have him.

[@calebclunie4001]

Steve, gives a 👍

[@Qwazin]

Bob Odenkirk getting interviewed by Jack Black wearing a DEVO shirt? This is some glorious fever dream of all my favorite worlds colliding.

[@WillWorkForRic3]

Bob Odenkirk is a gift to all mankind.

[@yamibakura8096]

It’s crazy to see the farmer reunited with his milk machine after so long 😢

[@soth1sol]

they were trying to be bold

[@kimberquirky]

Ohhhhhh gawwwwd, I’m dyiiiiiing. Knock knock knock…

[@spaceo8568]

Jack Black...always in style...like he's about to go clean out his garage. Lol. I love this guy.

[@bonesBPMC]

Huge fan of all three. Jack Black, Bob Odenkirk and WEEN!!

[@seanm5258]

Mr. Show was brown as fuck

[@cactaceous]

The Ben Stiller Show, Mr. Show, SNL, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Breaking Bad, With Bob & David, Better Call Saul… the man has had an epic epic career. I totally forgot he was Larry’s agent on the holy The Larry Sanders Show. Amazing.

[@Novastar6]

Bob has been one of the most underrated people on the planet. Glad he finally got the recognition he deserves after Breaking Bad. Same with Bryan Cranston. Was fantastic in Seinfeld and Malcolm in the Middle.

[@TheGreatKrystoff]

Now here's a fantastic pairing of individuals! Yea I'll watch an hour of this for sure. Also Bob, my god there's no need to be so humble. There's a reason the entire world held its breath when he had his cardiac event. This man is loved and his work ethic is LEGENDARY. We love you Mr Odenkirk and you are inspiring

[@lkaneshiki]

Bob Odenkirk is a real guy. So happy for him for his success.

[@pacificcab]

I will always treasure Jack Black. When High Fidelity came out, I loved the movie and Jacks performance. A week later my buddy and I were walking out after Laker game at Staples. Doors in front of me came busting open and I collided with a guy. I look at the guy and I said, I just saw you in that cool movie last week. What was it?? He said High Fidelity. I said Yes! You were great! He said thanks dude. What a classic interaction with The legendary Jack Black

[@MrBuketman]

I watch possibly way too many pods/interviews, but this will probably be a classic when we’re all dead and gone. Mega stoked for the final season of Saul.

[@okaminess]

😭😭😭😢 Saul is sexy! Not gonna lie.

[@trentbrah_]

I could listen to Bob talk for days on end

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

I thought I could not love Bob O., more than I already do. I was wrong, lol. Love his attitude. And Jack Black is the perfect interviewer/buddy for this. Thanks so much for this, very inspiring.

[@Ribbet_brown]

I love that ween is the first talking point

[@jamesgallenti4783]

I was one of the handful of people that watched Tenacious D when it first aired on HBO. Prob 1998. I was already a Mr Show fan

[@buyerofsorts]

Do you think Jack Black appreciates you and will contact you soon to bring you to lunch or?

[@josef2012]

Me too!

[@leeshamel]

Odenkirk and Jack Black talking about Ween While wearing a Devo shirt. How could you go wrong?

[@AhtuMondello]

Cancer

[@satanicoldlady8060]

Dude, a marriage of many of my heroes lol.

[@theimmortalolive5267]

So Jack asks Bob about Nirvana,.. Bob tells tale of Neil Young instead.... And heaven forbid, or Hell anyway, Kurt quotes Neil in his suicide letter, if truth is told by tells told .....

[@wearewon]

How could this be ethical or legal ...

[@DtothePtotheG]

One of the greatest groups of all time, Ween. And they talk about The Pogues

[@hamsandwichson]

Bob not only had Mr. Show w David but he also helped both Tenacious D and Tim and Eric. Iconic duos. It's crazy.

[@alexbaum2204]

There was a movie that made the rounds back in the 90’s called Airborne. SoCal surfer dude gets stuck with his podunk family in Cincinnati for the winter. Mildly entertaining, somewhat lame movie ensues. Outside of Cincinnati getting the Hollywood treatment that some outpost in Saskatchewan would, Jack Black’s small part was the other very memorable aspect of the film. This is where I was first introduced to the guy. Couple years later, staying awake late on a Friday with a buddy to watch Mr. Show, we got down to the basement a little early. Just in time to catch this thing neither of us has ever heard of. I immediately recognized Jack as the guy from Airborne. Thinking it might be somewhat funny, we continued watching. By the end of the show, we were in hysterics. One of the funniest things I’d ever seen up to that point. It wasn’t the first time I’d ever seen the guy, but I became a lifelong fan of Jack Black from the moment I accidentally saw my first Tenacious D episode. Legend.

[@alexbaum2204]

P.S. The Mr. Show episode that came on later that same night was the Globo Chem episode. Needless to say, a very funny night.

[@shrutefarms4741]

Did NOT expect to see these two treasures together

[@martitinkovich4489]

i assume that's sarcasm.

[@Wolfsheim23]

I've loved Bob ever since Mr Show. Then seeing him in Breaking Bad was so incredible and now carrying that through to Better Call Saul that can evenly compare with the Great Breaking Bad is just incredible!

[@jackjetpilot]

2 of my favorite people...together....WHAT?!

[@wellsmitchell49]

So glad to see Mr. Odenkirk is recovered and in what appears to full control of his faculties. I think he has much more left to share with us, to the extent that he desires.

[@niezohe7392]

Two greats... and that's just the shirts, never mind the amazing dude's 🔥❤️

[@steve7015]

Even as a listener Jack brings that special quality. Whenever he's around, you feel like something special is going on.

[@shardulniraula8846]

A fun little Mr. Show reunion.

[@darthlazlo]

The Joke: The Musical.

[@TheGreatJon]

Man I wanna hear JB & Odenkirk talk about WEEN more :D

[@Fake_Robot]

It’s so true what Bob says. Ween didn’t let irony get in the way of good music. I see a lot of artists today screwing that up.

[@blossom357]

@@Fake_Robot Artists in general - writers, musicians, game developers, etc. Irony has killed everything. Has its place, but really needs to be reigned in.

[@DedicatedSpirit8]

Bob has turned out to be such a sweetheart of a person considering hes been famous for sooo long. When I heard him talk of seeing Chris Farley for the last it really put the kind of person he is front and center. He just sold me the damn book 😆

[@jugglingbeast]

Bob and Jack will be terrific in a movie together.

[@lemonysnick5171]

They both came on the Cable Guy, not together, but I forgot about this lol.

[@HeyJudie]

They were in Tom goes to the Mayor together

[@rushfan1970]

This was an absolute delight!! Love them both so much! Thank you!!👏🏼💖👏🏼💗✌🏼

[@alexbaum2204]

I thought it was a really interesting point that Odenkirk brought up about people being silly and just trying to be funny and get a laugh, vs the kind of folks who really act and put their heart into the performance. It just reminds me of entire roles I’ve seen before and even just little scenes in comedies where I’ve seen it and it changes everything. It makes it so much better than it otherwise might have been with the funniest person on the planet doing it without that sense of great acting. It makes the role or the scene so memorable for me. And when he said that, they just started flooding in.

[@ronisize15]

Crazy to see how far the both have come since Mr. Show

[@craiggoodman7]

Brilliant Heartfelt and Inspiring!!! Thank you both so much 💓 💖

[@lokithegreat1]

Two of my favorite actors and comedians in the world under One roof. Both of you are Gods.

[@megaandrew2005]

I love them both so much!! Super talented men

[@terrioestreich4007]

What a great interview!!

[@mrjackelbox4418]

i did not see this coming absolutely brilliant

[@joescott8877]

OMG! What a feast--THESE TWO talking to each other! I am def gonna make time for ALL this, thank you!

[@misterx530]

This was wonderful.

[@manicmandownup]

My teachers crushed my spirit. Thanks 👍🏻

[@jackburton6330]

I'm glad I watched all of this. I enjoyed it. 2 badasses hanging out.

[@buzzanderson6217]

Right now these two are my two favorite actors, sociologists, comedians, content creators and I wish future running mates for president.

[@EricTechstuffs]

Bob Odenkirk is an amazing man and actor from behind the scenes to launching others BIG careers to his own star rolls... yet - very, very humble. I enjoyed him his whole career, but more so now knowing he lifted some of the best up with his writing...and is just as humble ! I cannot wait to see his upcoming roles. Bob can do anything !

[@aaronhowell1132]

Great to hear about your growth and process. I’ve caught the first couple seasons of Better Call Saul, on top of other projects. BCS is phenomenal and I look forward to finding the time to enjoy the rest of it. 👍

[@seraphus1]

Kevin Costner just kills it!

[@michaelweber5702]

Jack Black is so generous as he defers mostly to Bob Odenkirk ...

[@MahkyVmedia1]

So Bob has been involved with everything I've ever laughed at my entire life....

[@okaminess]

Yep. That’s also why I’m here. I’m astounded. Mind blown.

[@suz7110]

OMG! Two favs sitting together riffing off stories and shared magic moments. I do want to buy this book and read it. And if Jack has one, I'd hit that too. Jack, get on it! They are both lovely.

[@okaminess]

Same! I’m now a fan! Was a long time fan when I saw Saul Goodman. Tenacious D is also great.

[@thechronicnoizeco.6675]

Thanks Bob.

[@balance209]

I wish these two could teach me how to live. What a truly great peeps.

[@thomashallesy8835]

ordered the book immediately.

[@illrobbzilla]

I first saw these guys when mr show and the D showed back to back each week. This was great.

[@BuiltToScale]

G.O.A.T. Interview - This is special.

[@holdthedoor8130]

Wow. Bob wrote the "down by the river " skit.

[@seanodeli7031]

My brain went to the Neil young song

[@holdthedoor8130]

@@seanodeli7031 never seen Bob and Neil on stage at the same time. Have you?

[@Ankur3108]

So interesting,hearing Odenkirk talk

[@princequestly2218]

Two of my absolute favorites this was the best.

[@whysoserious5519]

These two. Just the best.

[@PlanetRylosIV]

I don’t think I’ve EVER seen Jack Black as himself. This was a great interview!

[@fullriver1234]

I have that same Devo shirt. Gotta love Jack Black. And Bob of course.

[@guitarhero0000]

They both seems like such fantastic guys

[@AndrewLeSynt]

2 Legends !!

[@LauraS_1194]

Awesome interview 👍😁❤️

[@johnnysmith863]

Love these guys.

[@LegendShark]

Providing your own questions for Q&A is the most baller move

[@StormerG]

Bob Odenkirk: "Don't record it, lets just keep this show between us" Me: *watching video recording of his show on KZbin*

[@calebclunie4001]

"The Polka King", was glorious, BTW.

[@paulwisham5943]

Yes Harness that energy

[@LotusLady9]

Love these guys!

[@CB_ChaosLove]

love these 2!! also love the eyes of the skulls on bobs shirt blinking in the light!

[@5Amigos32]

With what Bob was saying about Jack black and Farley being these unique stand out talents in comedy I think is true of him with drama. He is really good at comedy but man his dramatic chops are truly something special

[@emjay2d]

lol... u know its gonna be a banger when its jack black and bob odenkirk talking for an hour

[@carsburstproductions]

Legends!!

[@afreemanphotography5126]

Super awesome video. I’m 1/2 way through the book and it’s great. What’s better than a Bob O interview? Add Jack B!

[@balance209]

How freaking cute. Love these two.

[@okaminess]

Yes 🙌

[@brucer2152]

Great shirt Jack is wearing...DEVO! Represent!

[@darrellphelps9552]

this is fabulous-

[@squeedum4893]

32:13 the Flutes and Trombones story is awesome. I had no idea Bob wrote for the D. The universe just got smaller.

[@vincentprospero2809]

Nobody is an awesome movie! I keep watching it over.

[@christopherallen9580]

Odenkirk is friggin awesome

[@calebclunie4001]

Enough, about Steve, already.

[@giuliano2244]

I never knew Bob came up with flutes & trombones, awesome, love these two

[@gsmith207]

Bob just moved to 11 in my book of coolness mentioning Ween. And JB has always been 11 on my list. Thanks for this was wicked funny. Made me smile

[@ForcesInMotion]

Awesome. Love Odenkirk closing w/ his bit about ice cream from Hooey. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain his favorite ice cream is Blue Bell Mint Chocolate Chip. No substitutions...

[@Dino-uy2vp]

that was something special to watch

[@LTPottenger]

I loved these guys even before mr. show. Glad to see they have both exploded in recent years.

[@lisathornhill6401]

Bob is so unusual. Love it.

[@ricktheexplorer]

Wow, this was excellent.

[@rikki.stardustt]

that joke at the end of his intro was so mr show!!! 🤣🤣☠️

[@grandmam52]

So great.

[@majisher]

This was hilarious and lovely ❤️✌🏼

[@MODERNDAYROCKERS]

long live bob

[@adacor21]

Have watched SNL from the very beginning; "Down By The River" is up there in the top 3 skits --- Love both Bob and Jack!! Great interview!!!

[@chrisfloyd77]

I just discovered Next. 2 episodes and a collection of extras. Fred Armisen and a lot of Mr. Show cast. Really great. Jack Black was in pilot with Owen Wilson. It was like an absurd Knight Rider. Melvin Goes To Dinner was a great movie that Bob directed during the "dark days". And Run Ronny Run is the best.

[@templeofleila]

Both of these guys are legends and those questions at the end sound like they came from junior high kids.

[@realRainz]

Bob is brilliant.

[@FreakyOrthopedic]

I'm just here to hear them talk about Ween for a minute...

[@redfog42]

I'm in love with Bobs shirt! Groovy! Nice chat too!

[@kab9706]

Right? It gives part Johnny Cash, part punk fashion vibes

[@AcidCortex1]

Excellent Devo shirt

[@endze1613]

Flutes and trombones.... Kyle was laying down flute tracks and jack came in with the trombone. It's the other way around :D :D

[@damianajosesilvalezama4758]

I love both of them 💖💖💖💖💖