Bob Odenkirk Health Update After Heart Attack On ‘Better Call Saul’ Set

Bob Odenkirk sat down with The New York Times and share the details of the heart attack he suffered while filming the Better Call Saul set last summer. Finally, the Emmy nominee was offering his fans an update on his health after having a heart attack.

He had a small heart attack back in July

As Variety reminds us, Bob Odenkirk collapsed on set back in July of 2021 shortly after he wrapped up filming of Better Call Saul. He was rushed to the hospital. It was not until August 7th that he took to social media to update his fans on what was going on. He reassured them he just had “a small heart attack” and he was doing much better.

The Better Call Saul actor admitted the heart attack didn’t come as a total shock. He was well aware of the condition of his heart health.

I’d known since 2018 that I had this plaque buildup in my heart. I went to two heart doctors at Cedars-Sinai, and I had dye and an M.R.I. and all that stuff, and the doctors disagreed.”

One of Bob Odenkirk’s heart doctors recommended starting medication. The second doctor believed he could wait. The actor made the decision to listen to the second doctor. Everything was fine with his heart until a piece of the plaque broke off of his heart while he was on set.

Bob Odenkirk says he is lucky he wasn’t alone

In addition to offering a health update following his heart attack, he also reflected on when it happened. Bob Odenkirk tells The New York Times he is lucky he didn’t go back to his trailer after filming. Instead, he had co-workers nearby when he collapsed.

After a few agonizingly long minutes, the show’s health safety supervisor, Rosa Estrada, and an assistant director, Angie Meyer, arrived, administering CPR and hooking him up to an automated defibrillator. It zapped him once, then once more, producing an irregular pulse that quickly disappeared. ‘The third time,’ Odenkirk said, ‘it got me that rhythm back.’”

The actor added that he was transported to the hospital. The next morning “around 5 a.m. the next morning they went through right [at my wrist area] and blew up the little balloons and knocked out that plaque and left stents in two places.” He continued to explain.

Fans can catch Bob Odenkirk when the Better Call Saul Season 6 airs on AMC later this month. Sadly, this will also be the final season of the series.