Bob Odenkirk says the legendary Carol Burnett needs to be nominated for her role as Marion in Better Call Saul’s final season.
The final season of Better Call Saul continued a Breaking Bad franchise tradition of casting a comedy powerhouse in a more dramatic role to great effect. Originally, Bob Odenkirk himself was cast as conniving lawyer Saul Goodman based on his sketch comedy work from the TV series Mr. Show with Bob and David. He had spent every year since shining in that role, so it wasn’t all that strange to see Carol Burnett join the final season of Better Call Saul to help wrap up with the story. Similarly best known for her comedy work, Burnett nailed the character of Marion, garnering great praise from critics wowed by the guest role.
Theoretically, Burnett could be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her guest role in Better Call Saul, as the second half of the show’s final season is eligible for this year’s ceremony. Nominations have yet to be announced, but Odenkirk says Burnett “must” get nominated for her performance. In a new interview with Deadline, he also speaks about what it was like to work with the television icon, noting how impressed he was with how “ready to rip it up” the 89-year-old was when she showed up to the set.
“She’s just a great actress — completely connected, completely grounded, utterly with it. With somebody who’s a legend like that, someone who’s older, you worry if you’re going to have to work around them a little — and not at all. She was utterly present, ready to rip it up. She knew her lines, she knew her part so well…It was a beautiful performance. She must get nominated now, come on.”
Odenkirk himself is an Emmy winner, having snagged two wins for his comedy writing on Saturday Night Live and The Ben Stiller Show. However, he has yet to win an Emmy for his acclaimed acting on Better Call Saul, even with multiple nominations. In fact, the show has been nominated 46 times overall during its six-season run, but it has yet to win the award at the event. Given how much critics and viewers loved Burnett on the show, it seems very possible she could end up getting nominated and even win an Emmy for her guest role, potentially the first and only Emmy for the series.
Better Call Saul’s final season will start streaming on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada on April 18, 2023. Meanwhile, Burnett’s 90th birthday will be celebrated with a television special for the comedy legend. It will air on her 90th birthday, Wednesday, April 26, on NBC at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The special will start streaming the next day on Peacock.
