Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk (born Robert Odenkirk on October 22, 1962 in Naperville, Illinois) is an actor, writer, director and producer.

Related Topics:
October 22 - 1962 - Naperville, Illinois - Actor - Writer - Director - Producer

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Bob is best known as the co-creator of the HBO sketch comedy series, Mr. Show—one of the most unconventional and intelligent sketch-comedy shows since Monty Python's Flying Circus. Bob began his foray into comedy writing as a radio DJ for WIDB, his local college station at Southern Illinois University. Inspired by his local success, he decided to go to Chicago and, under the pretense of doing a radio-show interview, speak with members of Second City and see what it took to make a career in performing and writing comedy. Time and again he kept hearing "magical" stories of how the really successful members such as John Belushi or Joe Flaherty simply showed up to Second City "and a week later they were on the Main Stage!"

Related Topics:
HBO - Sketch comedy - Mr. Show - Monty Python's Flying Circus - WIDB - Southern Illinois University - Chicago - Second City - John Belushi - Joe Flaherty

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Bob was disheartened with these tales in that it seemed like a regular guy like him could never achieve the same sort of "magic." Disappointed, he was all set to return to college when he happened to run into former Second City director Del Close (who had mentored the likes of Bill Murray and John Belushi), at the local bookstore. Bob nervously struck up a conversation with Close and asked if he would mind being interviewed. He agreed and they went back to Close's apartment. During this conversation with Close, Bob began to realize that people in show-business, even stars like Belushi and Murray, had also just been regular people to begin with.

Related Topics:
Del Close - Bill Murray

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Inspired, Bob immediately moved to Chicago three credits shy of graduation and got involved in the local improv and comedy scene. He started in improv workshops and doing open-mike stand-up comedy and after a few years had made several friends as a result—most importantly (future Saturday Night Live writer) Robert Smigel. It was through his friendship with Smigel that Bob, after Smigel had been hired as a SNL writer, began submitting his work to SNL and eventually Bob himself was hired as a writer.

Related Topics:
Saturday Night Live - Robert Smigel

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Bob was initially elated to be working for SNL, but after awhile he became more and more frustrated with the politics of the show and rarely got any of his work on air.

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Bob decided at last to give up at SNL and try working in Los Angeles. Around this time, he visited his friend Steve Meisner in Austin who informed him that the TV show Get a Life was looking for writers. Bob submitted some material and was accepted onto the show. Though Get a Life was cancelled fairly quickly, he made several important friends on the show who later helped him get a job writing for The Dennis Miller Show. Bob made his first acting debut on The Dennis Miller Show where he was noticed by Ben Stiller who later hired him as a writer and actor for The Ben Stiller Show. While working on Ben Stiller, Bob met fellow writer David Cross and after Ben Stiller was cancelled, Bob and David began performing sketch-comedy shows together in LA. These sketch comedy shows eventually evolved into what became Mr. Show.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - Steve Meisner - Austin - Get a Life - The Dennis Miller Show - Ben Stiller - The Ben Stiller Show - David Cross

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Bob was the spokesperson for Miller beer, in their electoral-themed commercial campaign to become The President of Beers during the 2004 Elections.

Related Topics:
Spokesperson - Miller beer - Electoral - Commercial - Campaign - 2004 Elections

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Bob's brother, Bill Odenkirk, wrote for Mr. Show and Futurama.

Related Topics:
Bill Odenkirk - Futurama

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