‘We idolise the past, but have to live in the present’: Bob Odenkirk on learning from the best

Describe your perfect hour…
I’d walk my dog for 20 minutes, then swim in the pool in my beautiful backyard in LA for 10 minutes. I’ll watch the Chicago Cubs highlights, that’ll take about 12 minutes, then I’ll read for 10 before going with my wife to a comedy show and hanging out backstage for the remainder.

If you could live in any era, which would it be?
My first thought is the 1960s, because there was so much culturally cool stuff happening. But it’s too easy to idealise the past. You might as well just live in the moment.

What’s your favourite time of day?
Early morning. I’ll get up and make a plan. Maybe sit down and write. That’s the best part of the day. It’s all about possibility, good energy and a clear head.

Which time of your life do you daydream about the most?
Between the ages of 14 and 22, when I was entertained by the world and charged up with hope and excitement about what I could do and what life might be. As you get older, things slow down.

If you could spend an hour with anyone, who would it be?
Jimmy Stewart. I learn best by osmosis – by being around people doing the thing I want to do. At Saturday Night Live, I learned sketch-writing by just being in the writers’ room. On Breaking Bad, I learned acting by being around Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn. I like the way that Jimmy Stewart engaged with the world. I’d like to get better at that.

When was the last time you stole something?
A woman gave me a free gelato today, right around the corner from the hotel I’m staying in here in London. I went to pay and she said: “Oh, our machine doesn’t work.” But really, I think she was just giving me a free gelato. So that was a crime of some sort.

Last time you checked social media?
Yesterday. I am not addicted to Instagram, but I am very entertained by it. Mindless swiping is the real enemy. I’ve made a rule: Bob’s rule of five. I follow many people, but I only look at five at a time. That way, there’s a better chance I’ll see something beautiful and avoid falling into a trance.

What do you never have enough time for?
Reading books.

When’s the last time someone mistook you for someone else?
There’s a comic named Steve Oedekerk who worked with Jim Carrey on Ace Ventura and co-wrote The Nutty Professor. People come up to me to say they loved those films and I have to say, “Sorry, I’m not him.”

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?
I’d say, you’ve got to work on your social skills. I dreamed of making sketch comedy, so I studied that. I wish I’d spent more time getting better at interacting with people. A big part of show business is working in a group. You write a sketch, now you have to interact with actors, the director, all kinds of people. Want to make a movie? That’s a couple of hundred people. I’ve gotten better over the last four decades – but I wish I’d done it sooner.