Humans are ridiculous. We're all pathetic strivers who will fall short. If you can accept that, it's optimistic because you can shoot for the moon and know you're never going to get there, and that's OK.

Bob Odenkirk

I honestly would tell anyone young to start looking at stories and learning story, because I think that’s the next step after people go, ‘OK, I’ve had enough of that improvisation, I’ve had enough of those short comedy bits. Tell me a story, tell me a more complex story, something that lasts and maybe has a little more meaning to it.’ Don’t ever look at what’s happening now; look at what’s coming next.

Bob Odenkirk

people looks thinking

If you're committed enough, you can make any story work. I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked because I believed it.

Bob Odenkirk

kevin enough stories

You say you're going to be the pope, become the pope.

Bob Odenkirk

pope

It's fun to discover things. I wouldn't want everything laid out, simply and too obviously.

Bob Odenkirk

want fun

We're all real people with moments of intense honesty and pathos and humanity. We all experience that, whether you're comedic or not.

Bob Odenkirk

honesty real people

Everybody needs some good sketch comedy.

Bob Odenkirk

sketch-comedy comedy needs

I learn things in a backward way. I learn all those limitations, and slowly my brain soaks them up, and if things go right, you just, in an organic way, translate your ideas into those templates. That's the way I perceive the process happening.

Bob Odenkirk

translate perceive brain

In acting, you're only responsible for your part. When you're directing, the load is on your shoulders, so you have to feel a strong connection to the material. It's a higher bar to get over.

Bob Odenkirk

connections acting strong

The worst thing is to read bad reviews and go, "Yeah, I agree."

Bob Odenkirk

reviews yeah worst

My daughter got me a 'World's Best Dad' mug. So we know she's sarcastic.

Bob Odenkirk

dad daughter sarcastic

We don't feel constrained by what we did in the past.

Bob Odenkirk

feels past

When you envy actors, only envy them for their good roles. Keep in mind they have to do a lot of roles to make a living, and not all of them are good. When they're doing a stupid role in a bad production, it's kind of a dumb thing to do when you're an adult. When you're doing a great role that's well-written, it's an enviable job.

Bob Odenkirk

envy stupid jobs

You get to use everything you learned in movie business. You talk to actors, if you do it right - and I haven't always done it right - you should be shaping the material all the time. And the other thing is, you get all the blame when you direct and it doesn't work. You get slammed. So that's another reason to know what you're making, why you're making it, and make it the way you want.

Bob Odenkirk

actors done use

If you surround me with darkness, suddenly, I am "somewhat fun."

Bob Odenkirk

surround darkness fun

Drama is more focused and it reveals itself to you, whereas comedy is just right there, when you first read it.

Bob Odenkirk

comedy drama firsts

Directing is probably the best job, but acting is really, really great. It's like a fun vacation that you get paid for.

Bob Odenkirk

vacation fun jobs

My godfather was a Chicago policeman, and I've always looked at law enforcement as a challenging and interesting job.

Bob Odenkirk

law jobs interesting

Don't say you're going to stop eating red meat when you like red meat.

Bob Odenkirk

red meat eating

I think that cable TV is a great venue to do something interesting.

Bob Odenkirk

tvs interesting thinking

Acting in particular is a fun job when you have a good script. I don't know about acting when you don't have a great script. I'm gonna say that's not a great job, it's kind of a dumb job. But when you have a good part in a good script, it's the best job, in a way.

Bob Odenkirk

best-job fun jobs