Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk informed Seth Meyers about the backstory of his character Jimmy McGill, also known as Saul Goodman, on Wednesday’s (Aug. 1) episode of Late Night.
“I did create a backstory,” he said. “When we went in to do the show, I had to imagine who he was, where did he grow up?”
“It’s so funny because he went to the University of American Samoa, and we know that, and I just made up in my head that he was in a fraternity. And I made up these friends, and I gave them names,” he said before joking, “And they were — this is for real — Michael Avenatti and Michael Cohen.”
Avenatti served as Stormy Daniels’ attorney, while Cohen is Trump’s former lawyer.
“That was their names. I just picked them out of nowhere. I didn’t know,” Odenkirk explained.
The actor continued with his bit, joking that Trump’s current attorney also played a major part in his character’s backstory. “Get this: His professor, his favorite professor, was named Rudy Giuliani,” he said. “I predicted the future.”
Meyers pointed out that Goodman is not the moral lawyer commonly depicted on scripted television. He described the character as “a man who’s willing to cut corners.” He continued, “And now the lawyers on TV we’re seeing are real lawyers.”
“They’re worse than Saul,” said Odenkirk. “Saul’s like a really good guy, comparatively, to the real world.”
The actor added that he believes Goodman would represent Trump if he was given the opportunity. “He would love the limelight,” he said. “I think they’d have a bit of a mind meld on how to handle things.”
“He might have an issue with getting paid,” added Odenkirk about his character. “The whole ‘I don’t pay people. It should be an honor just to work for me.'”
Meyers agreed that the character enjoys to get compensated for his work. “You’re gonna pay me somehow,” Odenkirk noted.
Watch the clip above.
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