There have been plenty of egregious Emmys snubs over the years, but by far the most frustrating one is Bob Odenkirk going home empty-handed after more than a decade of playing Saul Goodman. Throughout the 21st century, the Emmys snubs have been amplified by the Golden Age of Television. There’s so much great TV getting made that some is bound to fall by the wayside.
Some of the best work in television history went unrecognized by the Emmys. Jason Alexander never won an Emmy for playing George Costanza. Amy Poehler never won an Emmy for playing Leslie Knope. The Wire is often named the greatest TV show ever made, and yet it never won a single Emmy. But that’s not even the biggest Emmys snub.
Bob Odenkirk Never Won An Emmy For Playing Saul Goodman
Odenkirk has actually won two Emmys, both for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program. He won one as a writer for Saturday Night Live and one as a writer for The Ben Stiller Show. But he never won an Emmy for his portrayal of Saul, despite playing the character in not one, but two of the greatest TV shows ever made.
While he was never even nominated for Breaking Bad, Odenkirk received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in all but one year that its spinoff Better Call Saul was on the air. He wasn’t nominated for his turn in season 5 (even though that was a pivotal point in Saul’s transformative journey), but he was nominated every other year — and he didn’t win once.
Better Call Saul Made Bob Odenkirk’s Emmys Snub Even Worse
It’s somewhat understandable that Odenkirk didn’t win an Emmy — or even get nominated — for his turn in Breaking Bad. Odenkirk did show off a previously unseen dramatic range in Breaking Bad’s darkest moments, but Saul was mostly a comic relief character in that show, and there were so many supporting nominees to choose from: Aaron Paul, Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks.
Awards voters usually love when a comedic actor shows off their hidden dramatic abilities, from Melissa McCarthy to Adam Sandler. Odenkirk is one of the best comedians-turned-thespians out there. His performance in Better Call Saul was so amazing that it retroactively added depth and subtext to his performance in Breaking Bad.
I Can’t Believe Better Call Saul Never Won A Single Emmy
It wasn’t just Odenkirk who was snubbed for Better Call Saul; the show never won a single Emmy throughout its entire run. Banks, Esposito, Rhea Seehorn, and Michael McKean were all passed over. The work of Peter Gould and his incredible team of writers never got any recognition from the Emmys, nor did the deeply cinematic, visually stunning work of the directors.
