Bob Odenkirk Bio
BOB ODENKIRK
Date of Birth: October 22, 1962
With only three credits left to graduate from Southern Illinois University, Bob Odenkirk left for Chicago, where he began to do stand up comedy and improv workshops. Back at school, he'd written comedy and been the host of a local college station's radio program, and in the process had met Second City director Del Close, who inspired him so much that he decided to leave school.
A friendship with Saturday Night Live writer Robert Smigel led to Odenkirk submitting sketches to the show, and eventually being hired on as a writer. He left the series in 1990 and ventured to Los Angeles, where he was hired for the sitcom Get a Life, starring Chris Elliot. Over the next few years, he wrote for The Dennis Miller Show, The Ben Stiller Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Tenacious D.
In 2000, Odenkirk made his directing debut with the unsold TV pilot The Near Future, which he also co-wrote. His film directing debut was Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003), based on Michael Blieden's play, but despite winning awards, including Best First Feature at several film festivals, it was never picked up by a major distributor.
His first major motion picture, Let's Go to Prison (2006) starring Dax Shepard and Will Arnett, was given a wide release by Universal Pictures, but the box office receipts were unimpressive.
Odenkirk's latest,The Brothers Solomon (2007) for Columbia Pictures, stars
As well, Odenkirk has worked in numerous projects as an actor, including on television in Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Everybody Loves Raymond and Joey, and in feature films such as Wayne's World 2 (1993), The Cable Guy (1996) and Let's Go to Prison (2006).
He and his wife, Naomi, have one son, Nathan.
Filmography (director):
The Brothers Solomon (2007)Let's Go to Prison (2006)
Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003)
Filmography (actor):
Let's Go to Prison (2006)Relative Strangers (2006)
Danny Roane: First Time Director (2006)
My Big Fat Independent Movie (2005)
Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic (2005)
Run Ronnie Run (2002)
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) (voice)
Monkeybone (2001)
The Independent (2000)
Can't Stop Dancing (1999)
Hacks (1997)
Waiting for Guffman (1996) (uncredited)
The Cable Guy (1996)
The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)
Clean Slate (1994)
Wayne's World 2 (1993)