Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk, who was taken to the ER after the on-set medical emergency back in July 2021, recalled the day of his near-fatal heart attack that resulted in the actor having stents put into his heart.
In a recent interview with New York Times, Bob Odenkirk recalled the day he suddenly collapsed on the sets of Better Call Saul, after finishing up a scene for the show's sixth and final season. "We were shooting a scene, we'd been shooting all day, and luckily I didn't go back to my trailer," he said. Instead, he moved to a location off set where he hung out with his co-stars Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian which, as he mentioned, resulted in allowing for more immediate help when his heart attack happened.
"I went to play the Cubs game and ride my workout bike, and I just went down." He added, "Rhea said I started turning bluish-gray right away." The actor then revealed that the cause of the medical emergency was the result of a history of plaque buildup in his heart.
"I'd known since 2018 that I had this plaque buildup in my heart," he said. "I went to two heart doctors at Cedars-Sinai, and I had dye and an M.R.I. and all that stuff, and the doctors disagreed" on a treatment plan. After getting different advice from the doctors, Bob followed the suggestion of the second professional, who said he insisted on waiting and said he didn't need to immediately start medication.
Then "one of those pieces of plaque broke up," which caused his heart attack. Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian, who were with Bob at that time, called for help and the set health safety supervisor, Rosa Estrada, and an assistant director, Angie Meyer, started giving Bob CPR and shocking him with an automated defibrillator, as People mentioned.
The first two shocks weren't enough to bring back his pulse. Then "the third time, it got me that rhythm back," Bob shared. At the hospital in Albuquerque, doctors performed the medical procedures "and blew up the little balloons and knocked out that plaque and left stents in two places."
Though the actor has no clear memory of the day, instead pieced together the day through co-star Rhea Seehorn and others who were there at the time. "That's its own weirdness," Rhea told Times. "You didn't have a near-death experience — you're told you had one."
Bob Odenkirk thanked everyone, the cast and crew, for their support and saving his life. Following his heart attack, Bob shared updates on his condition via social media, "I am doing great," he tweeted. "I've had my very own 'It's a wonderful life' week of people insisting I make the world slightly better. Wow! Thank you, I love everyone right now but let's keep expectations reasonable!" Bob joked.
On September 8 2021, Bob Odenkirk onfirmed he was back on set for the final season. "So happy to be here," he said, "and living this specific life surrounded by such good people."
Also Read: Bob Odenkirk rushed to the hospital after collapsing on the set of Better Call Saul
