Movie and TV fans don’t often think about how different things really could be in their favorite projects if one actor hadn’t had a prior commitment and been unable to take a job. The biggest “What if” example of this is that actor Dougray Scott was originally cast in the role of Wolverine for the X-Men movie, but had to drop out when production ran long on Mission: Impossible II, resulting in Hugh Jackman taking the role and now being forced to play the part until he’s 90. These examples aren’t all that common, but some of the biggest ones have often resulted in major changes to some huge feature films and shows.
Even more rare than finding a project that forces a drastic change in another project is a specific date that can be spotlighted as causing that change, but today is one of them. 18 years ago today, on April 14, 2008, the sitcom How I Met Your Mother aired the episode “The Chain of Screaming,” which introduces Bob Odenkirk as Arthur Hobbs, Marshall’s boss. With the arrival of this episode, though, the series made Odenkirk part of the How I Met Your Mother family and a recurring side character, one that would cause trouble with one of Odenkirk’s other shows, Breaking Bad, forcing that series to introduce its own new character that would change everything.
When Bob Odenkirk was hired for his role of Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad, the smooth-talking attorney who put the criminal in criminal lawyer, he was offered a four-episode arc in the series, which he accepted. There was just one problem, though: he was already playing a lawyer on How I Met Your Mother and was set to return. Having already appeared in the series, his next episode of the show (Season 5’s “Last Cigarette Ever”) meant he had to leave behind Walter White’s empire for an episode. The episode of Breaking Bad in question that he had to skip was the Season 2 finale, when Jesse wakes up to find that his girlfriend Jane has died from an overdose.
“We were going to have Saul Goodman come in and clean things up,” Better Call Saul co-creator Peter Gould previously told NPR. “And, unfortunately, Bob Odenkirk was not available to come to town, to come to Albuquerque for that particular scene. And so very much at the last minute [Breaking Bad creator] Vince Gilligan had the inspiration of bringing in Mike the ‘fixer,’ or his private detective, who has been mentioned a couple of times on the show — and now we’re going to see him. And through some miracle, we cast Mr. Jonathan Banks.”
As a result of Odenkirk’s commitment to How I Met Your Mother, Breaking Bad was forced to introduce the character of Mike Ehrmantraut. Introducing this character, who had been spoken about in the abstract for two seasons, proved to be one of the best decisions that Breaking Bad could have ever made. Across the series, he would prove to be one of the most important figures in the narrative, working alongside Walt and Jesse, but also acting as a bridge between Gus Fring and Saul, and Fring and their larger conglomerate cover, Madrigal Electromotive. He’s even the one to deliver the iconic line that inspires Walt to take matters into his own hands: “No more half measures, Walter.”
After Breaking Bad, Mike Ehrmantraut would go on to be one of the main characters of the prequel/spinoff series, Better Call Saul. Not only would his blossoming relationship between Goodman and Fring be revealed across the show’s six seasons, but Mike’s larger backstory would also be developed, giving him even more nuance and pull on the story. Mike would go on to be one of just four characters who appeared in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and the feature film, El Camino (the others being Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, Ed Galbraith, and Austin Ramey).
As a result of his role, actor Jonathan Banks would be nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (4 of them for Better Call Saul and just one for Breaking Bad); and none of that would have happened without Bob Odenkirk needing to step away to film a recurring bit part on a sitcom.
