Bob Odenkirk says he was never supposed to be an action hero, but he’s grateful for the way his career has turned out. Starting out as a sketch comedian, he never could have foreseen roles like Saul Goodman in “Better Call Saul” or Sheriff Ulysses in his newest film, “Normal.” He tells Rachel he takes none of it for granted, as he retraces his path from his humble Illinois roots.
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comedy
Bill Maher is getting the Mark Twain Prize after all
There was confusion about whether the satirist would be getting the Kennedy Center’s top humor award after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “fake news.” Now it’s confirmed.
At a clown school near Paris, failure is the lesson
For decades, students at the Ecole Philippe Gaulier have been paying to bomb onstage. The goal isn’t laughs — it’s learning how to take the humiliation and keep going.
SNL announces 5 new cast members, including one from ‘Please Don’t Destroy’
Ben Marshall of “Please Don’t Destroy” will join the cast alongside comedians Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska. Here’s what to know about them.
SNL’s Heidi Gardner and Michael Longfellow are among the stars leaving the show
Producer Lorne Michaels has said he is looking to shake things up ahead of SNL’s 51st season, which starts in early October.
Is Edinburgh’s Fringe still fringe, or has it — gasp — gone mainstream?
It began on the edgy margins of a mainstream festival — which it’s now eclipsed. But nearly 80 years on, performers and spectators say rising costs threaten the Fringe’s alternative vibe.
Loni Anderson, star of hit TV series ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ dies at 79
Loni Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital following a prolonged illness, according to her longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan.
Her parents died 9 days apart, but Sarah Silverman gets the last laugh in ‘PostMortem’
Silverman’s father and stepmother are buried under one tombstone that reads: “Janice and Donald, who loved to laugh.” The loss was a starting point for Silverman’s “cathartic” Netflix comedy special.
Ramy Youssef is just trying to do the thing that entertains him
Ramy Youssef stays busy, creating shows like Ramy and #1 Happy Family USA, and starring in Poor Things and Mountainhead. He spoke with Rachel Martin about mortality and his gripe with Santa Claus.
Mike Birbiglia admires his mom’s ‘Forrest Gump’ energy
Comedian Mike Birbiglia says he absorbed a lot of lessons from his parents – whether he realized it or not as a kid. From his mom’s ability to talk to everyone, to his dad’s drive and ambition.


