| Saul Goodman | |
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| Breaking Bad character | |
 Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman / Jimmy McGill in a promotional poster for Better Call Saul's third season. | |
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| In-universe information | |
| Full name | James Morgan McGill |
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| Gender | Male |
| Occupation |
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| Family | Charles McGill Sr. (father) Ruth McGill (mother) Chuck McGill (brother) Rebecca Bois (former sister-in-law) Unseen stepfather |
| Spouse | Kim Wexler (divorced) Two previous unseen wives |
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| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Irish |
| Date of birth | November 12, 1960 |
| Birthplace | Cicero, Illinois, United States |
| Alma mater | Unidentified institution(s), including final coursework at unspecified Albuquerque community college (undergraduate degree); University of American Samoa (fictional; JD) |
James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill, better known by his business name Saul Goodman, is a fictional character created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and portrayed by Bob Odenkirk in the television franchise Breaking Bad. He appears as a major character in Breaking Bad (2009–2013) and as the titular protagonist of its spin-off Better Call Saul (2015–2022).
Saul is a self-centered and unscrupulous Albuquerque-based lawyer who embraces his tactics as a former con artist and becomes involved in the city's criminal underworld. In Breaking Bad, he acts as the consigliere for the methamphetamine cooks Walter White and Jesse Pinkman and plays a crucial role in the development of their drug empire. Better Call Saul's main storyline depicts Saul's origins as the aspiring lawyer Jimmy McGill and his moral deterioration in the six years before the events of Breaking Bad; it also features a post-Breaking Bad storyline, where Saul is living under the assumed name Gene Takavic (/tæˈkəvɪk/), that explores the consequences of his actions in the franchise.
Saul first appeared in "Better Call Saul" (2009), the eighth episode of Breaking Bad's second season. He was created to provide Walt and Jesse with a guide for their criminal activities and to replace Hank Schrader as Breaking Bad's comic relief. His name, "Saul Goodman", is a play on the phrase "it's all good, man". Although Odenkirk was initially cast for only four episodes as a guest actor, he became integral to the Breaking Bad narrative after Gilligan and Gould were impressed by his performance; Odenkirk subsequently joined the main cast in the third season and remained through to the fifth and final season of the show. Following Breaking Bad's conclusion, Gilligan and Gould began developing a Saul-focused spin-off depicting his origin story. The character also appeared in the animated short-form series Slippin' Jimmy, a spin-off of Better Call Saul which follows his childhood misadventures.
Saul's characterization and Odenkirk's performance received critical acclaim. Odenkirk was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series six times for his performance in Better Call Saul.[2]
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (February 11, 2022). "AMC Slips First Look at 'Better Call Saul' Spinoff 'Slippin' Jimmy'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ Feldman, Kate (July 12, 2022). "Quinta Brunson, Bob Odenkirk and more celebrate their 2022 Emmy nominations". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 13, 2024.