Bob Odenkirk opens up about heart attack on 'Better Call Saul' set: 'I just went down'
Bob Odenkirk is opening up about the heart attack he suffered while on the set of the "Better Call Saul" in July.
Crew members called an ambulance that took Odenkirk to a hospital after he collapsed on set, a person close to Odenkirk who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told The Associated Press at the time.
A few days later, Odenkirk tweeted a health update saying he was "going to be ok" and that the doctors were able to "fix the blockage" that caused the heart attack without surgery. In an interview with The New York Times published Wednesday, Odenkirk, 59, detailed the moments that led up to the heart attack.
"I’d known since 2018 that I had this plaque buildup in my heart,” Odenkirk said. "One of those pieces of plaque broke up."
More: Bob Odenkirk says he's OK after suffering a 'small heart attack' on 'Better Call Saul' set
The actor said he got conflicting opinions from doctors after they discovered the blockages: one told him to start on medication and another said he could wait. He went with the second opinion.
Odenkirk said on the day of the heart attack, he turned on the Chicago Cubs game and began to ride his workout bike during a break from filming. He added he was relieved he didn't go all the way to his trailer after knowing what would soon come.
"I just went down,” he said, adding that co-star Rhea Seehorn said he started "turning bluish-gray right away.”
Because he doesn't remember much of the incident, he said he's relied on Seehorn and others who were around to recall the life-threatening experience.
After medics came and hooked him up to the defibrillator, he got "that rhythm back" and was whisked away to the hospital where doctors put two stents in his body to relieve the plaque buildup.
Health update: Bob Odenkirk in stable condition after 'heart-related' collapse on 'Better Call Saul' set
His health scare prompted a flood of support from his family, fans and his "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" co-stars, including Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.
"Please take a moment in your day today to think about him and send positive thoughts and prayers his way, thank you," Cranston wrote on Instagram, while Paul added, "I love you my friend."
Odenkirk said the love he received was "overwhelming."
"Thank you. To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week," he tweeted at the time. "And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me. It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much."
Odenkirk has been nominated for four Emmys for playing the title character, a down-on-his-luck lawyer named Jimmy McGill who becomes increasingly corrupt and adopts the pseudonym Saul Goodman. The series is expected to air its final season this year after releasing the first teaser Monday.
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bob Odenkirk discusses heart attack he had on 'Better Call Saul' set
