Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Odenkirk receives ‘crazy honor’
Actor and writer Bob Odenkirk was feted Thursday as 2023 Man of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
Odenkirk, best known as lawyer Saul Goodman on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” received his Pudding Pot award at a celebratory roast.
“I’m thrilled and surprised, and I’m knocked out by what’s happening today,” he said following the roast. “It’s been fun meeting all these students. It’s a crazy honor.”
Hasty Pudding Theatricals has handed out a Man of the Year Award since 1967. The awards are given out to people who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.
During the 20-minute roast, Odenkirk was asked to don a pink dress over his clothes. “It fits. It’s nice. It makes me look sharp,” he said. “And I like the little bears.”
The student presenters also referenced many of his past roles, including his early years writing for Saturday Night Live. They also repeatedly poked fun at his thinning hair.
“I’ve tried everything. Supplements. Plugs. Devil worship,” he quipped during a sketch in which he read cue cards held up by students on stage.
At the end of the event, he was asked to press his hands into a tray of butter — ala The Hollywood Walk of Fame — as part of new ad campaign, “Butter Call Saul.” Odenkirk complied and was handed his pudding pot.
Obama launching podcast
based on book: Michelle Obama’s recent celebrityfilled book tour is becoming a podcast. Audible has announced that the former first lady will launch the “Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast” on March 7. It’s based on Obama’s tour promoting her recent bestselling book, “The Light We Carry,” which featured special guests such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Tyler Perry and David Letterman.
“Though only a few thousand people were able to attend the events live, these remarkable conversations can now be heard by everyone,” Audible said in a news release. The eight-episode podcast “goes beyond the book as Michelle Obama and her friends share personal stories and insights listeners won’t encounter anywhere else.”
Book to share back story
of ‘Airplane!’: “Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!” will be published Oct. 3 by St. Martin’s Press, the publisher has announced. The oral history of the 1980 comedy classic includes memories from the writing-directing team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, along with comments from surviving cast members and famous admirers.
The blockbuster spoof stars Leslie Nielsen, who died in 2010, and a cast ranging from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julie Hagerty to Robert Stack and Barbara Billingsley.
“With anecdotes, behind-the-scenes trivia and never-before-known factoids, these titans of comedy filmmaking unpack everything,” according to St. Martin’s.
Feb. 6 birthdays: Actor Mamie Van Doren is 92. Actor Mike Farrell is 84. Journalist Tom Brokaw is 83. Singer Fabian is 80. Actor Michael Tucker is 78. Actor Robert Townsend is 66. Actor Kathy Najimy is 66. Musician Axl Rose is 61. Singer Rick Astley is 57. Journalist Amy Robach is 50. Actor Anna Diop is 35. Singer Tinashe is 30.