Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ Award-winning actor Bob Odenkirk was feted as 2023 Man of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals, which included a roast during which he donned a pink dress over his clothes. Best known as shady lawyer Saul Goodman on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” Odenkirk received his Pudding Pot award at the celebratory roast ahead Thursday of a preview of the troupe’s 174th production, “COSMIC RELIEF!” “I’m thrilled and surprised and I’m knocked out by what’s happening today,” Odenkirk, 60, said. “It’s been fun meeting all these students. It’s a crazy honor.” Hasty Pudding Theatricals, which dates to 1844 and calls itself the third-oldest theater group in the world, since 1967 has handed out a Man of the Year Award to those who’ve made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment. Odenkirk said of his pink dress: “It fits. It’s nice. It makes me look sharp,” adding, “And I like the little bears.” The student presenters referenced many of his roles, going all the way back to 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. He also read a comedically disjointed acceptance speech. “As I’ve stated repeatedly throughout this speech, comedy and acting go hand in hand like a pendulum swinging up and down like a clock that’s broken but appears to work,” he said. At the close of the event, he was asked to press his hands into a tray of butter — a la The Hollywood Walk of Fame — as part of a new ad campaign, “Butter Call Saul.” Odenkirk complied and was handed his pudding pot.
■ Former pop star Gary Glitter was released from prison in England on Friday after serving half of a 16-year sentence for sexually abusing three young girls in the 1970s. The 79-year-old singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was freed from a prison in Dorset in southwest England. It is common for offenders in the U.K. to be freed halfway through their sentences and be placed on probation. The singer was found guilty of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl younger than 13. Glitter is best known for the hit “Rock & Roll (Part 2),” released in 1972, but he fell into disgrace after being convicted on child abuse charges in Vietnam.