Why Bob From Halloween Kills Looks So Familiar

The "Halloween" franchise is a massive one, filled with the high levels of death, carnage, and gore that one can always expect from a slasher series. However, observant fans may recall the character of Bob Simms (John Michael Graham) all the way back in the first "Halloween" film in 1978. One of the many victims during Michael Myers' original reign of terror, Bob was killed with a knife while searching for an alcoholic beverage. It's probably one of the more memorable deaths in the original "Halloween."

For "Halloween Kills," director David Gordon Green wanted to reference Michael's kills of old, but when he couldn't track down original Bob actor Graham, he went in an unusual direction instead. According to CinemaBlend, Green came across a photo of a young Bob Odenkirk and thought that he resembled Graham enough to reach out to Odenkirk and ask to use his likeness. Fortunately, he signed off on the deal.

So when fans sit down in a theater or in front of their televisions to stream "Halloween Kills" when it releases on October 15, they may find that this particular version of Bob looks awfully familiar. Here are some key roles that you may remember from Odenkirk's filmography.

Comedy fans may remember Bob Odenkirk from his days on the HBO series "Mr. Show with Bob and David." This show had fictionalized versions of Odenkirk and David Cross ("Arrested Development") performing sketches in various settings. It was unique in that these sketches did not just take place on a stage, but featured filmed, pre-recorded segments. "Mr. Show with Bob and David" ran from 1995 to 1998 and comprised four seasons in its original run. While it was never a smash hit for HBO, HuffPost called it an underrated show that still inspires up-and-coming comedians.

In 2015, Netflix pretty much revived the series, though with a slightly different title in "W/ Bob & David" for a four-episode run. Once again, the show was well-received by critics and audiences, garnering an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. There haven't been any new episodes since then, but according to an A.V. Club interview with Cross in 2016, it's mainly to do with scheduling conflicts. While perhaps not a show that lives on the same levels of popularity as some of Odenkirk's later series, "Mr. Show with Bob and David" and its more recent counterpart both offer a nice display of Odenkirk's comedic timing and relevance.

In 2009, Bob Odenkirk first portrayed criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill, aka Saul Goodman, on "Breaking Bad." He would then reprise the role on the spinoff-slash-prequel series "Better Call Saul." This is likely to be Odenkirk's most memorable role that fans will remember, given the enduring popularity of "Breaking Bad," which is often cited as one of the best television shows of all time (per Forbes). That's not to say that "Better Call Saul" hasn't been showered in praise, either. In fact, Odenkirk has been nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy four times during his tenure on the show.

"Better Call Saul" shows how the character evolves from a lawyer trying his best to be honest to the despicable and greedy man that he's eventually shown to be in "Breaking Bad." The sixth and final season of "Better Call Saul" is set to premiere in 2022, and will likely spell the end of Odenkirk's time as the character, which has spanned across two shows and several years of work. While the series may be ending, the actor will likely be remembered for the role for years to come.

Steven Spielberg is probably one of the most recognizable and renowned directors of all time. From horror classics like "Jaws" to science fiction films like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," to the much-beloved "Indiana Jones" franchise, even the most casual viewer will likely know a Spielberg film or two. From time to time, the director also likes to tackle political thrillers and dramas as well. In 2017, he did just that with "The Post," a film based on a true story that centers on journalists attempting to publish controversial information contained in the "Pentagon Papers" (per History).

The film also marked a big moment for Odenkirk, who was cast in the Spielberg film as associate editor of The Washington Post named Ben Bagdikian. It was a juicy role for the actor, and let him match talents with stars like Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Sarah Paulson. "The Post" was even nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress for Streep at the 90th Academy Awards (via Oscars). While Odenkirk himself wasn't nominated for an Oscar, it was still a highly prestigious project for the actor. 

While "Better Call Saul" especially has led to a lot of awards and nominations for Bob Odenkirk, it's clearly led to other juicy roles in big Hollywood projects. The most recent of these is "Nobody," an action-thriller film starring Odenkirk as a bonafide action hero named Hutch Mansell. "Nobody" was positively received by fans and critics, with the latter group giving it an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. It also grossed a decent $55 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of only $16 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

"Nobody" was written by "John Wick" scribe Derek Kolstad, so it's easy to wonder if the writer has any intentions to turn this into a franchise as well. According to Joblo, Kolstad is in the process of writing a script for a sequel, though it has yet to be greenlit by Universal or any other studio for that matter. Kolstad has even expressed interest in doing a crossover between "Nobody" and "John Wick," though director Ilya Naishuller has implied that this would be hard to do, given that they're both distributed by different studios (per IndieWire).