Rhea Seehorn On Kim Wexler's Journey Throughout Better Call Saul - Exclusive Interview

The "Breaking Bad" prequel series "Better Call Saul" is framed as the story of how the well-meaning but rule-breaking lawyer Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) gradually develops and is ultimately subsumed by the sleazy persona of "Saul Goodman." As the series' sixth and final season approaches, however, viewers are just as (if not more) excited to find out what happens to Jimmy's business partner and wife Kim Wexler (played by Rhea Seehorn).

While Jimmy plays things loose and is often out of his depth, Kim has been a steadfast professional in the pursuit of justice. This professionalism, however, doesn't mean she's on the straight and narrow; initially amused and intrigued by Jimmy's antics, it eventually becomes clear that not only will she overlook her partner's dirty deeds but is willing to do some herself in order to pursue her goals. In the Season 5 finale, she announced her intentions to ruin the reputation of her former boss Howard Hamlin, a plot which is sure to only intensify throughout Season 6.

Looper got the chance to speak with Rhea Seehorn about her character and her experiences working on "Better Call Saul" in advance of the Season 6 premiere. Given the need to avoid spoilers, there's naturally a lot of things she's not allowed to say, but her answers provide insight into the process of developing a fan-favorite character, as well as her new directorial projects and what the future of the "Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul" universe may hold.

"Breaking Bad" viewers know where Jimmy McGill, Mike Ehrmantraut, Gus Fring, and so on end up, but Kim Wexler's fate is one of the big wild cards for "Better Call Saul." Did you have any idea what your character's story arc would look like when you first started working on "Better Call Saul"?

No, not at all. It was a character that I built with pieces of jigsaw puzzles at a time until I kept making a larger and larger portrait of this person. What I didn't know backstory-wise or subtext-wise, I made up myself.

Was there any point in the series where everything was finally clear, or is it still a work in progress even going into the final season?

Lucky for me, with the kind of expert writing we have on this, there's always some mystery to a person left. They make these three-dimensional characters that are never completely knowable, which is fun for an actor.

For much of the series run, Kim's story has been running in parallel with the drug trade plot line. There have been a lot of characters in the show you basically never interacted with, but in Season 5, the two stories started to finally connect with Kim saving Jimmy from Lalo. Are we to expect more crossover between plot lines in Season 6?

I can't say too many specifics, but as Bob [Odenkirk] has said, [with] the Venn diagram of these two stories, there's never been more crossover than this season. People are inviting a lot of danger into their lives.

They just announced the other day that Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are back [in "Better Call Saul"] as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman [from "Breaking Bad"]. Is there anything you're allowed to say about that?

Not a peep. Wasn't that fun that they announced that, though?

Yeah. Obviously you can't say what's going to happen. I don't know if a question about what's not happening is too spoiler-y as well, but are there any actors you didn't get to share a scene with this season that you really wanted to?

I love my whole cast. I've spent time with all of them off screen, but some of the ones that I never got to have scenes with ... The pauses are because I'm never sure what's a spoiler and what's not. I did have the pleasure of directing people in [Season 6, Episode 4], which was a blast as well.

You're directing an episode this season. I know you're also directing the "Cooper's Bar" spinoff web series. Can you tell me a bit about that?

Yes. It's so much fun and I can't wait for people to see it. It is not a spinoff as far as a relationship to "Better Call Saul." It is because I, as a human, am in it, and I'm in "Better Call Saul," but it's not "Kim Wexler walks into a bar." It is a completely separate entity that's [made up of] these really fun eight-to-ten-minute shorts. There's six of them loosely based on Louis Mustillo, the wonderful character actor's real life. I play a horrible network executive, and it's a lot of fun. It should be out soon.

At this point, who do you think is more corrupt: Jimmy or Kim?

As she says in the trailer, "Do you really think we're wicked?" I could ask you, "Do you really think we're corrupt?" They both are very flawed. They are going down similar rabbit holes and we'll see who can pull the brakes.

Now, completely separate from your answer to that last question: Who would you want representing you in court?

I feel like it depends on what kind of trouble I was in. It seems like Jimmy would be able to get you out of some really sticky situations, but Kim, I don't know... I might pick Kim.

Do you want to elaborate on that answer at all?

Kim and Jimmy are both extremely intelligent. I, in my real life, don't take risks very well. I'm risk-averse, and even though Kim has begun to act very risky, she tries to cross all her T's and dot all her I's in a way that would make me more comfortable [than with Jimmy].

Last question: Years ago, Vince Gilligan said to the Sydney Morning Herald that if any character in the "Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul" universe was going to get their own show next, it would be Kim Wexler. Does this still look like a possibility? Is it something you would want to do?

I want to do anything that they want to do because of the quality of writing and the quality of people. They're wonderful humans on top of being genius writers, but they have said publicly and they've said to me as well, they definitely need to take a break from that universe for a little while. We'll see what they do next, but anything they wanted to do with Kim or without Kim, I'd be in. I'd be game, I should say. I'd have to have them let me be in it.

The sixth and final season of "Better Call Saul" premieres Monday, April 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC.