Bob Odenkirk, the man behind Saul Goodman in the award-winning US drama Breaking Bad, was gobsmacked to learn he’s related to King Charles III.
The 61-year-old appeared on the PBS series Finding Your Roots, the US equivalent of the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? in the UK.
Delving into his family history, Odenkirk learned more about the background of his parents’ lineage which was steeped in both German and Irish ties.
Presenter Henry Louis Gates Jr turned his attention towards the monarchies of Europe given Odenkirk’s heritage before being surprised by Odenkirk’s opinions on royalty.
“I’m an American. I’m not a monarchist. I don’t believe in that,” Odenkirk explained. “You know, I feel like it’s a little twisted.”
He caveated: “I understand why society built itself around monarchs and leaders, and they passed them down through generations. I understand that goes through every society, every civilisation.
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“But I think that we’ve gotten to a better place with democracy and we should keep going down that road,” he added before reiterating: “I do.”
Gates Jr then relished the opportunity to reveal some surprising news about Odenkirk’s family history, prompting the Better Call Saul star to nervously reply: “Uh-oh!”
“You and King Charles III are 11th cousins,” Gates Jr told Odenkirk, leaving the actor open-mouthed in shock before he burst into laughter.
“Well maybe I’ll change my mind on that,” Odenkirk joked before Gates Jr teased he was already “trashing” the Royal Family after being a member for five minutes.
“That is crazy,” Odenkirk said as he tried to process the information. “I’d never even thought about that!”
Earlier in the show, Gates Jr had traced Odenkirk’s roots back over 250 years to Germany.
He discovered Odenkirk’s fifth-great-grandfather Driedrich Carl Steinholz resided in Plön, Germany in 1755.
It soon transpired that Odenkirk’s fifth-great-grandfather’s mother conceived him out of wedlock with none other than the Duke of Plön.
Bob Odenkirk was stunned to learn of his ties to the British Royal Family
PBS
The duke was related to several of Europe’s Royal Families at the time due to the numerous marriages that went on between them.
Odenkirk is best known for his roles in the Breaking Bad universe after spearheading his own spin-off Better Call Saul.
His CV also includes big-screen credits in action film Nobody, Nebraska, Little Women, The Post and many more.
