Decades before Better Call Saul first aired, the seeds for the show’s main character Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) were planted in a classic Saturday Night Live personality. Jimmy shares similarities with a character Odenkirk wrote for SNL nearly thirty years ago: Matt Foley (Chris Farley), a crass, over-caffeinated motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river. At first glance, Foley seems a far cry from Jimmy, but the SNL character’s origins demonstrate that he has more in common with Better Call Saul’s leading man than first meets the eye.
Better Call Saul is a spin-off prequel of the highly successful Breaking Bad series. It follows quick-witted defense attorney Jimmy McGill before he adopted the pseudonym “Saul Goodman” (a play on the catchphrase “It’s all good, man”). Jimmy works as a public defender in Albuquerque but struggles to make ends meet, living in the shadow of Chuck McGill (Michael McKean), his older brother and well-respected partner in an established law firm. Down on his luck and desperate for a break, Jimmy creates a hit-and-run scheme to make some fast cash, only to have his plan backfire and leave him in the crosshairs of an extremely violent cartel figure. Jimmy’s goal to become more like his successful brother suddenly becomes far more complicated as he is drawn further into Albuquerque’s dark criminal underworld, increasingly endangering him and those close to him.
Jimmy McGill’s story is undoubtedly more dramatic than Foley’s, but they share a similar “underdog” characteristic. On Saturday Night Live, Foley would motivate by shock, storming into a living room, very caffeinated, and addressing two hip teens about the dangers of smoking marijuana. He is prone to pratfalls and mayhem, but demonstrates genuine zeal for his work and a warmhearted nature, made possible by Farley’s one-of-a-kind physical comedy. Similar character traits can be seen in Jimmy McGill, making it seem as though Odenkirk’s creation of Matt Foley gave him an insight into the Better Call Saul character.
Despite Foley’s exaggerated demeanor, Odenkirk insists that he wrote the character from a place of sincerity. In an interview (via Chicago Tribune), Odenkirk noted Farley’s performance as the reason viewers adored Matt Foley, noting “there was no one more sympathetic than [Farley].” For all the character’s faults, Foley consistently expressed a vibrant personality and devotion to his work, making it impossible for viewers to dislike him. He is a flawed character with good intentions and a big heart, played perfectly by Farley.
In Better Call Saul, Odenkirk’s concept for Matt Foley seems to have carried over to how he portrays the character of Jimmy McGill, though the show’s emphasis is placed first on crime drama, with comedy a close second. Jimmy’s greatest flaw is his complete lack of an ethical code, which isolates him from his brother and his colleagues. At times his behavior truly shocks the conscience. At the same time, Jimmy is also a hard-working lawyer who strives to prove his worth to others and ensure the well-being of his clients. Many Better Call Saul viewers have come to root for Jimmy because beneath his self-absorbed exterior lies a warm, compassionate soul, much like Foley’s.
Better Call Saul season 6 premieres on AMC and AMC+ on April 18, 2022.
