Smashing It in a Personal and Relatable Action Franchise About Tenacity, Family and Everyday Woes: Bob Odenkirk and Connie Nielsen Talk 'Nobody 2'

"I do love this film." So advises Bob Odenkirk, exclaiming his fondness for Nobody 2 as soon as he starts chatting with Concrete Playground. As evident to everyone who sees the sequel to Nobody, that affection is already splashed across the screen. The same proved true in 2021, too, when the franchise's first movie initially gave its star a chance to switch up from leading one of TV's greatest-ever tragedies and series overall, aka Better Call Saul, with a jump into action mode. His task: playing Hutch Mansell, a seemingly ordinary suburban dad with a past that meant that he was never going to let gun-wielding thieves break into his home and upset his family life with his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen, Gladiator II) and their two children (Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent's Gage Munroe and Harland Manor's Paisley Cadorath) without making those responsible pay for it.

The debut picture set Hutch against the Russian mafia, all to take care of his loved ones. That isn't Mr Show with Bob and David and Breaking Bad alum Odenkirk's IRL path at all, but elements of Nobody were indeed personal. The idea to begin with started with him in his prime Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill/Gene Takovic days. And, as the Nobody 2 director Timo Tjahjanto (The Shadow Strays) explained back when the sequel's initial trailer dropped, "the first film is also sort of based on what happened to Bob in real life — the whole idea that he was confronting this thing that happened in his house, when somebody broke into his house. So he exorcised that sort of, I guess, trauma, by writing a script or writing a story."

Four years later, with a movie that follows the Mansells on vacation to Plummerville — Hutch's dad David (Christopher Lloyd, Wednesday) included — this is still a action-flick saga with IRL connectioms for its lead. In his childhood, Odenkirk once went on a similar getaway. Again, the exact scenario that awaits Hutch isn't how its star's real life panned out; however, links to reality remain, including in exploring Plummerville's criminal element. Getting personal and relatable has always been baked into the Nobody films as well in a broader sense, given that both hone in on someone trying to do the best for their nearest and dearest. That's Hutch's emotional journey. Crucially for Nielsen, she tells us, the same applies to Becca.

Nobody 2 kicks off pre-holiday, with Hutch working off his $30-million mob debt from the feature's predecessor, and barely spending time at home as a result. Becca isn't thrilled. Cue the trip, at Hutch's suggestion, to Plummerville's Wild Bill's Majestic Midway and Waterpark — a place with youthful memories for the film's protagonist. Of course, running afoul of the corrupt owner of the local theme park (John Ortiz, The Madness), a take-no-prisoners crime boss (Sharon Stone, The Flight Attendant) and underhanded law enforcement (with And Mrs' Colin Hanks as the sheriff) wasn't on anyone's dream vacation itinerary.

Writing for Saturday Night Live, plus featuring in everything from Nebraska, Fargo, Little Women, Undone and Lucky Hank to The Bear and Glengarry Glen Ross on Broadway, are all on multiple Emmy-nominee Odenkirk's resume. Whether as Hutch in the Nobody films or as Jimmy-slash-Saul, he's been especially focused on bringing to life figures who refuse to get knocked down and stay down for over 15 years now, though — but that's a trait that he stresses he believes applies to everyone. Indeed, there's always a relatability-meets-wish fulfilment mix to Hutch, Becca and the situations they're in. Who can't relate to struggling with work-life balance, or their partner's lack thereof? Or a holiday not quite panning out the way you'd hoped and wanting to set that right? Or protecting those most important to you?

Nobody 2 sees Nielsen on-trend in her own career. For the second time in less than a year, she's returning to a big-screen part. First came Lucilla in Gladiator II; now follows Becca. While both are formidable women, as she has played repeatedly across a career that started with screen roles in the 80s and also spans The Devil's Advocate, Rushmore, Brothers, Wonder Woman, Origin and plenty beyond, it is particularly satisfying and gratifying to portray someone who is meant to be an everywoman — as Hutch is an everyman — and who demonstrates that she too, like all women, can hold her own, she notes.

Alongside digging into why Nobody 2 is personal, and its focus on family as well as everyday woes — amid and sometimes through the action setpieces — Odenkirk and Nielsen also chatted with us about the origins of all things Nobody, further fleshing out Becca's story in the sequel, tenacity and more.

On Whether Odenkirk Was Keen to Find His Next Recurring Character Beyond Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad — and What He Was Looking For

Bob: "I didn't really think on the grand scale that you've described to me. I was really thinking about how Better Call Saul, to my surprise, was pleasing people in countries around the world.

I really was mystified initially that Better Call Saul played so well in Italy and Romania and Russia and even England — and everywhere. I actually asked a journalist in Europe 'how do you understand the show? Do you have lawyers like this?'. And they said 'well, we've seen a lot of American entertainment and we understand enough about American culture to understand who Saul is in his community, in his world'.

And then I saw that it played in China, and it gave me the thought 'well, if I did an action film, that could play around the world, too' — because action is fairly simple and easy to follow. And the value or the kind of drive of the film is easy to relate to.

So I asked my manager 'what about an action film?' — and I thought he'd laugh me off the phone, but he did not. He said 'I get what you're saying. That could work'."

On Nielsen's Opportunity to Further Build and Flesh Out Becca Mansell in Nobody 2

Connie: "I think Bob is just such a generous writer. He just writes all these situations where the humanity of his wife is just so clear. There is a wisdom that he builds into Becca — and a zenness, like a knowingness, that I find so attractive about Becca.

Becca is patient, but she's not long-suffering. The difference is huge. And she is critical but never blames, never uses blame. She holds him accountable for the sake of the family, for what's best for all of them, but not to control.

So there's this wonderful way you can build a character, and I think that Bob just really writes that into Becca since day one.

I remember the first time when I read the first script and the reason why I decided I wanted to do it, even though I knew that they wouldn't be developing Becca until the second installation — I just knew that I wanted to do it because there was this sensitive, beautiful scene of two people sleeping with a pillow in-between them. And they're both awake, and they just can't figure out how to how to ford that river between them.

And I just thought that I've never seen that in an action movie, something as sensitive as that. And I just love that."

On Nobody 2's Personal Ties for Odenkirk, as the First Nobody Also Sported

Bob: "Nobody 2 is about a family going on vacation. When I was a kid, we went on two vacations: one to the Illinois State Fair and one to the Wisconsin Dells. And the Wisconsin Dells are just like Plummerville — or at least they were 35, well 45 years ago, when I went on vacation to them.

They're mostly water-based. There's duck boats. There's a guy who owns all the attractions in town — just like Wyatt Martin, played by John Ortiz.

Wisconsin is where Al Capone ran his booze through. He actually had a home there, in Lake Geneva, I believe. So all that stuff that The Barber [Colin Salmon, EastEnders] says to Hutch, 'used to be a bootlegging route' — that's true of this place where I used to go. All of that is true.

The backroads of Wisconsin was where they ran alcohol up to Canada during prohibition, ran it out to the other states, ran it through to Wisconsin.

So all that stuff is based on my memories of childhood — and also Derek Kolstad [John Wick], who wrote the movie, his memories. He grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, very close to the Wisconsin Dells.

So yes, this movie too is connected to my personal experience."

On Doing What's Best for Your Family Always Being at the Heart of the Nobody Films, Even as Action Movies Filled with Violence and Vengeance

Connie: "It really is, and I think that that's what attracted me to the story — is that it always stays grounded in something real. There's a real family there, kids, and the real community as well.

So I love it when you see writing that just makes the small things come alive, because they are the ones that we just inherently use to create reference points to who we are all the time, and I love that kind of writing."

On What Appeals to Odenkirk About Playing Characters Who Refuse to Get Knocked Down and Stay Down, and Are Determined to Bounce Back Up However They Can

Bob: "Well, you can say that they're special people or they're indefatigable spirits, but I actually think that's actually pretty common. Most people I know don't quit until they're forced to. They kind of just don't quit. People don't quit.

Sometimes I think people are limited by what they imagine they'd be capable of. And that limits them more than their spirit of fighting.

I think most people fight pretty hard."

On What's Satisfying and Gratifying for Nielsen About Portraying Formidable But Also Relatable Women

Connie: "I think the most important thing is really showing normal people trying to address the enormous difficulties of living. There's just so much stuff that's hard to do.

Family is hard. Relationships are hard. Jobs are hard. And just showing that, I think, at the same time as you're also entertaining, I think that makes people feel like they're seen — that their lives make sense, because everybody is going through that.

So I think I really respond to writing where I see a real human struggle, and I also see indicators for where it becomes meaningful — like, that struggle has meaning."

Nobody 2 opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 14, 2025.