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Wait, This Famous ‘Breaking Bad’ Star Is Related to King Charles?!

Saul Goodman = royalty

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Breaking Bad Cast CAT2
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Who knew King Charles had a secret celebrity relative as part of his family tree? And from the cast of the hit show Breaking Bad, no less. 

While appearing on the PBS show Finding Your Roots, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul alum Bob Odenkirk discovered that he’s related to the British monarch. 

In an episode teaser shared by Rolling Stone back in January, host Henry Louis Gates Jr. told the 61-year-old actor that they are 11th cousins. After learning about his royal ancestry, Odenkirk said with a laugh, “That is crazy.”

Bob Odenkirk and King Charles CAT
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images and Monica Schipper/Getty Images

As it turns out, Odenkirk and His Majesty are connected through his father’s side. According to the actor, his dad (who was named Walter) left the family when Odenkirk was 15 years old. So, Odenkirk never knew much about his father’s ancestry. 

In the episode, Gates Jr. further explained Odenkirk’s connection to the royal fam. Here’s the breakdown: His dad’s fifth great-grandfather was born out of wedlock to parents Maria Catharina Bein and the Duke of Plön. 

Still, Odenkirk had a hard time believing his royal connection, telling Gates Jr., “I’m an American. I’m not a monarchist. I don’t believe in, uh, that. You know, I feel like it’s a little twisted. I understand why society built itself around monarchs and leaders, and they passed them down through generations.”

The Nobody star continued, “I understand that goes through every society, every civilization. But I think that we’ve gotten to a better place with democracy and we should keep going down that road.”

We wonder if the king is a Saul Goodman fan...


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Assistant Editor, News And Entertainment

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