Bob Odenkirk joins The Bear season 2 in mystery guest role

Bob Odenkirk has joined the cast of The Bear season 2 in a guest role, Variety reports – but details of his character are being kept tightly under wraps.

The Hulu comedy-drama stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmy, a young chef who's the next big thing in the world of fine dining, but decides to come home to Chicago to run his late brother's failing Italian beef restaurant after his death by suicide. 

Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Lionel Boyce also star as Carmy's staff at The Beef, and season 1's guest stars included Jon Bernthal as Carmy's late brother Mikey, along with Molly Ringwald, Joel McHale, and Amy Morton.

The show has achieved critical acclaim since it premiered in June 2022 (before following on Disney Plus in the UK in October) – it was nominated for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes, and White took home the gong for Best Actor at the same ceremony. 

Odenkirk is perhaps best known for his role as Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill in Breaking Bad and its prequel series Better Call Saul. For the latter, his performance as the conman-turned-lawyer-turned-criminal defense attorney has been nominated for five Golden Globes and five Emmys. He also recently starred in the AMC comedy series Lucky Hank and the 2021 action thriller Nobody. 

The Bear season 2 is expected to arrive on the small screen in June 2023. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of the year's best new TV shows.