January 29th 2024.
Bob Odenkirk recently discovered something quite surprising about his family history. The Better Call Saul actor, who was raised in Chicago as one of seven siblings in a Catholic household, has always been proud of his German and Irish heritage. However, he never would have guessed that he is actually related to King Charles.
In an upcoming episode of the genealogy series Finding Your Roots, Bob learns that he and the current King of the United Kingdom are actually eleventh cousins. This revelation comes as quite a shock to the 61-year-old actor, who has never considered himself a monarchist. He explains, "I'm an American. I'm not a monarchist. I don't believe in that."
Bob's roots are traced back five generations to his fifth great-grandfather, Friedrich Carl Steinholz, who was born in Plön, Germany in 1755. Steinholz's mother had conceived him out of wedlock with the Duke of Plön, who was related to the royal families of Europe through intermarriage.
Before learning about his royal connection, Bob had expressed his belief in democracy and the progress it has brought. However, upon discovering his link to King Charles, he jokes, "Well maybe I'll change my mind on that."
But Bob's journey into his family history is not without some lighthearted teasing from the show's host, Henry Louis Gates Jr. When Bob declares that he's not a monarchist, Gates jokes, "You ain't been royal for more than five minutes!" to which Bob replies with a laugh.
In addition to his surprising family history, Bob has also faced some personal challenges in recent years. In 2021, he suffered a small heart attack on the set of Better Call Saul. He took some time off to recover and returned two months later to finish production on the final season.
Reflecting on his health scare, Bob says, "I think about it every day." But he also credits his positive energy and mindset for helping him through it. He explains, "I had a strange kind of upbeat energy literally the next day, and every day. It was because I had a mind wipe every night."
Despite the ups and downs, Bob is grateful for his journey and for the opportunity to learn more about his family history. Better Call Saul is currently streaming on Netflix, and Finding Your Roots airs on PBS in the United States.
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