The final episodes of Better Call Saul were already going to be a major event, and now they’ve gone and added Carol Burnett into the mix. AMC announced in a press release that Burnett would appear in a guest role during the second half of the show’s final season.
If the news proves exciting to Better Call Saul fans, well, Burnett is right there with you. “I’m thrilled to be a part of my favorite show,” she says in a statement. Her fandom for the series was documented back in 2018, when she told Jimmy Kimmel, “I’m crazy about anything Vince Gilligan writes.” Who knew she was a Breaking Baddie?
In retrospect, the writing for this cameo was on the wall earlier this year, when Burnett appeared in support of Bob Odenkirk’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony (pictured above) alongside a number of the show’s stars, including Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando, Patrick Fabian, Tony Dalton, Giancarlo Esposito, as well as Gilligan and co-creator Peter Gould. As it turns out, she wasn’t just there as a fan, but a co-star in her own right.
Burnett is, of course, a living television legend, best known for leading her iconic variety series The Carol Burnett Show. Amongst the many accolades of her career she’s won six Emmy Awards (out of a whopping 23 nominations), two Peabodys, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Though she’s best known for her comedic performances, she’s done plenty of dramatic TV as well, including roles on Desperate Housewives, Hawaii Five-Oh, and Law & Order: SVU. This isn’t even the first time she’s manifested a part for herself on one of her favorite shows: All My Children creator Agnes Nixon wrote the character of Verla Grubbs for Burnett, who was a lifelong fan of the soap.
Burnett joins Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul in helping to wrap up Better Call Saul’s critically acclaimed run. Unlike Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, not much is known about the character Burnett will be playing, besides the fact that her name is “Marion.” Fans won’t have long to wait, though, as the show returns for its final six episodes on July 11.