Bob Odenkirk Told Marc Maron About His Near-Death Experience: ‘The Whole Heaven Thing Is a Hoax’

We all know the clichés about humor being a defense mechanism, or a way to inject levity into dark issues. 

That said, you know someone is truly funny, down to the marrow, when they can react to some of the scariest times in their own life with perfect off-the-cuff quips. While on Conan O’Brien’s podcast recently, Marc Maron shared that beloved comedian and actor Bob Odenkirk didn’t let an admittedly terrifying heart attack affect his comedic chops.

Maron said that he was texting with Odenkirk while the latter was in the hospital, which by chance was the Albuquerque hospital where Maron’s father once worked. Even Maron, not known for his restraint, kept it simple, texting: “Glad you’re okay. It’s scary. It’s Maron.” 

What he received back is the message everyone wants to receive, and has been lucky enough to if they’ve got a funny and lucky friend: a joke with the power to assuage his fears like a perfectly concocted salve. “Super scary, Marc,” Odenkirk shot back. “I basically died for a little while. And I have to say, I saw nothing.”

Just like that, Odenkirk demonstrated why everybody loves him, bringing the conversation from scared, shared blubbering to good old fashioned banter. From a hospital bed, they were right back to riffing, Maron following up with, “Glad my hometown hospital was there for you. Welcome back from the nothing.” 

Even with less-than stellar circulatory activity, Odenkirk saw the lob and spiked it down with aplomb, replying, “Big time, excellent docs and nurses at Presbyterian, on the ball. I’m doing great. By the way, I saw exactly no light when I was dead. The whole heaven thing is a hoax. Follow the money.”

A lot of comedians love to joke about death. It’s not surprising, given that it’s an industry made up almost exclusively of people with anxiety disorders. Not to mention, ones that are also terrified of being forgotten. It’s one thing to thumb your nose at the Grim Reaper as a perfectly healthy 25-year-old, however, and another to roast him when he’s standing right at your bedside. 

Honestly, for a comedian, not seeing heaven is probably a relief on some level. If you did, you’d probably have to do a lot of rethinking, and buy some vestments and a robe — though it’s a pretty clear playing field on the born-again Christian comedy circuit.