Rex Linn On Working With Girlfriend Reba McEntire In The Hammer

I also wanted to ask about “Better Call Saul.” You’ve been a key player in that throughout the series. Now that it’s concluded its run, what are your thoughts on that?

I got to tell you, brother, I’m having an old … We’re working on “Big Sky” right now. I’m having a “Better Call Saul” reunion [with] about half the crew. [“Big Sky” films in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as did “Better Call Saul.”]

[Regarding] “Better Call Saul,” I’ll make this short. I loved, as millions of people did, “Breaking Bad.” I auditioned for Uncle Jack in “Breaking Bad.” I didn’t get it. They hired a guy named Mike Bowen … He was amazing as Uncle Jack. I would’ve hired him, too.

I got the opportunity to play Kevin Wachtell. I auditioned. When they called and said, “We want you for one episode, for sure,” I was so happy, because I was going to be a part of that whole legacy. Vince Gilligan, all I can hear is how great he was, how great Peter Gould was.

Then I started getting [several episodes in] Season 2, and then Season 3. They started … They would hint to me that perhaps Kevin is going to be instrumental down the road, but whenever you hear that, most of the time, it doesn’t materialize. Boy, did it ever in “Better Call Saul.” I am so happy, so proud to be a part of it.

Rhea Seehorn’s performance … I won’t give it away for people who haven’t seen it, but her performance in this particular episode, she should have already been nominated for five Emmy awards. I cannot … It’s one of the biggest travesties in our business that she’s not been nominated until now. That’s ridiculous. She is phenomenal. In that last episode, as you know, she was really unbelievable.

To be a part of that family … John Lithgow, one of my dearest friends, he is a “Better Call Saul” freak. He calls periodically and says, “Are you aware that you’re on one of the best shows ever?” I say, “I know, man.”

Then they had me back for the season premiere of Season 6. I was so happy to come back. I’ve been taking Reba to all the old restaurants we used to go to for “Better Call Saul.” It’s been a lot of fun. 

I said this at a cast dinner one time when we were all in Santa Monica. I never read a script of “Better Call Saul,” because I loved the show so much. When I announced that at the table, with Vince and Peter and Ray and everybody, [Bob] Odenkirk and everybody, they all looked at me like, “What did you say?”

I said, “The reason I haven’t read a script is because I don’t want to know, so I go straight to Kevin Wachtell’s dialogue, all of his scenes, highlight it, study it, leave it alone, and watch the episode.”

Jonathan Banks, who’s one of my dearest friends over the last 30 years, he got mad at me, as a matter of fact. He’d call up and I’d go, “Well, don’t tell me anything.” He’d say, “Would you stop saying that? I’m not going to tell you anything.” I would tell Rhea, “I don’t want to know what’s going on.”

I do know one thing. He’s not in the final episode of “Better Call Saul” … In the script when it said, when I leave the country club, and at the bottom of it says, “Kevin Wachtell looks at Saul one last time.” I knew it was … … I was really glad they had me back.

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