‘Better Call Saul’: Rhea Seehorn ‘Burst Into Tears’ While Getting Dinner With Carol Burnett

Better Call Saul Season 6 featured one of the most exciting guest stars of all time — Carol Burnett. The comedy legend appeared in episode 10, titled “Nippy.” Kim actor Rhea Seehorn has admired Burnett for a long time. She got dinner with Burnett, and things got emotional.  

Carol Burnett plays Marion in ‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6

Carol Burnett guest starred in Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 10, “Nippy.” Burnett’s character Marion is the mother of Jeff, the cab driver who recognized Gene as Saul Goodman. Gene befriends Marion when her wheelchair gets stuck in the snow, giving her a helping hand. He uses this to talk with Jeff and get him involved in a con. 

After Jeff recognizes Gene, he realizes he needs to find Jeff’s vulnerability. When the writers decided that this vulnerability would be his mother, Carol Burnett came into their minds. “Nippy” writer Alison Tatlock explained this while speaking with Entertainment Weekly.

“Once we had that conversation, the lightbulb went off because not only is Carol Burnett a big fan of both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, but we, of course, are huge fans of hers. She’s not only a legend and a trailblazer in her own right but also just an incredibly skilled and delightful actor. And we were very lucky to get her.” 

Rhea Seehorn got emotional while having dinner with Carol Burnett

Burnett’s decades-long acting and comedy career certainly make her a legend. Her sketch comedy series, The Carol Burnett Show, was one of the first of its kind to be hosted by a woman. Rhea Seehorn, who plays Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul, gushed about Burnett while appearing on Late Night With Seth Myers.

“She’s a hero to me and just an icon and someone I’ve admired forever. And so you never know what its going to be like when you meet those people. She could not be nicer. She could not be more genuine and generous and she’s a huge fan of the show,” Seehorn said.

Burnett asked Seehorn to dinner, which the actor happily accepted. “I was so excited, and I went, and I was shaking, and she started asking me about Kim Wexler’s scenes in detail. She’s a huge Kim Wexler fan, and then I burst into tears.”

‘Nippy’ writer Alison Tatlock wanted Marion to be ‘independent’

Although Gene is able to charm Burnett’s character Marion, it’s clear that she is nobody’s fool. “We wanted Marion to be smart, and we wanted her to have a little bit of grit. The word that we used a lot in the room to describe Marion was ‘independent.’ We didn’t want a shrinking violet,” Tatlock told Entertainment Weekly. 

Still, Gene was able to use the story of his dog Nippy to appeal to Marion’s softer side. And we all know how charming Jimmy McGill can be when he sets his mind to it. Tatlock was also asked if fans will see Marion or Jeff again in the final three episodes of Better Call Saul. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…” she responded. 

Watch the final episodes of Better Call Saul airing on AMC Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.