With Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody 2 just around the corner, the Netflix thriller Girlfriend’s Day deserves a second look for first showcasing this Breaking Bad star’s unexpected edge as an action hero. As a neo-noir murder mystery where Odenkirk plays a lowly greeting card writer, this hidden gem quietly laid the groundwork for his new, gritty, action star persona.

With a script co-written by Odenkirk himself, Girlfriend’s Day unceremoniously dropped on Netflix in 2017 but hasn’t had nearly the same impact as this Mr. Show star’s best-known work. However, it’s an important film in understanding Odenkirk’s recent output that seemed to act as a trial run for his role as the former ᴀssᴀssin Hutch Mansell in Nobody.

Girlfriend’s Day Laid The Foundations For Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody

Odenkirk Played The Greeting Card Writer Ray Wentworth

While Girlfriend’s Day isn’t a full-blown action movie in the way that Nobody is, it did mark a turning point in Odenkirk’s career toward more action-oriented, darker, and violent work. As a comedy star known for collaborations with David Cross, there’s always an enjoyable sense of humor underpinning Odenkirk’s performances across film and television.

In Girlfriend’s Day, Odenkirk played the depressed, divorced writer Ray Wentworth, who is drawn into a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly conspiracy centered around a new holiday commemorating girlfriends. As Wentworth searches for inspiration, he ends up with more than he’s bargained for as he’s entangled in a conspiracy of rivaling companies fighting to win a contest for the best greeting card.

With an offbeat noir style that was punctuated with violent outbursts, Girlfriend’s Day allowed Odenkirk to play with a more hardened aesthetic than viewers were used to from him. These were traits that Odenkirk refined even further in Nobody, which signaled his true breakout as an action star.

Bob Odenkirk Has Emerged As A Compelling Action Hero Post-Better Call Saul

The Nobody Series Has Been An Interesting Career Pivot For Odenkirk

While Bob Odenkirk spent much of his earlier career making idiosyncratic comedies and appearing in popular sitcoms, his role as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul has opened the doors to many more incredible opportunities. Having already proved himself as both a comedic and dramatic actor, Odenkirk’s recent action work has showcased him as incredibly versatile.

Not a lot of people saw Girlfriend’s Day, but it helped bridge the gap between his comedy credentials and newly discovered action star potential. With the character of Hutch Mansell, Odenkirk proved he’s got the ability to portray an older action hero, and if he keeps it up, he could mimic icons like Liam Neeson as a late-career action star.