Diedrich Bader Says Lucky Hank Role Reinvigorated His Love for Acting

Diedrich Bader has had many memorable roles during this career, though as someone who’s been at it for so long, he also admits to experiencing some burnout with what he was doing before Lucky Hank came along. As someone who particularly shines with comedic roles, Bader has spent quite a bit of time in the genre, but he was eager to try something a bit different. And while AMC’s Lucky Hank, starring Bob Odenkirk in the titular role, has its humorous moments, it’s also a drama series that makes the viewer think, and that’s exactly what Bader was needing to rekindle his love for performing.

The actor shared the story in a new interview with THR. He reflected on his run in show business, making it clear he’s grateful for all he’s done up to this point. At the same time, Bader describes losing some of the passion he’d had for acting, as the roles he’d been taking were starting to feel repetitious. Bader was looking for something more outside of the box when he had the opportunity to join Lucky Hank, a series that just happened to tick all of the boxes of what he was hoping to find with his next role. As the actor explains:

“For sort of strange looking guy, I’ve had a remarkably good career. I’ve been extremely satisfied telling other people’s jokes for 35 years. But I was like, “Is that it?” I’d sort of lost energy doing it. There were a lot of things I didn’t want to do anymore, and it boiled down to — and this sounds a little snobbish — I wanted to do something smart. I wanted to do something that people could think about. I had done cotton candy for so long. There’s nothing wrong with cotton candy. It’s fantastic, but when you’ve been serving it for a long time, it gets a little sickly. [Lucky Hank] basically fell into my lap, and it was fascinating to be a part of an ensemble — and to be on location.”

Related: Exclusive: Sara Amini Hopes She Can Do 10 Seasons of Lucky Hank

Lucky Hank Was What Diedrich Bader Was Looking For

AMC

Bader notes how he typically takes jobs that don’t require leaving town, as he is a family man who loves spending as much time at home as he can. With that said, he will make exceptions for the right roles, and Veep is referred to as one show he ventured out of town for. Meanwhile, he says how he’s also been working on writing and is looking to “keep [his] options open” in terms of what’s next, but he admits that he’s in love with acting again after working on Lucky Hank.

“If I go back to doing broader comedies here and there, then I’ll pick up the writing and work harder on it. I’m keeping my options open, but I definitely fell in love with acting again doing Lucky Hank.”

You can stream Lucky Hank on AMC+.

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