--- description: Michael McKean will join Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks in the upcoming Breaking Bad prequel, set to premiere in November on AMC title: "Better Call Saul" adds its first non-"Breaking Bad" cast member image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e69a479d80075c8/69868d4ee53aba63904d25d0/487269219.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Better Call Saul_ Casts Its First Non-_Breaking Bad_ Alum by [Megan Gibson](/author/megan-gibson/) ## Megan Gibson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 1, 2014 4:08 PM CUT  Actor Michael McKean attends the 41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on April 28, 2014 in New York City. Actor Michael McKean attends the 41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on April 28, 2014 in New York City.Jim Spellman--WireImage by [Megan Gibson](/author/megan-gibson/) ## Megan Gibson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 1, 2014 4:08 PM CUT [_Better Call Saul_ ](http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/breaking-bad-prequel-better-call-saul-michael-mckean-cast/?utm%5Fsource=dlvr.it&utm%5Fmedium=twitter "undefined")has started to fill out its cast list — and the upcoming _Breaking Bad_ spin-off has just added its first non-_Bad_ alum to the show: Michael McKean of _This Is Spinal Tap_ and _Planes, Trains and Automobiles_ fame_._ The AMC show, which is billed as a prequel to the drug-crime drama, focuses on the shady but quick-witted lawyer Saul Goodman (played by the excellent Bob Odenkirk) before he gets caught up with the turmoil featured in the original series. Also appearing in the prequel will be Jonathan Banks, who once again plays Saul’s fixer Michael “Mike” Ehrmantraut. [Deadline reports](http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/breaking-bad-prequel-better-call-saul-michael-mckean-cast/?utm%5Fsource=dlvr.it&utm%5Fmedium=twitter "undefined") that McKean will play an all-new character, Dr. Thurber, describing him as “a brilliant attorney who is now restricted by an unusual affliction.” The new series is slated to premiere in November, but there’s still no word if either Bryan Cranston’s Walter White or Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman will have some sort of cameo. We don’t think it’s too much to ask for a quick glimpse of a pre-meth kingpin Walt meekly helping out Saul at the car wash. \[[Deadline](http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/breaking-bad-prequel-better-call-saul-michael-mckean-cast/?utm%5Fsource=dlvr.it&utm%5Fmedium=twitter "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/83900/better-call-saul-casts-its-first-non-breaking-bad-alum/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/83900/better-call-saul-casts-its-first-non-breaking-bad-alum/"},"headline":"Better Call Saul Casts Its First Non-Breaking Bad Alum","datePublished":"2014-05-01T16:08:30.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:35:55.990Z","description":"Michael McKean will join Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks in the upcoming Breaking Bad prequel, set to premiere in November on AMC","url":"https://time.com/83900/better-call-saul-casts-its-first-non-breaking-bad-alum/","keywords":["Television","breaking bad","Better Call Saul"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e69a479d80075c8/69868d4ee53aba63904d25d0/487269219.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan Gibson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/megan-gibson/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e69a479d80075c8/69868d4ee53aba63904d25d0/487269219.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala - Arrivals","caption":"41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala - Arrivals","creditText":"Jim Spellman--WireImage","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/83900/better-call-saul-casts-its-first-non-breaking-bad-alum/","name":"Better Call Saul Casts Its First Non-Breaking Bad Alum"}}]}] ```