Bob Odenkirk honored as Hasty Pudding’s Man of the Year

Bob Odenkirk, recipient of its 2023 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award, was asked to put on a costume during his roast at Harvard's Farkas Hall.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Bob Odenkirk, the Emmy-winning actor, producer, and writer, was honored Thursday night with the venerable golden pudding pot as the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ Man of the Year.

Odenkirk, 60, stood before a packed theater wearing a frilly pink dress as members of the Hasty Pudding took turns poking fun at him and his career, according to video footage of the event.

“It fits. It’s nice. It makes me look sharp,” Odenkirk said, according to a CBS Boston report. “And I like the little bears.”

Bob Odenkirk was the recipient of the 2023 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award Thursday night at Farkas Hall in Cambridge. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Bob Odenkirk, the recipient of the 2023 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award, kisses the pudding pot after he was roasted in a ceremony at Farkas Hall. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Hasty Pudding Theatricals has named a Man of the Year since 1967, with past honorees such as Clint Eastwood, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks, and Robert De Niro, according to the group’s website. The event features a celebratory roast and cheeky skits and concludes with a preview of an upcoming Hasty Pudding production in Harvard’s historic Farkas Hall.

Odenkirk is perhaps best known for his roles in “Breaking Bad,” and its spin-off, “Better Call Saul.” At one point during the festivities, when he pressed his hands into a tray of butter, a spoof on the celebrity handprints on Hollywood Boulevard, students proposed a new name for his celebrated series: “Butter Call Saul.”

“‘Better Call Saul’ made such a figurative impression on the world, and we thought that ‘Butter Call Saul’ could make a much more literal impression,” one student quipped, according to video footage from 7News Boston.

Of course, Odenkirk’s career isn’t limited to his role as Saul Goodman, Hasty Pudding members reminded the audience.

“You may also recognize Bob from his 2019 romantic comedy, ‘Long Shot,’” a student said. “Which coincidentally, was also the slogan for his Oscar campaign.” Oof.

Odenkirk was also asked to draw a full-body sketch of a cast member in just 30 seconds.

“I’m trying,” he said in video footage, laughing as a clock counted down. “Stop being mean!”

It was all in good fun: The evening concluded with a slightly less frivolous press conference, where Odenkirk reflected on his lengthy and varied career. In 2021, he suffered a massive heart attack on the set of “Better Call Saul,” which shifted his life perspective, he said.

“It would have been hard to even agree to be a part of this before [the heart attack]. But I think that heart attack made me realize that, you know, we only have a limited time,” Odenkirk said.

Actress Jennifer Coolidge was selected as Hasty Pudding’s Woman of the Year, and will be feted on Saturday.