ATM: Was being cast in “Better Call Saul” a little like winning the lottery?SEEHORN: Oh yeah, you’re on cloud nine. Just looking at the people involved in this show, you know as an actor that you’ve hit the lottery. Your starting point is blissful, then they start announcing the cast and say, by the way, you’ll be doing scenes with Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Michael McKean, and later with Patrick Fabian and Michael Mando. It’s only going to get better after that.ATM: Most overnight successes are 20 years in the making. You’ve worked

with Neil Simon in his Broadway hit 45 Seconds and have done network television sitcoms, but are you kind of hoping this will be your breakout role?SEEHORN: I hadn’t thought about it. Really, the first time you think you’ve made it is the first time anyone pays you to tell a story, to play a character, to walk in someone else’s shoes, and take people on a journey from Point A to Point B. It is amazing to get to do a one-hour drama at this point in my career, especially with this cast, these writers, and these producers.

I don’t try to put too much weight on whether this will change my life one way or another. ATM: Not much has been released publicly … can you tell us a little more about your character, Kim Wexler?SEEHORN: I’m not allowed to say much, but I do play a lawyer at one of Albuquerque’s most prominent law firms. I play Saul’s love interest. We have a history together, as our paths have crossed before in complex ways. I think people in Albuquerque will fall in love with this character. She’s written with the intelligence that Vince and Peter write their other characters. It’s sort of an onion-layer-peeling-type effect, where you keep discovering new things about the person. As a viewer, when I’m watching characters, that’s what makes me fall in love with them. I like to go on a journey, and I like to discover who they are, and I like to watch them discover themselves, too. They’ve certainly allowed me to do that as Kim. I hope that makes for a ride that people want to take.

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A ctor Bob Odenkirk turned his “Breaking Bad” character Saul Good-man into a cult classic. The wacky lawyer is beloved in Albuquerque and around the world.

Now, we’re all about to fall in love with actress Rhea Seehorn. She plays Kim Wexler, an intelligent lawyer whose path crosses with Goodman in Sony Pictures’ “Breaking Bad” prequel, “Better Call Saul,” which debuts this month on AMC.

An experienced Broadway actress, Seehorn has an innate sense of comedic timing. With dozens of film and television credits, she has already won over the hearts of “Better Call Saul” show co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.

Before the show’s premiere, we caught up with Seehorn to learn more about her role in the highly anticipated one-hour drama series.

Rhea SeehornThe “Better Call Saul” lead actress isn’t focused on celebrity, fame, or riches. In fact, her sights are set on taking viewers on a transformational journey.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH OUR LEADERS AND DIFFERENCE-MAKERS

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ATM: Vince Gilligan is on record say-ing that he’d never write a less-than-perfect woman character again. Are you, as Kim, his next perfect female character?SEEHORN: I’m pretty sure that Vince and Peter said that tongue in cheek, because they write real people. Their characters are all three-dimensional. They have all sorts of sides to them. To me, those are the most interesting characters to play and the most interesting to watch. ‘Perfect,’ meaning perfectly flawed? I would get behind that.ATM: As co-creators of the show, were Vince and Peter responsible for casting you?SEEHORN: Yes, they were both there for the screen test, which was great. They direct you during the audition, which means they ask you to do a scene in many, many different ways. It’s the best situation an actor can ask for, because you leave auditions like that knowing you’ll get to make this character up with incredible people who want nothing more than for

me to be my best. It’s the most you can hope for in an audition.ATM: Was it the same once you were on location and shooting scenes, or was the audition set up to look at your range of acting skills?SEEHORN: It depends. Everyone is interested in working through a scene multiple times, trying to get to the heart of it. But you’re not improving. The writing is so strong and the narrative so well flushed out. Still, they’re interested in everyone bringing something to the table and working on a scene until it’s the best it can be.ATM: Will viewers have to be pa-tient as this story line develops as they were with the early episodes of “Breaking Bad?”SEEHORN: I didn’t find “Breaking Bad” to be slow, and I don’t think “Better Call Saul” is slow. They’re both stories of transformation. “Better Call Saul” is an origin-style story. It’s become very popular with superhero tales coming out

of Hollywood right now. In the hands of Peter and Vince, it is super heroic to watch an everyman’s tale unfold. So really, it’s more about letting the audience find you, and letting them get in the car and go on the drive with you. I think the pace is exactly as it should be. You just hope to stay on the air long enough to let everyone get in the car.ATM: Speaking of fans, Aaron Paul spent a lot time connecting with viewers via his social media accounts. Will you be using your own Twitter account to engage with viewers di-rectly?SEEHORN: I would love that. I don’t always read everything that’s printed about myself or a show, because obviously, it can be damaging, whether it’s high praise or its horrible words. But with Twitter, in general, you can have a really witty, fun, and honest back-and-forth with fans. I’ve done that with some of the other shows I’ve been on. It would be great fun if that’s what happens here. —PETER ST. CY R

SEEHORN’S ABQ BUCKET LISTLast June, AMC announced it was

renewing “Better Call Saul” for a second season, so we asked Seehorn to tell us some of the things she wants to do that she didn’t have time for during Season 1.• “The Albuquerque International

Balloon Fiesta is on top of my list. I actually got up at 4 a.m. the day after working to get on the shuttle to go down to the park, but winds were too heavy and the balloons didn’t go up. I want to watch Dawn Patrol.”

• “Riding the tram to the top of Sandia Crest is also something I definitely want to do when I come back.”