Patton Oswalt
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Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is known as Spence Olchin in the sitcom ''
The King of Queens ''The King of Queens'' is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, a total of nine seasons and 207 episodes. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who also served as the show ...
'' (1998–2007) and for narrating the sitcom '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–present) as adult Adam F. Goldberg. After making his acting debut in the '' Seinfeld'' episode " The Couch", he has since appeared in a variety of television series, such as '' Parks and Recreation'', '' Community'', ''
Two and a Half Men ''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, t ...
'', '' Drunk History'', ''
Reno 911! ''Reno 911!'' is an American comedy television series airing on Comedy Central. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically '' Cops'', with comic actors playing the police officers. Thomas Lennon, Ro ...
'', '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'', ''
Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
'', '' Veep'', '' Justified'', '' Kim Possible'', and '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', portraying Principal Ralph Durbin in '' A.P. Bio'' (2018–2021) and Matthew the Raven in the TV series '' The Sandman'' (2022–present). Oswalt is also known for voicing Remy in the
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film ''
Ratatouille Ratatouille ( , ), oc, ratatolha , is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables which originated in Nice, and is sometimes referred to as ''ratatouille niçoise'' (). Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include ...
'' (2007), Max in the Illumination film ''
The Secret Life of Pets 2 ''The Secret Life of Pets 2'' is a 2019 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Illumination, directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Jonathan del Val, and written by Brian Lynch. It is the sequel to '' The Secret Life of Pets'', ...
'' (2019) (replacing Louis C.K. from the first film), and M.O.D.O.K in the 2021 Hulu
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...
of the same name. Other notable film credits include '' Man on the Moon'' (1999), ''
Zoolander ''Zoolander'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the '' VH1 Fashion Awards'' television ...
'' (2001), '' Blade: Trinity'' (2004), '' All Roads Lead Home'' (2008), '' Big Fan'' (2009), '' A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas'' (2011), ''
22 Jump Street ''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American satirical buddy cop action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman and produced by and starring Hill and Channing Tatum ...
'' (2014), and '' The Circle'' (2017). In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) multimedia franchise, Oswalt guest starred as the Koenigs on ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, an ...
'' (2014–2020) and voiced
Pip the Troll Pip the Troll is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He made his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film '' Eternals'' (2021), voiced by Patton Oswalt. Publication history Pip the T ...
in '' Eternals'' (2021). He also made a notable appearance on the
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, '' Best of the Worst'' in 2019. In his work as a stand-up comedian, Oswalt has appeared in six stand-up specials and also won a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for Variety Special is awarded to one television special each year. In the 1960s and between 1979 and 2008, specials competed alongside nominees for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. In th ...
and a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for his
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special ''Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping'' (2016).


Early life

Oswalt was born on January 27, 1969, in Portsmouth, Virginia, the son of Carla and Larry J. Oswalt, a career
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
officer. He was named after General George S. Patton. Oswalt is of
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,
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, German, English, and Scottish descent. He has one younger brother, Matt Oswalt, a comedy writer best known for writing and starring in the
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web series ''Puddin. While he was a military brat, his family lived in Ohio and in Tustin, California, before settling in Sterling, Virginia. He is a 1987 graduate of Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia. He later graduated from The College of William & Mary where he majored in English and was initiated into the Alpha Theta chapter of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.


Career

Oswalt began performing stand-up comedy on July 18, 1988. After writing for ''
MADtv ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reuni ...
'' and starring in his own 1996 comedy special for HBO, he went on to garner notable roles in films and television shows with his film debut coming in the 1996 military comedy film ''
Down Periscope ''Down Periscope'' is a 1996 American military comedy submarine film directed by David S. Ward, produced by Robert Lawrence, and starring Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, and Rob Schneider along with Bruce Dern, Harry Dean Stanton, William H. Macy, ...
'' alongside
Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...
. His television debut was on the '' Seinfeld'' episode " The Couch". His most prominent and longest running role was as Spence Olchin on ''
The King of Queens ''The King of Queens'' is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, a total of nine seasons and 207 episodes. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who also served as the show ...
''. His first starring film role was as the voice of Remy, the lead character in the 2007 Academy Award-winning
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...
film ''
Ratatouille Ratatouille ( , ), oc, ratatolha , is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables which originated in Nice, and is sometimes referred to as ''ratatouille niçoise'' (). Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include ...
''. He has also appeared in smaller roles in such films as '' Magnolia'' and ''
22 Jump Street ''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American satirical buddy cop action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman and produced by and starring Hill and Channing Tatum ...
''. Oswalt wrote the comic book story "JLA: Welcome to the Working Week", a backup story in '' Batman'' #600; a story for ''Dwight T. Albatross's The Goon Noir #01'' and a story for ''Masks: Too Hot for TV''. Expanding his voice artist repertoire, he began voicing the villainous character Tobey on
PBS Kids GO! PBS Kids Go! was an educational television brand used by PBS for programs aimed at early elementary-age children, in contrast to the younger, preschool target demographic of PBS Kids. Most PBS member stations aired the PBS Kids Go! block on ...
series ''
WordGirl ''WordGirl'' (stylized as ''W✪RD GIRL'') is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled ' ...
'' in 2007. He also appeared on the '' Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner''. He appeared on the ''
Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav ''Comedy Central Roast'' is a series of celebrity roast (comedy), roast television special, specials that air on the American television channel Comedy Central. The first official ''Comedy Central Roast'' premiered on August 10, 2003. On average o ...
'' in August 2007. That same year, he appeared on an episode of '' SpongeBob SquarePants'', " The Original Fry Cook", as Jim. Oswalt moderated a reunion panel of the ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...
'' cast at the
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in 2008. Oswalt played Paul Aufiero, the leading role in
Robert D. Siegel Robert D. Siegel is an American screenwriter and film director. He is most known for his work on '' The Wrestler'' and '' The Founder''. ''The Wrestler'' won the Golden Lion at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and earned several Best Picture nom ...
's 2009 directorial debut, '' Big Fan''. He was set to star in a 2010
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
revival of ''
Lips Together, Teeth Apart ''Lips Together, Teeth Apart'' is a play by American playwright Terrence McNally. The play, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1991, concerns two straight couples who spend a weekend in a gay community. Plot A gay community in Fire Island provides a ...
''. The show was postponed, then eventually canceled, when Megan Mullally left the production after the director denied her request to replace Oswalt due to his lack of stage experience. He starred in the Showtime drama ''
The United States of Tara ''United States of Tara'' is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which aired on Showtime from 2009 to 2011. The series follows the life of Tara (Toni Collette), a suburban artist and mother coping with dissociative ident ...
'' as Neil, an employee of Four Winds Landscaping. He also provided the voice of Thrasher, a robot protagonist from the Cartoon Network show ''
Robotomy ''Robotomy'' is an American animated television series created by Michael Buckley and Joe Deasy. The series ran from October 25, 2010 to January 24, 2011 on Cartoon Network. The series revolves around Thrasher (Patton Oswalt) and Blastus ( Joh ...
''. Oswalt emceed the 2010
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, promoting his then-upcoming book ''Zombie Spaceship Wasteland'' and introducing the evening's panelists:
Christopher Hitchens Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was a British-American author and journalist who wrote or edited over 30 books (including five essay collections) on culture, politics, and literature. Born and educated in England, ...
,
William Gibson William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, hi ...
, and
Sara Gruen Sara Gruen (born 1969 in Vancouver) is an author with dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship. Her books often deal with animals and she supports numerous charitable organizations that support animals and wildlife. She is a 2007 recipient of an Alex ...
. Oswalt released ''Zombie Spaceship Wasteland'' in 2011. Oswalt played the role of Hurlan Heartshe in the 2011
surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...
comedy miniseries ''
The Heart, She Holler ''The Heart, She Holler'' is an American horror comedy television series created by Vernon Chatman and John Lee for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series premiered on November 6, 2011 and ended on December 11, 201 ...
'' on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block,
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
. Oswalt appeared in the 2011 film '' A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas''. Oswalt played Matt Freehauf in Jason Reitman's 2011 black comedy ''
Young Adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
''. He played Billy Stanhope, ex-best friend of
Ashton Kutcher Christopher Ashton Kutcher (; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former model. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a People's Choice Award, and nominations for two Young Artist Awards, a ...
's Walden Schmidt on ''
Two and a Half Men ''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, t ...
'' in 2012. As of September 2013, Oswalt narrates the TV series '' The Goldbergs''. He also had a recurring role as Constable Bob Sweeney in the fourth season of the FX series '' Justified''. Patton played the role of Agent Koenig on the TV series ''
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' is an American television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen for ABC, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, an ...
'' He later appeared in separate episodes as brothers
Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
and Billy Koenig. He continued to appear in the second season as Billy and a third brother named Sam. In season four, he also played a fourth brother, Thurston. Oswalt's memoir ''Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film'' was published by
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...
in 2015. He also voiced the male version of Jesse in '' Minecraft: Story Mode'', which was released in October 2015. Oswalt played Max in the reboot of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'', as the son of
Frank Conniff Frank Conniff Jr. ( ;) is an American writer, actor, comedian and producer, who is best known for his portrayal of TV's Frank on '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K''). He is the son of journalist and editor Frank Conniff. Early work ...
's character
TV's Frank ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...
. The program premiered on Netflix in 2017. Also in 2017, lifelong film fan Oswalt provided the voice of horror icon
Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film '' Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...
in several episodes of film critic
Karina Longworth Karina Longworth (born July 10, 1980) is an American film critic, author, and journalist based in Los Angeles. Longworth writes, hosts and produces the podcast ''You Must Remember This'', about the "secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywoo ...
’s podcast ''You Must Remember This,'' for the season entitled “Bela and Boris.” Oswalt had a voice-over role in
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
''
Sorry to Bother You ''Sorry to Bother You'' is a 2018 American surrealist black comedy film written and directed by Boots Riley, in his directorial debut. It stars Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick, Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt, Dav ...
'', which was released in theaters on July 6, 2018. Oswalt replaced Louis C.K. in the 2019 film ''
The Secret Life of Pets 2 ''The Secret Life of Pets 2'' is a 2019 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Illumination, directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Jonathan del Val, and written by Brian Lynch. It is the sequel to '' The Secret Life of Pets'', ...
'', as the voice of main character Max. In addition, he reprised his role as Professor Dementor in the
Disney Channel Original Movie Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner na ...
'' Kim Possible'', a live action adaptation of the 2002-2007
animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have eith ...
. On April 15, 2019, Oswalt joined a host of other writers in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and the practice of packaging. Oswalt's stand-up comedy covers topics ranging from pop culture frivolity, such as comic book supervillains and 1980s
glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam ...
, to deeper social issues like American excess, materialism, foreign policy, and
religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
. He also discusses his
atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...
in his stand-up. He recorded his third comedy album at the Lisner Auditorium at
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in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
on February 28, 2009. It premiered on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
as ''Patton Oswalt: My Weakness Is Strong'' on August 23, 2009, and was released on DVD August 25, 2009. An animated video of Patton's take on New Song's Christmas Shoes was posted on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
in November 2009. The track does not appear on any albums. The audio is claimed to be recorded at
Lisner Auditorium Lisner Auditorium is a performance venue sited on the Foggy Bottom campus of The George Washington University, at 730 21st Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. Named for Abram Lisner (1852-1938), a university trustee and benefactor whose will provid ...
in Washington DC. Oswalt's album ''Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour'' was released on September 19, 2011. The extended and uncensored DVD of this special was released in April 2012, a few days after its television premiere on Comedy Central. Oswalt's comedy special '' Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time'' was to be released on January 16, 2014, via online movie streaming website
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, but was pushed back by the company for unknown reasons. However, it did premiere on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
on April 6, 2014, and became available for purchase on April 8, 2014, in both DVD and CD format. Oswalt's comedy special ''Talking for Clapping'' was released on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
on April 22, 2016. For the album, he received a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for Variety Special is awarded to one television special each year. In the 1960s and between 1979 and 2008, specials competed alongside nominees for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. In th ...
and a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. Oswalt's comedy special ''Annihilation'' was released on Netflix on October 17, 2017. In an episode of ''Hiking with Kevin Nealon'' on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
, posted November 14, 2019, Oswalt confirmed a new special, ''I Love Everything'', recorded three weeks prior to the recording of the hike. It is currently airing on Netflix and was nominated for another Primetime Emmy Award. He was featured in an ad campaign for Caesars Sportsbook in 2021, playing a character named Carl.


Personal life

Oswalt married
true crime True crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events. The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 pe ...
writer and journalist Michelle McNamara on September 24, 2005. They had one daughter together, Alice, born in April 2009. McNamara died in her sleep in the family's
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,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
home on April 21, 2016. Her death was attributed to a combination of a previously undiagnosed heart condition and complications from ingested medications (
Adderall Adderall and Mydayis are trade names for a combination drug called mixed amphetamine salts containing four salts of amphetamine. The mixture is composed of equal parts racemic amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which produces a (3:1) ratio ...
,
Xanax Alprazolam, sold under the brand name Xanax, among others, is a fast-acting, potent tranquilizer of medium duration in the triazolobenzodiazepine (TBZD) class, which are benzodiazepines (BZDs) fused with a triazole ring. It is most commonly ...
, and
Fentanyl Fentanyl, also spelled fentanil, is a very potent synthetic opioid used as a pain medication. Together with other drugs, fentanyl is used for anesthesia. It is also used illicitly as a recreational drug, sometimes mixed with heroin, cocain ...
). The season-three finale of '' The Goldbergs'' was dedicated to her memory. On August 1, 2016, Oswalt announced that he had been working to complete McNamara's unfinished nonfiction book about the
Golden State Killer Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. (born November 8, 1945) is an American serial killer, sex offender, burglar, and former police officer who committed at least 13 murders, 51 rapes, and 120 burglaries across California between 1974 a ...
. In September 2017, Oswalt announced that the book, titled '' I'll Be Gone in the Dark'', was scheduled for release on February 27, 2018, and was subsequently available for preorders. Less than two months after the book's release, on April 25, 2018, the
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office (SSO), is a local law enforcement agency that serves Sacramento County, California. It provides general-service law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Sacramento County, as well as incorporated cities ...
announced they had made an arrest in the Golden State Killer case. Oswalt posted a brief video to
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, saying: "I think you got him, Michelle." He also posted on Twitter that same day, saying that he hoped to visit the suspect if he was indeed the Golden State Killer, "not to gloat or gawk - to ask him the questions that cNamarawanted answered in her 'Letter to an Old Man'" at the end of her book. Oswalt is a longtime comic book fan, which he has discussed in his stand up as well as writing a few issues for comics. In July 2017 he and actress
Meredith Salenger Meredith Dawn Salenger is an American actress. Her credits include the 1985 film ''The Journey of Natty Gann'', as the title character, and the 1989 teen comedy '' Dream a Little Dream''. Early life and education Salenger was born and raised in ...
were confirmed to be engaged. They were married in November 2017. In 2013, he teamed up with PETA, spoke out against chaining pet dogs, and sent a letter to the mayor and members of the city council of
Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
urging them to ban the practice. Oswalt is an outspoken atheist and has referred to his atheism in his comedy specials: ''No Reason to Complain'', ''Feelin' Kinda Patton'', ''My Weakness Is Strong'', and ''Finest Hour''. Oswalt's influences include
Jonathan Winters Jonathan Harshman Winters III (November 11, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American comedian, actor, author, television host, and artist. Beginning in 1960, Winters recorded many classic comedy albums for the Verve Records label. He also h ...
,
Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...
,
Emo Philips Emo Philips (born Philip Soltanec February 7, 1956) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, writer and producer. His stand-up comedy persona makes use of paraprosdokians spoken in a wandering falsetto tone of voice. The confused, childlike deli ...
,
Blaine Capatch Blaine Harold Capatch (born September 19, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian and writer. He is best known for hosting Season 2 of the Comedy Central game show ''Beat the Geeks''. Capatch was born in York, Pennsylvania, to Jean and Harold C ...
, Jim Goad,
Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—wa ...
,
Bobcat Goldthwait Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait (born May 26, 1962) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter, known for his black comedy stand-up act, delivered through an energetic stage persona with an unusual raspy and high-pitched voice. ...
,
Sam Kinison Samuel Burl Kinison ( ; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distinc ...
,
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...
, and Louis C.K. Oswalt endorsed
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
for re-election as president in 2012. Oswalt was an outspoken critic of former President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
. In January 2019, following an intense Twitter feud with a Trump supporter, he donated $2,000 to the man's
GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the be ...
fund created to help cover his
medical expenses Health economics is a branch of economics concerned with issues related to efficiency, effectiveness, value and behavior in the production and consumption of health and healthcare. Health economics is important in determining how to improv ...
.


Discography


Comedy albums


Comedy specials

EPs * '' Patton vs. Alcohol vs. Zach vs. Patton'' (2005) with
Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in ''Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show '' Late World with Zach'' on VH1. Galifianakis has starred in films including ''T ...
* ''Melvins/Patton Oswalt'' split 7 (2006) with Melvins'' * ''Comedians of Comedy Tour'' (2006) * '' The Pennsylvania Macaroni Company'' (2006) with
Brian Posehn Brian Edmund Posehn (; born July 6, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, and writer. After numerous appearances as a television guest star, Posehn acquired his first major recurring role in HBO's '' Mr. Show wi ...
,
Maria Bamford Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Her work has drawn critical acclaim and controversy because her humor often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depressio ...
, and
Eugene Mirman Eugene Boris MirmanJackson, Todd (2009). Eugene Mirman. Retrieved on May 13, 2009 from . (born July 24, 1974) is a Russian-American actor, comedian, and writer, known for playing Yvgeny Mirminsky on ''Delocated'' and Gene Belcher on the animated ...
* '' Frankensteins and Gumdrops'' (2008) - available during the
WFMU WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, i ...
pledge drive Compilation album appearances *
Beth Lapides Beth Lapides (; ) is a writer, comedian, producer and host, best known for creating Un-Cabaret. Un-Cabaret Lapides is the creator, host and producer of Un-Cabaret, a live show that has become widely acknowledged as the first alt-comedy show and ...
's Un-Cabaret – ''The Un & Only'' (2002) * Beth Lapides's Un-Cabaret – ''The Good, The Bad, and the Drugly'' (2006) * ''
Comedy Death-Ray ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which originally began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! Popularly known as ''Humani ...
'' (2007)


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Music videos


Web series


Theme park attractions


Awards and nominations


Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...


Grammy Awards


Miscellaneous awards


Bibliography


Autobiography

* ''Zombie Spaceship Wasteland'' ( Scribner, 2011) * ''Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film'' (
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...
, 2015)


Non-fiction

* ''The Overrated Book'' (co-author with Henry H. Owings,
Last Gasp (publisher) Last Gasp is a San Francisco-based book publisher with a lowbrow art and counterculture focus. Owned and operated by Ron Turner, for most of its existence Last Gasp was a publisher, distributor, and wholesaler of underground comix and books of ...
, San Francisco, 2006) * ''The Rock Bible: Unholy Scripture for Fans & Bands'' (co-author with Henry H. Owings,
Quirk Books Quirk Books is an American independent book publisher based in Philadelphia. History Before 2002, Quirk Books was a creative studio that would pitch novel ideas to other publishers. Quirk Books was founded as a publishing company in 2002 by Da ...
, Philadelphia, 2008) * *


Comics

* ''JLA: Welcome to the Working Week'' (
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, 2003) * '' The Goon: Noir'' (co-author with
Thomas Lennon Thomas Patrick Lennon (born August 9, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, director, and novelist. He plays Lieutenant Jim Dangle on the series ''Reno 911!'' Lennon is an accomplished screenwriter of several major st ...
,
Steve Niles Steve Niles (born June 21, 1965) is an American comic book author and novelist, known for works such as ''30 Days of Night'', '' Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery'', ''Simon Dark'', ''Mystery Society'', and '' Batman: Gotham County Line''. ...
, and Eric Powell,
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
, 2007) * ''
Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror The following is a list of comic book series published by Bongo Comics based on the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The first comic strips based on ''The Simpsons'' appeared in 1991 in the magazine ''Simpsons Illustrated'' (no ...
13'' (
Bongo Comics Bongo Comics Group was a comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Matt Groening along with Steve & Cindy Vance and Bill Morrison. It published comics related to the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and ''Futurama'', as well a ...
, 2007) * '' Justice League of America: The Lightning Saga'' (foreword, DC Comics, 2008) * '' Serenity: Float Out'' (Dark Horse Comics, 2010) * ''Better Days and Other Stories'' (co-author with Will Conrad, Dark Horse Comics, 2011) * ''Sky Cake!'' (co-author with Kona Morris,
Jon Olsen Jon C. Olsen (born April 25, 1969) is an American former competition swimmer, four-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Olsen was a successful relay swimmer for the U.S. national team in the late 1980s and 1990s. He has won a t ...
, Chris Henry. Godless Comics, 2012) * ''M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games'' (co-writer with Jordan Blum. Marvel Comics, Dec 2020) * ''Minor Threats'' (co-writer with Jordan Blum. Dark Horse Comics, 2022)


References


External links

* * * * * *
Patton Oswalt
at
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...

Audio interview on The Sound of Young America from PRI.
* on public radio program
The Sound of Young America ''Bullseye with Jesse Thorn'' (formerly ''The Sound of Young America'') is a public radio program and podcast based in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California, and distributed by National Public Radio (NPR). The weekly show is currently h ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oswalt, Patton 1969 births Living people 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors American atheism activists American comics writers American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American male television writers American male video game actors American male voice actors American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent American people of Scottish descent American stand-up comedians American television writers Audiobook narrators California Democrats College of William & Mary alumni Grammy Award winners Male actors from Virginia People from Portsmouth, Virginia People from Sterling, Virginia Primetime Emmy Award winners Science fiction fans Shorty Award winners Stand Up! Records artists Sub Pop artists Virginia Democrats Warner Records artists