Patton Oswalt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patton Oswalt
Oswalt at the San Diego Comic-Con 2017
Born	(1969-01-27) January 27, 1969 (age 55) Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	College of William & Mary (BA)
Occupation	Stand-up comedian actor screenwriter
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Michelle McNamara ​ ​ (m. 2005; died 2016)​ Meredith Salenger ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	1
Relatives	Matt Oswalt (brother)
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up television film
Genres	Observational comedy black comedy surreal humor insult comedy sarcasm satire deadpan
Subject(s)	American culture American politics human behavior pop culture current events religion

Patton Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His acting roles include Spence Olchin in the sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007) and narrating the sitcom The Goldbergs (2013–2023) as adult Adam F. Goldberg. After making his acting debut in the Seinfeld episode "The Couch", he has appeared in a variety of television series, such as Parks and Recreation, Community, Two and a Half Men, Reno 911!, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Archer, Veep, Justified, Kim Possible, Modern Family, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He portrayed Principal Ralph Durbin in A.P. Bio (2018–2021) and Matthew the Raven in the TV series The Sandman (2022–present).

Oswalt has voiced Remy in the animated film Ratatouille (2007), Max in the animated film The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) where he replaced Louis C.K., Jesse (male) in the game Minecraft: Story Mode, and M.O.D.O.K in the 2021 animated series of the same name. Other film credits include Man on the Moon (1999), Zoolander (2001), Blade: Trinity (2004), All Roads Lead Home (2008), Big Fan (2009), A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011), 22 Jump Street (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. (2014–2020) and voiced Pip the Troll in Eternals (2021). He was also in the web series Best of the Worst in 2019.

As a stand-up comedian, Oswalt has appeared in six stand-up specials and won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special and a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the album of his Netflix 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 officer. He was named after General George S. Patton. Oswalt is of Italian, Irish, German, English, and Scottish descent. He has one younger brother, Matt Oswalt, a comedy writer best known for writing and starring in the YouTube 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 in 2006

Oswalt began performing stand-up comedy on July 18, 1988. After writing for MADtv 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 alongside Kelsey Grammer. 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. His first starring film role was as the voice of Remy, the lead character in the 2007 Academy Award-winning Pixar film Ratatouille. He has also appeared in smaller roles in such films as Magnolia and 22 Jump Street.

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! series WordGirl in 2007. He also appeared on the Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner. He appeared on the Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav 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 cast at the San Diego Comic-Con International in 2008.

Oswalt played Paul Aufiero, the leading role in Robert D. Siegel's 2009 directorial debut, Big Fan. He was set to star in a 2010 Broadway revival of Lips Together, Teeth Apart. 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 as Neil, an employee of Four Winds Landscaping. He also provided the voice of Thrasher, a robot protagonist from the Cartoon Network show Robotomy.

Oswalt emceed the 2010 BookExpo America, promoting his then-upcoming book Zombie Spaceship Wasteland and introducing the evening's panelists: Christopher Hitchens, William Gibson, and Sara Gruen. Oswalt released Zombie Spaceship Wasteland in 2011.

Oswalt played the role of Hurlan Heartshe in the 2011 surrealist comedy miniseries The Heart, She Holler on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. 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. He played Billy Stanhope, ex-best friend of Ashton Kutcher's Walden Schmidt on Two and a Half Men 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. He later appeared in separate episodes as brothers Eric 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 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's character TV's Frank. The program premiered on Netflix in 2017.

Also in 2017, lifelong film fan Oswalt provided the voice of horror icon Boris Karloff in several episodes of film critic Karina Longworth’s podcast You Must Remember This, for the season entitled “Bela and Boris”.

Oswalt had a voice-over role in science fiction comedy film Sorry to Bother You, which was released in theaters on July 6, 2018.

Oswalt replaced Louis C.K. in the 2019 animated film The Secret Life of Pets 2, as the voice of main character Max. In addition, he reprised his role as Professor Dementor in the Disney Channel Original Movie Kim Possible, a live-action adaptation of the 2002-2007 animated series.

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 at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International

Oswalt's stand-up comedy covers topics ranging from pop culture frivolity, such as comic book supervillains and 1980s glam metal, to deeper social issues like American excess, materialism, foreign policy, and religion. He also discusses his atheism in his stand-up. He recorded his third comedy album at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on February 28, 2009. It premiered on Comedy Central 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 in November 2009. The track does not appear on any albums. The audio is claimed to be recorded at Lisner Auditorium 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 Epix, but was pushed back by the company for unknown reasons. However, it did premiere on Comedy Central 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 on April 22, 2016. For the album, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special 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, 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.

He was featured on the celebrity version of Jeopardy! on January 26, 2023.

On March 24, 2023, it was confirmed that Oswalt had joined the cast of the upcoming Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Personal life

Oswalt married true crime writer and journalist Michelle McNamara on September 24, 2005. Their daughter Alice was born in April 2009.

McNamara died in her sleep in the family's Los Angeles, California home on April 21, 2016. Her death was attributed to a combination of a previously undiagnosed heart condition and complications from ingested medications (Adderall, Xanax, and Fentanyl). 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. 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 announced they had made an arrest in the Golden State Killer case. Oswalt posted a brief video to Instagram, 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 [McNamara] wanted answered in her 'Letter to an Old Man'" at the end of her book.

Oswalt is a longtime comic book fan, particularly a DC Comics fan, which he has discussed in his stand up. He has written a few issues for comics.

In July 2017, he and actress Meredith Salenger confirmed their engagement. 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, 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, Richard Pryor, Emo Philips, Blaine Capatch, Jim Goad, Bill Hicks, Bobcat Goldthwait, Sam Kinison, Steve Martin, and Louis C.K.

Oswalt endorsed Barack Obama for re-election as president in 2012. Oswalt was an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump. In January 2019, following an intense Twitter feud with a Trump supporter, he donated $2,000 to the man's GoFundMe fund created to help cover his medical expenses.

Discography

Comedy albums

Stand-up comedy specials

EPs

• Melvins/Patton Oswalt split 7 (2006) with Melvins
• Comedians of Comedy Tour (2006)
• The Pennsylvania Macaroni Company (2006) with Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, and Eugene Mirman
• Frankensteins and Gumdrops (2008) - available during the WFMU pledge drive

Compilation album appearances

• Beth Lapides's Un-Cabaret – The Un & Only (2002)
• Beth Lapides's Un-Cabaret – The Good, The Bad, and the Drugly (2006)
• Comedy Death-Ray (2007)

Filmography

Film

Television

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	Seinfeld	Video Store Clerk	Episode: "The Couch"
1995–97	MADtv	Crip in Wheelchair	1 episode; also writer
1996	NewsRadio	Gym Member	Episode: "The Trainer"
1996, 1998	Mr. Show with Bob and David	Famous Mortimer, Man in Restaurant, Blind Man on Balcony	2 episodes
1997	The Weird Al Show	Seymour	Episode: "Bad Influence"
1998	Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist	Patton	Voice, 2 episodes
	Pulp Comics: Margaret Cho	Various	Television special
1998–2007	King of Queens, TheThe King of Queens	Spence Olchin	122 episodes
2000	Batman Beyond	Eldon Michaels	Voice, episode: "Sentries of the Last Cosmos"
	Super Nerds	Leslie	Pilot
2000–04	Static Shock	Specs	Voice, 3 episodes
2002	The Man Show	Weepum Buzzkillus	Uncredited; episode: "Juggy Car Wash"
	Home Movies	Helmet	Voice, episode: "Renaissance"
2002–03	Crank Yankers	Boomer	Voice, 4 episodes
2003–06	Aqua Teen Hunger Force	DP, Skeeter, Ezekial	Voice, 3 episodes
2003–07	Kim Possible	Professor Dementor	Voice, 10 episodes
2004	The Fairly OddParents	Crimson Chin Writer	Episode: "The Big Superhero Wish"
	Tom Goes to the Mayor	Zynx	Voice, episode: "Pioneer Island"
2004–20	Reno 911!	Various	12 episodes
2005	Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker	Carter Bogie	Episode: "Kids Putt-Putt/Double Dutch"
2006	Clark and Michael	Realtor	1 episode
	Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner	Roaster	Television special
	Squidbillies	Shecky Chucklestein	Episode: "Survival of the Dumbest"
	Amazing Screw-On Head, TheThe Amazing Screw-On Head		Voice, pilot
2006–07	Batman, TheThe Batman	Toymaker, Marty Slack	Voice, 2 episodes
2007	Human Giant	Various	3 episodes; also consultant writer
	SpongeBob SquarePants	Jim	Voice, episode: "The Original Fry Cook" Mistakenly credited as "Patton Oswald"
	Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav	Roaster	Television special
	Reaper	Leon	Episode: "Leon"
2007–08	Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!	Joshua Beard, Beaver Boys Doctor	3 episodes
2007–21	American Dad!	Various voices	5 episodes
2007–15	WordGirl	Tobey McCallister III	Voice, recurring role
2008	Lewis Black's Root of All Evil	Himself	6 episodes
2009	Flight of the Conchords	Elton John Impersonator	Episode: "Prime Minister"
	The Venture Bros.	Wonderboy	Voice, episode: "Self-Medication"
	Dollhouse	Joel Mynor	2 episodes
2009–10	Community	Nurse Jackie	2 episodes
2009–11	United States of Tara	Neil	21 episodes
	Bored to Death	Howard Baker	4 episodes
2010	The Sarah Silverman Program	Vincent Van Guy	Episode: "A Good Van is Hard to Find"
	Neighbors from Hell	Pazuzu	Voice, 10 episodes
	Caprica	Baxter Sarno	6 episodes
	Glenn Martin, DDS	Volunteer Center Guy	Voice, episode: "Volunteers"
2010–11	Robotomy	Thrasher	Voice, 10 episodes
2011	Futurama	Unattractive Giant Monster	Voice, episode: "Benderama"
	Jon Benjamin Has a Van	Steven Drears	Episode: "House on the Lake"
	Little Mosque on the Prairie	Florist with Tourette's Syndrome	Deleted scenes Episode: "An Arranged Marriage"
	Raising Hope	Rubin	Episode: "Bro-gurt"
2011–14	The Heart, She Holler	Hurlan	28 episodes
2012	The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange	Clyde the Pac Man Ghost	Voice, episode: "Generic Holiday Special"
	Bob's Burgers	Moody Foodie	Voice, episode: "Moody Foodie"
	Metalocalypse	Dr. Bartholomew Grahsrihajul, Klokateer	Voice, 2 episodes
	Burn Notice	Calvin Schmidt	3 episodes
2012–13	Two and a Half Men	Billy Stanhope	5 episodes
2012, 2014	Comedy Bang! Bang!	Himself	2 episodes
2012, 2017	The Simpsons	T-Rex, Bart's Guilt	Voice, 2 episodes
2013	Portlandia	Thor83	2 episodes
	Parks and Recreation	Garth Blundin	Episode: "Article Two"
	Yo Gabba Gabba!	Croackey	Voice, episode: "Dinosaur"
	Brooklyn Nine-Nine	Fire Marshall Boone	2 episodes
2013–15	Axe Cop	Sockarang	Voice, 12 episodes
	Justified	Constable Bob Sweeney	6 episodes
2013–2023	The Goldbergs	Adult Adam F. Goldberg	Voice, 121 episodes
2014	29th Independent Spirit Awards	Himself (host)	Television special
	Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee	Himself	Episode: "How Would You Kill Superman?"
2014–17	Doc McStuffins	Count Clarence	Voice, 4 episodes
2014	Mighty Med	Ed, The Exterminator	2 episodes
	Modern Family	Ducky	Episode: "Las Vegas"
	Gravity Falls	Franz	Voice, episode: "The Golf War"
2014–20	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.	The Koenigs	9 episodes
	BoJack Horseman	Pinky Penguin, Various Voices	Voice, 14 episodes
2015	Battle Creek	Mayor Hardy	Episode: "Cereal Killer"
	Maron	Himself	Episode: "Anti-Depressed"
	Rick and Morty	Beta Seven	Voice, 1 episode
	The Adventures of Puss in Boots	Francisco	Voice, episode: "Luck"
2015–18	Pickle and Peanut	Papa	4 episodes
2015–19	Veep	Teddy Sykes	11 episodes
	We Bare Bears	Nom Nom	Voice, recurring role
2016	Archer	Alan Shapiro	Voice, 6 episodes
	Inside Amy Schumer	AMZ Host	Episode: "Madame President"
	Lady Dynamite	Himself	3 episodes
	TripTank	Pegasus	Voice, episode: "Crime Scene Investigation"
	Bajillion Dollar Propertie$	Derek Young	Episode: "Baxter's Confession"
	Full Frontal with Samantha Bee	Himself	Television special
2016, 2019	My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic	Quibble Pants	Voice, 2 episodes
2016–19	Those Who Can't	Gil Nash	4 episodes
2017	Zoolander: Super Model	Dr. Botoxo	Voice, television film
	Santa Clarita Diet	Dr. Charles Hasmedi	Episode: "We Can't Kill People!"
	69th Writers Guild of America Awards	Himself (host)	Television special
	Dimension 404	Uncle Dusty	Episode: "Cinethrax"
	Difficult People	Kenny Jurgens	Episode: "Fuzz Buddies"
	HarmonQuest	Sandpole	Episode: "Back to Sandman Desert"
2017–18	Crazy Ex-Girlfriend	J. Castleman	2 episodes
	Justice League Action	Space Cabbie	Voice, recurring role
2017–present	Mystery Science Theater 3000	Max	33 episodes
2017–19	Happy!	Happy	Voice, main role
2017–20	Mickey and the Roadster Racers	Maynard McSnorter	Voice, 9 episodes
	Spider-Man	Uncle Ben, Chameleon	Voice, recurring role
2018	Robot Chicken	Brock, Doug Funnie, Flamingo	Voice, episode: "Strummy Strummy Sad Sad"
	Another Period	Interviewer	1 episode
	Spy Kids: Mission Critical	Mint Condition	Voice, episode: "The Vinyl Countdown"
	Pig Goat Banana Cricket	Jimmy Ron Cricket	Voice, episode: "Jimmy Ron Cricket"
	Niko and the Sword of Light	The Prince of Whale	Voice, episode: "Sky Whale City"
2018–21	Big Hero 6: The Series	Mr. Frank Sparkles	Voice, recurring role
	A.P. Bio	Principal Ralph Durbin	Main role
2019	Schooled	Adult Adam	Voice, episode: "Be Like Mike"
	Kim Possible	Professor Dementor	Television film
	An Emmy for Megan	Himself	6 episodes
	Veronica Mars	Penn Epner	8 episodes
	Teen Titans Go!	Atom	Voice, episode: "Strength of a Grown Man"
2019–20	Will & Grace	Danley Walker	3 episodes
2020	DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders	Oscar	Voice, episode: "King Burple"
	Home Movie: The Princess Bride	Vizzini	Episode: "Chapter Four: Battle of the Wits"
	Mapleworth Murders	Jerry Sprinks	5 episodes
	The Boys	Deep's Gills	Voice, episode: "Proper Preparation and Planning"
2021	Bless the Harts	Vohnnie Ray Power	Voice, episode: "Crappy Death Day"
	Family Guy	Tyler	Voice, episode: "Brief Encounter"
	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Harry Baskin	Episode: "The Mini Bar"
	Santa Inc.	Peter Rabbit	Voice, episode: "Spring Awakening"
	M.O.D.O.K.	George Tarleton / M.O.D.O.K.	Voice, main role; also writer
2021–22	The Ghost and Molly McGee	Mayor Brunson	Voice, 5 episodes
	The Conners	Don Blansky	3 episodes
2022	Space Force	Captain Lancaster	2 episodes
	Star Trek: Picard	Spot 73	Voice, episode: "Penance"
	Gaslit	Charles Colson	3 episodes
	The Boys	Himself	Episode: "Herogasm"; cameo
	Big City Greens	Mr. Fluffenfold	Voice, episode: "DependaBill/The Delivernator"
	The Sandman	Matthew the Raven	Voice, 7 episodes
	Inside Job	TSA Guy	Voice, episode: "We Found Love in a Popeless Place"
	Storybots: Answer Time	Mr. Super Snowy Icy Cone Guy	Episode: "Ice"
2023	Celebrity Jeopardy!	Himself	3 episodes
2023	What We Do in the Shadows	Himself	Episode: "Exit interview"; cameo
TBA	Manhunt	Lafayette Baker	Upcoming miniseries

Video games

Music videos

Web series

Theme park attractions

Podcast

Awards and nominations

Emmy Awards

Grammy Awards

Miscellaneous awards

See also

In Spanish: Patton Oswalt para niños