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Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt by Gage Skidmore 3 (cropped).jpg
Oswalt at San Diego Comic-Con in 2017
Birth name Patton Peter Oswalt
Born (1969-01-27) January 27, 1969 (age 56)
Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Medium
Alma mater College of William & Mary (BA)
Genres
Subject(s)
Spouse
(m. 2005; died 2016)
(m. 2017)
Children 1

Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American comedian and actor. He is famous for his stand-up comedy shows and for acting in many movies and TV shows.

You might know his voice as Remy the rat in the animated movie Ratatouille (2007). He also voiced Max in The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) and M.O.D.O.K. in the 2021 animated series of the same name. He was the voice of Matthew the Raven in the TV series The Sandman (2022–present).

On TV, he played Spence Olchin in the sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007). He also narrated the sitcom The Goldbergs (2013–2023) as the adult Adam F. Goldberg. Patton Oswalt has appeared in many other popular TV shows like Parks and Recreation, Community, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He even played several different characters called the Koenigs in the Marvel show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

As a stand-up comedian, Oswalt has released several comedy specials. He won an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award for his Netflix special Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping (2016).

Early life

Patton Oswalt was born on January 27, 1969, in Portsmouth, Virginia. His father, Larry J. Oswalt, was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Patton was named after a famous general, George S. Patton. His family moved around a lot because of his father's military job. They lived in Ohio and California before settling in Sterling, Virginia.

He finished high school in 1987 at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia. Later, he went to The College of William & Mary. There, he studied English.

Career highlights

Patton Oswalt
Oswalt in 2006

Patton Oswalt started doing stand-up comedy on July 18, 1988. He also wrote for the TV show MADtv. His first big acting role was as Spence Olchin on The King of Queens.

Voice acting roles

Oswalt is well-known for his voice work in animated movies and TV shows. He was the voice of Remy, the main character in the Academy Award-winning Pixar movie Ratatouille in 2007. He also voiced the villain Tobey on the PBS Kids GO! series WordGirl.

In 2019, he became the voice of Max in the animated film The Secret Life of Pets 2. He also voiced Professor Dementor in the live-action Disney Channel movie Kim Possible. Oswalt has lent his voice to characters in BoJack Horseman, We Bare Bears, and the video game Minecraft: Story Mode. In 2021, he voiced the main character M.O.D.O.K. in the animated series of the same name.

Other acting roles

Patton Oswalt has appeared in many other films and TV shows. He had small roles in movies like Magnolia and 22 Jump Street. In 2009, he played the main role of Paul Aufiero in the movie Big Fan.

On TV, he narrated all 10 seasons of The Goldbergs. He also played Constable Bob Sweeney in the FX series Justified. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he played several brothers named the Koenigs on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He also voiced Pip the Troll in the movie Eternals.

More recently, he hosted the game show The 1% Club in 2024. He also joined the cast of the movie Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Stand-up comedy

Patton Oswalt's stand-up comedy often talks about pop culture, like comic book villains. He also discusses bigger topics like American culture and current events.

His comedy specials include:

  • Patton Oswalt: My Weakness Is Strong (2009)
  • Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour (2011)
  • Patton Oswalt: Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time (2014)
  • Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping (2016) – This one won him an Emmy and a Grammy!
  • Patton Oswalt: Annihilation (2017)
  • Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything (2020)
  • Patton Oswalt: We All Scream (2022)

Personal life

Patton Oswalt married writer Michelle McNamara in 2005. They had a daughter named Alice in 2009. Alice even did some voice acting with her father and stepmother in the TV series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.

Sadly, Michelle McNamara passed away in 2016. After her death, Patton Oswalt helped finish her book about a famous criminal called the Golden State Killer. The book, titled I'll Be Gone in the Dark, was released in 2018. Soon after, an arrest was made in the case.

In 2017, Patton Oswalt got engaged to actress Meredith Salenger. They were married in November 2017.

Oswalt cares about animals. In 2013, he worked with PETA to speak out against chaining pet dogs.

He has also spoken about his experiences with depression in his comedy. Oswalt is a supporter of the Democratic Party.

Awards and recognition

Patton Oswalt has won several awards for his work.

Emmy Awards

He won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2016 for his comedy special Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping. He also won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2022 for his work on the show Penguin Town.

Grammy Awards

He won a Grammy Award in 2017 for his album Talking for Clapping. He has been nominated for this award several other times.

Other awards

In 2013, he won a Critics' Choice Television Award for his guest role in Parks and Recreation. He has also received honors at film festivals.

Writing

Patton Oswalt has written several books and comic books.

Books

  • The Overrated Book (2006)
  • The Rock Bible: Unholy Scripture for Fans & Bands (2008)
  • Zombie Spaceship Wasteland (2011)
  • Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an ... to Film (2015)

Comics

He has written stories for various comic books, including:

  • JLA: Welcome to the Working Week (2003)
  • The Goon: Noir (2007)
  • Serenity: Float Out (2010)
  • M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games (2020)
  • Minor Threats (2022)

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Patton Oswalt para niños

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