Patton Peter 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
''The King of Queens'' is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, with a total of 207 half-hour episodes spanning nine seasons. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who al ...
'' (1998–2007) and narrating the sitcom ''
The Goldbergs'' (2013–2023) as adult
Adam F. Goldberg. After making his acting debut in the ''
Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...
'' episode "
The Couch", he has appeared in a variety of television series, such as ''
Parks and Recreation'', ''
Community
A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
'', ''
Two and a Half Men'', Agent(s) Koenig in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, ''
Drunk History'', ''
Reno 911!'', ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000'', ''
Archer'', ''
Veep'', ''
Justified'', ''
Kim Possible'', ''
WordGirl'', ''
Modern Family'', ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
'' and ''
We Bare Bears''. 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), various characters in the animated series ''
BoJack Horseman
''BoJack Horseman'' is an American adult animation, adult animated tragicomedy television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. Set primarily in ...
'' (2014–2020), 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
''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American adult 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 T ...
'' (2014), and ''
The Circle'' (2017). In the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(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
The Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album is presented by the The Recording Academy, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement in comedy." The award was awarded yearly from 1959 to 1993 and t ...
for the album of his
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
special ''Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping'' (2016).
Early life
Oswalt was born on January 27, 1969, in
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. It lies across the Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth River from Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
, 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 or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
officer.
He was named after General
George S. Patton. He has one younger brother, Matt Oswalt, a comedy writer best known for writing and starring in the
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
web series ''Puddin. While he was a
military brat, his family lived in
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and in
Tustin, California, before settling in
Sterling, Virginia. He is a 1987 graduate of
Broad Run High School in
Ashburn, Virginia. He later attended the
College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public university, public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III of England, William III and Queen ...
where he majored in
English and graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
in 1991, and was initiated into the Alpha Theta chapter of the
Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. In May 2023, Oswalt was made an
honorary Doctor of Arts by William & Mary. He lived in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
in the 1990s where he said "It was cheap, so, so cheap, and I was a young, hopeful comedian."
Career

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 began performing
stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...
on July 18, 1988. After writing for ''
MADtv'' and starring in his own 1996 comedy special for
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
, 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
Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained fame for his role as the psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984–1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993–2004, and again F ...
. His television debut was on the ''
Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...
'' 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, with a total of 207 half-hour episodes spanning nine seasons. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who al ...
''.
His first starring film role was as the voice of Remy, the lead character in the 2007
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning
Pixar film ''
Ratatouille''. He has also appeared in smaller roles in such films as ''
Magnolia''
and ''
22 Jump Street
''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American adult 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 T ...
''.
Oswalt is a longtime reader of
comics
a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
, in particular
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. He discussed his love of the medium in his stand-up, and having written comics stories. He is also a
cinephile, having watched 4,000 films, including 720 films from 1995 to 1999 at the
New Beverly Cinema. such as "JLA: Welcome to the Working Week", a backup story in ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' #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.
His work in
roast comedy includes appearances in the ''
Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner'' in 2006 and the ''
Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav'' in August 2007. That same year, he appeared on an episode of ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'', "
The Original Fry Cook", as Jim. Oswalt moderated a reunion panel of the ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000'' cast at
San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
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 ''
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
Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was a British and American author and journalist. He was the author of Christopher Hitchens bibliography, 18 books on faith, religion, culture, politics, and literature. He was born ...
,
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
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
's late-night programming block,
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
. 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.
From September 2013 to May 2023, Oswalt narrated all 10 seasons of 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
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur 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-N ...
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 LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
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. That same year, he provided the voice of horror icon
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...
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
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
''
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
An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. 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
Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a coo ...
.

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
Materialism is a form of monism, philosophical monism according to which matter is the fundamental Substance theory, substance in nature, and all things, including mind, mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. Acco ...
,
foreign policy
Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
, and
religion
Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...
. He also discusses his
atheism
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...
in his stand-up. He recorded his third comedy album at the Lisner Auditorium at
George Washington University
The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...
in
Washington, D.C., on February 28, 2009. It premiered on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
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 an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
in November 2009. The audio was recorded at
Lisner Auditorium in
Washington, D.C.
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 streaming website
Epix, but was pushed back by the company for unknown reasons. However, it did premiere on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
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 is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
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
The Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album is presented by the The Recording Academy, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement in comedy." The award was awarded yearly from 1959 to 1993 and t ...
.
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 an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
, 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 first season of the primetime ''
Celebrity Jeopardy!'' from January 12 to February 2, 2023.
In 2024, Oswalt joined the cast of ''
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'' playing the character Dr. Hubert Wartzki.
In May 2024, Oswalt began hosting the FOX game show ''
The 1% Club''. Oswalt left the show in 2025.
In July 2024, it was announced that
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
was in early development on a television series based on ''Minor Threats'', the comic series created by Oswalt,
Jordan Blum, and Scott Hepburn and published by
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
. Oswalt and Blum are set to serve as writers, showrunners and executive producers, with Hepburn also executive producing.
In November 2024, Deadline announced that Oswalt was boarding the Oscar-contending short
''Sardinia'' as Executive Producer alongside his wife, actress
Meredith Salenger.
Oswalt called the film, which stars
Philip Ettinger, Emmy-winner
Martha Plimpton,
Olek Krupa and
Breeda Wool, "an effortlessly original piece of work" and "beyond timely”.
Personal life
Oswalt married
true crime
True crime is a genre of non-fiction work in which an author examines a crime, including detailing the actions of people associated with and affected by the crime, and investigating the perpetrator's Motive (law), motives. True crime works often ...
writer and journalist
Michelle McNamara on September 24, 2005. In April 2009, McNamara gave birth to their daughter, Alice. At age nine, Alice made her
voiceover debut on the TV series ''
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'', as Wind Sprint, which saw her working alongside her father, who voices the character of Quibble Pants, and Alice's stepmother,
Meredith Salenger, who plays Clear Sky.
McNamara died in her sleep in the family's
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
home on April 21, 2016. Her death was attributed to a combination of a previously undiagnosed heart condition and complications from ingested medications, including
Adderall,
Xanax, and
fentanyl
Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic piperidine opioid primarily used as an analgesic (pain medication). It is 30 to 50 times more Potency (pharmacology), potent than heroin and 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Its primary Medici ...
. 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
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
, 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 gawkto ask him the questions that
cNamarawanted answered in her 'Letter to an Old Man at the end of her book.
Oswalt has been diagnosed with
clinical depression
Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Intro ...
, which he has dealt with throughout his adult life. He has incorporated these experiences into his comedy routines.
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
Newport News () is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the List of c ...
, 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 is a
progressive and a supporter of the
Democratic Party, having endorsed
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
for
re-election as president in
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
and
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
in
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
. Oswalt has been an outspoken critic of
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
. 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 ...
fund created to help cover his
medical expenses.
Discography
Comedy albums
Stand-up comedy specials
EPs
* ''
Patton vs. Alcohol vs. Zach vs. Patton'' (2005) with
Zach Galifianakis
* ''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
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Gr ...
'' (2007)
Filmography
Awards and nominations
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
Grammy Awards
Miscellaneous awards
Writing
Nonfiction
* ''The Overrated Book'' (co-author with Henry H. Owings, Last Gasp (publisher), San Francisco, 2006)
* ''The Lightning Saga, Justice League of America: The Lightning Saga'' (foreword, DC Comics, 2008)
* ''The Rock Bible: Unholy Scripture for Fans & Bands'' (co-author with Henry H. Owings, Quirk Books, Philadelphia, 2008)
* ''Zombie Spaceship Wasteland'' (Charles Scribner's Sons, Scribner, 2011)
* ''Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film'' (
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
, 2015)
*
*
Comics
* ''JLA: Welcome to the Working Week'' (
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
, 2003)
* ''The Goon#Spin-offs, The Goon: Noir'' (co-author with Thomas Lennon (actor), Thomas Lennon, Steve Niles, and Eric Powell (comics), Eric Powell,
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
, 2007)
* ''Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror'' 13 (contributor to anthology comic) (Bongo Comics, 2007)
* ''Serenity (comics), 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, Chris Henry. Godless Comics, 2012)
* ''M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games'' (co-writer with
Jordan Blum. Marvel Comics, Dec 2020)
* ''Black Hammer (comics)#Black Hammer: Visions, Black Hammer: Visions'' #1 (Dark Horse Comics, February 2021)
* ''Minor Threats'' (co-writer with Jordan Blum. Dark Horse Comics, 2022)
* ''From the World of Minor Threats: The Alternates'' (co-writer with Jordan Blum and Tim Seeley. Dark Horse Comics, 2023)
References
External links
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Patton Oswalt at
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
Audio interview on The Sound of Young America from PRI.* on public radio program The Sound of Young America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oswalt, Patton
1969 births
Living people
Actual play performers
American atheists
American comics writers
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American people of English descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of German descent
American people of Italian descent
American people of Scottish descent
American male comedians
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California Democrats
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20th-century American comedians
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21st-century American male actors