Monthly Archives: April 2023

Patton Oswalt on Comedy, Grief, and Fatherhood – TSC054



Patton Oswalt is an Emmy and Grammy Award winning comedian, writer, actor, and producer. In this episode, Patton speaks about growing up in a military family and attending a northern Virginia high school, before attending an open mic night during college and falling in love with the world comedy. This initial spark would eventually lead to multiple Netflix standup specials, film and television roles, and voicing the main character of “Remy” in Pixar’s Ratatouille. Patton also speaks revealingly about the tragedy that beset his family when his wife died tragically in 2016, leaving Patton with the impossible task of informing their daughter the next day using the guidance of their elementary school. Patton describes not only the difficulty of the period, but also his daughter’s resilience and his own rediscovery of joy. Patton references Ron Richards and David Wright of Broad Run High School, as well as various comedians, as profound life influences.