It’s pretty impossible not to adorePatton Oswalt. Aside from being a very talented performer in both comedy and drama, he has an infectious energy and enthusiasm that radiates off of him when he talks about his projects. Since starting in stand-up comedy in the late 1990s, Oswalt has steadily built an impressive resume in roles across all genres and mediums, from stand-up (he won an Emmy and Grammy for his special,Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping), supporting roles inA.P. Bio,Veep, and the long-running seriesThe King of Queens, as well as starring in critically praised indiesBig Fan,Young Adult, andI Love My Dad. (And of course, he voiced Remy inRatatouille.)
Oswalt’s talents stretch beyond comedy, with the actor continuously reminding us how skilled a dramatic actor he is when he pops up in a project you might not expect, like Apple TV+’s recent historical limited seriesManhunton the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the Watergate seriesGaslitwithJulia RobertsandSean Penn. Perhaps what’s most exciting is how he’s managed to become part of a number of massive franchises and projects he adored growing up, such as Netflix’sThe Sandman, in which he voiced Matthew the Raven. (Oswalt is a huge fan ofNeil Gaiman, having stayed in line for hours to get his autograph roughly 30 years ago.) Remember Pip the Troll at the end of Marvel’sEternals? M.O.D.O.K. in the series of the same name? Also Oswalt.
Now, the effervescent performer is entering the ring of game shows withThe 1% Club, a game show based purely on logic rather than knowledge of intricate and obscure trivia you (likely) forgot from high school. In the series, which starts with 100 contestants and slowly whittles down with each question for a chance at $100,000, Oswalt effortlessly shows off his wit while retaining the integrity of the game show. In this 1-on-1 with Collider, Patton Oswalt talks about the perks of shooting a game show, the unexpected way he was cast alongsideCharlize TheroninJason Reitman’sYoung Adult, and his undying love forWhat We Do in the Shadows.
The 1% Club
The 1% Clubis a unique, compelling, and funny game show that tests the nation’s intelligence, based on a scientific survey. Hosted by award-winning stand-up comedian and actor Joel McHale, the show is a chance to test how your brain works through a series of questions that all have the right answer, but can also lead to a series of entertaining wrong answers along the way.
COLLIDER: It’s a pleasure to talk to you because I grew up watchingThe King of Queens.
PATTON OSWALT: Oh my goodness. Wow. Well, luckily for you, it’s on five times a day now apparently. I’m really glad, thank you.
Before we jump intoThe 1% Club, I want to say I loved your performance inYoung Adult.
OSWALT: Thank you! Wow, thank you.
How did that come to you?
OSWALT: [Laughs] That’s actually a genuinely interesting story. I was friends with Jason Reitman. We met at a dog get-together. We both had French bulldogs. And we just started talking about movies. We’re big movie geeks. He was doing early readings of the screenplay to figure out who to cast, and he was like, “Can you come in as a placeholder for this character?” He had no intention of casting me, I had no intention of being cast —I didn’t think I was going to act against Charlize Theron— and we kept doing table reads and Charlize and I just clicked. He was like, “Yeah, I think it’s you two,” and I was like “Oh-kay…” so it really kind of happened organically.
OSWALT: Yeah, it was weird.
‘The 1% Club’ Is a Great Game Show If You Hated School
Your personality is perfect for this game show because you’re not overpowering the show, you maintain the maturity and intellectual level while making it funny at the same time. Did you get any advice from other friends who have hosted before? Because a lot of comedians are hosting stuff now.
OSWALT: It’s weird, yeah I know, there are a lot of people who are doing really good jobs hosting game shows that have thriving careers outside of them. Elizabeth Banks and Anthony Anderson and people like that, and they aresotheir own personality that what I realized early on watching the British episodes was,“Oh, I can approach this the same way I do crowd work in the club.”When I do crowd work, I’m not doing crowd work to set people up just to nail them, like, “I’m the smartest, I’m the funniest.” I just talk to them and then we just keep spitting off together, so I just very much brought that level of curiosity. And when you bring that level of curiosity, as you said, I’m not overpowering the show and every element. A lot of the time, I can just kick back and let these people tell their stories. And their stories are so fascinating that all I need to do is react to them! That’s way more fun and way more captivating.
What’s great is it’s not just one person for the whole episode, it’s 100.
OSWALT: I can bounce back and forth, and what’s even more fun are those weird third-act surprises where it’s the person who’s just been quietly getting every one right and we’re at the 5% question, I’m like, “Oh my God, this woman hasn’t used her pass! She hasn’t gotten a single one wrong!” [Laughs] And then we meet them, it’s the surprising, “You were hiding there the whole time in the shadows and now here you are.”
I imagine it’s hard not to play along as you’re hosting. Are you trying to get every answer, too?
OSWALT: We go through all the questions before I go out there, but listen, I don’t believe in false modesty. I think I’m a fairly intelligent guy. I have never gotten beyond the 60% question. I’m intelligent, but I’m not very logical. My head is filled with useless trivia that cannot help me in life. That’s what I amreally goodat retaining. And it’s really fun to see how these people are piecing things together because there’s no “right” way to get to the answer. There are multiple ways to get to a right answer on these. That’s what I really love. It is how your brain works and adapts and evolves in the moment.
It’s not trivia, it’s not facts. It’s logic.
OSWALT: It literally has nothing to do with a single book you’ve ever read. There are high school dropouts who get $100,000 at the end of this thing. It is all logic.
I’m sure people who hated school are killing it at this show.
OSWALT: Again, you’ll see people who are like, “Well, I’ve earned a Masters in both History and Psychology,” and they’re up against guys that are going, “I mean, I work at Petco now. I don’t want to work there. I guess I want to be a musician? But maybe not, I don’t know.” We’re only meeting them in this tiny arc of their life. That’s not their whole character. I don’t know, there’s something so surprising and vibrant about that.
It’s really an active show for the audience. You’re home and you can play along and I’m sure argue with the people you are with.
OSWALT: If you had met me when I was 18 and met my friends, you’re like, “Well this dude’s friends know what the hell they want to do. This kid’s amess. He has no idea…” It took me a couple years. When you meet someone, that’s not their final chapter usually, you know? Some people just have weird years where they’re like, “I don’t know what I want to do.”
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What happens when one’s life is wins, losses, and little else?
Another thing I really admire about you is you’re very close with your daughter. I’m very close with my dad.
OSWALT: Awww!
Has she watched the show? Does she care?
OSWALT: Yes, we watched the British version together. We taped on weekdays when she was in school, so I couldn’t justify, “You’re missing school to watch daddy do a game show!” [Laughs] No, I would like her to get an education. If I film more and they happen to be over the summer, then yeah, she’ll come along with me. I do as much with her as I can. When I didCelebrity Jeopardy!, she came with me during the early rounds, and there’s nothing more frustrating than being with a 13-year-old that’s like, “I knew the Final Jeopardy! Why wasn’t I out there?” [Laughs] That kind of attention is really fun.
Did you like the schedule of filming a game show? You do a lot at once, right?
OSWALT: Oh, yeah. I did 13, and it took us, like, eight days. You do two a day, so it’s nice. Elizabeth Banks is writing and directing films and then goes and does a game show for a couple of weeks a year.Why not!?So yeah, I love it.
‘Among Us’ Will Be “Genuinely Edge-of-Your-Seat Whodunnit” Episodes
You have so many projects coming up,Among Usis a standout in my head. You’re always joining a franchise. I’m very jealous.
OSWALT: Yeah, that’s going to be really, really fun of the episodes I recorded. It’s so cool. It is a very, almost defiantly basic drawing style animation-wise but the plots are a kind of genuinely edge-of-your-seat whodunnit, and they play fair. There’s that mystery thing where they give you all you need to know to figure out what’s going on if you’re paying attention, which is weirdly frustrating because you’re like, the lack of detail inAmong Usis like, “Well, I should be able to do this easily.” And they still get you.That’swhat’s insane. That’s what I love about it.
Patton Oswalt Starred in One of the Best ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Episodes
That’s really neat. I just have to say, your episode ofWhat We Do in the Shadowswas… fantastic.
OSWALT: [Laughs] I love that showsomuch. It’s the best horror comedy I’ve seen since, like,Shaun of the Dead.
I love Tom Scharpling and I know he works on it. And I know you like his podcastDouble Threat.
OSWALT: Tom Scharpling. I wrote the intro toThe Best Of The Best Showon WFMU box set. I wrote that whole intro. I’m the equivalent to that show of like what a Trekkie is toStar Trekor a Dead Head is toGrateful Dead. I know all the characters, everything.
Patton, this has been a pleasure! Thank you so much.
OSWALT: I hope to run into you someday!
The 1% Clubis available on Prime Video and premieres June 3 at 9/8c on Fox.
