Patton Oswalt: ‘No Shame in the Medication Game’

Actor-comedian Patton Oswalt, 55, knows how to make people smile. He’s been a stand-up comedian for more than 35 years and is currently on a nationwide comedy tour. But Oswalt’s life hasn’t been all laughs. He lost his wife, author Michelle McNamara, suddenly in 2016, and he has shared publicly about his battles with depression. AARP spoke to Oswalt about how he’s dealing with grief, prioritizing his mental health and working to live life to the fullest.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You’re hosting a new game show. What made you want to do that? [The 1% Club is streaming on Prime Video and premiered June 3 on FOX.]

I was ambivalent at first. And then they sent me the first season of the BBC version [of the show] and I loved the format. I love that it’s more about logic and how you use your brain rather than just the dry facts that are stored up there. [Players answer a series of logic-based questions to ultimately see who can correctly answer a question that, statistically, only 1 percent of the population would be able to.] When we say anyone can win this game, anyone can win this game.

Oswalt is hosting the game show "The 1% Club," which premiered June 3 on FOX and is also streaming on Prime Video.

Amazon MGM Studios

How do you think you’d fare as a contestant on The 1% Club?

I wouldn’t get beyond the six finalists. If there was a show called Useless Facts That in No Way Benefit You or Your Life, that’s the show I would excel at — that’s what my brain is full of. But common sense and logic? No, I’m completely at sea.

Did you watch game shows when you were growing up?

I enjoyed watching The Price Is Right and $20,000 Pyramid. I loved Family Feud with Richard Dawson. For me, that was the gold standard.

You’re currently on your “Effervescent” comedy tour. How has your comedy changed over the years?

My tour features a whole new hour of material. As you grow and experience different facets and angles of life, everything in your act is constantly going to change. If it doesn’t change, you’re definitely not growing as an artist. Being a dad in my 50s [Oswalt has a 15-year-old daughter, Alice, from his marriage with McNamara], being an author, everything I do in life affects my comedy.