Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and actor. Oswalt first began performing standup comedy in the late 1980s. After spending two seasons writing for MADtv and starring in his own 1996 comedy special for HBO, he began performing in films and television shows including his film debut Down Periscope (1996) and The King of Queens (1998 - 2007). A rare starring film role was the voice of Remy in Pixar's Ratatouille (2007). Oswalt has appeared in dozens of other films and television series, primarily comedies, including many voice roles.