Patton Oswalt

Yeah, you hide the terror in front of your kid. Your kid can't see you crying and having panic attacks. So it was very much like a performance of getting up, making sure her breakfast is made, lay out her clothes the night before, get her to school. She immediately wanted to go back to school because she wanted normalcy. I understand that. And my counselor was like,

Yeah, you hide the terror in front of your kid. Your kid can't see you crying and having panic attacks. So it was very much like a performance of getting up, making sure her breakfast is made, lay out her clothes the night before, get her to school. She immediately wanted to go back to school because she wanted normalcy. I understand that. And my counselor was like,

Whatever she wants, let her lead the way. If she doesn't want to go back to school for three months, she just shouldn't go back to school. If she wants to go back Monday morning, take her back to school. So it was very much like me. And then I would drop her off at her school and then I would park on the street outside the school and just sit there until three o'clock.

Whatever she wants, let her lead the way. If she doesn't want to go back to school for three months, she just shouldn't go back to school. If she wants to go back Monday morning, take her back to school. So it was very much like me. And then I would drop her off at her school and then I would park on the street outside the school and just sit there until three o'clock.

just sitting there crying or just freaking out or just listening to music and just being in terror. But like, well, this is mitigating the terror because I'm within arm's reach of her and if anything happens, they can run right in. Like for like a month, that's what I did. That was my day. I would just park and just sit.

just sitting there crying or just freaking out or just listening to music and just being in terror. But like, well, this is mitigating the terror because I'm within arm's reach of her and if anything happens, they can run right in. Like for like a month, that's what I did. That was my day. I would just park and just sit.

That the whole world was death now, that everyone I loved was going to die. that everyone I loved was gonna die, that she was gonna die, that my parents were gonna die, that my friends were gonna die.

That the whole world was death now, that everyone I loved was going to die. that everyone I loved was gonna die, that she was gonna die, that my parents were gonna die, that my friends were gonna die.

It just felt like if this person who was so extraordinary and so much brighter and so much more in the world than anyone else I had encountered in the world, if they could be taken away, then nobody was safe. Everything was... just teetering on a precipice, and I was powerless to stop anyone from being taken away. So that's what the terror felt like to me.

It just felt like if this person who was so extraordinary and so much brighter and so much more in the world than anyone else I had encountered in the world, if they could be taken away, then nobody was safe. Everything was... just teetering on a precipice, and I was powerless to stop anyone from being taken away. So that's what the terror felt like to me.

But how comforted would I have been if I believed in a loving and beneficent God and then this thing had happened? Would I have been in even more terror? Would I have been in even more existential shock and doubt? Maybe the atheism saved me. Because also, you know, Michelle's whole thing was she hated the phrase, everything happens for a reason.

But how comforted would I have been if I believed in a loving and beneficent God and then this thing had happened? Would I have been in even more terror? Would I have been in even more existential shock and doubt? Maybe the atheism saved me. Because also, you know, Michelle's whole thing was she hated the phrase, everything happens for a reason.

Now, she had studied and researched crime long enough to go, things happen for no frigging reason. And it was her phrase, and I said it in my special, it's chaos, be kind. And there's days where I fail at that, but try to keep reminding yourself of that and try your best to be kind in the chaos.

Now, she had studied and researched crime long enough to go, things happen for no frigging reason. And it was her phrase, and I said it in my special, it's chaos, be kind. And there's days where I fail at that, but try to keep reminding yourself of that and try your best to be kind in the chaos.

A lot of my drive and, like, multi-pronged ambition went away. It was more about let's focus on just a few things that really matter to you. So I really want to get into, like, making films. I'll always do stand-up. I'm just not always the guy that's like, oh, I'll eventually stop.

A lot of my drive and, like, multi-pronged ambition went away. It was more about let's focus on just a few things that really matter to you. So I really want to get into, like, making films. I'll always do stand-up. I'm just not always the guy that's like, oh, I'll eventually stop.

And then if I'm lucky enough to get to keep acting in things, interesting things, I'll act when that comes along, but it won't be anything that I'm going to, like – pursue in that crazy way. I just like doing interesting little films. The film industry seems to be going through a very weird spasm right now, which I think is a good spasm.

And then if I'm lucky enough to get to keep acting in things, interesting things, I'll act when that comes along, but it won't be anything that I'm going to, like – pursue in that crazy way. I just like doing interesting little films. The film industry seems to be going through a very weird spasm right now, which I think is a good spasm.

I think the people that are gonna be left making truly good films are the people that actually care about it. The same thing that happened with When the boom ended in the early 90s and it was just the people that actually cared about doing comedy. So, yeah.

I think the people that are gonna be left making truly good films are the people that actually care about it. The same thing that happened with When the boom ended in the early 90s and it was just the people that actually cared about doing comedy. So, yeah.