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A
I've talked pretty openly on this show, but you know, therapy actually has been really a very important part of my life. Not because of some big thing that happened, but because having a space to check in and get honest and talk things through actually makes everything else feel so much more manageable. The hardest part, though, can be getting started. I literally think I had start therapy on my to do list for well longer than I would like to admit. Grow Therapy makes it way easier to check off the list. It's covered by insurance and care can start in as little as two days. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th, grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. They connect you with thousands of independent licensed therapists across the United States offering both virtual and in person sessions, nights and weekends. They are no subscriptions, no long term commitments. You just pay per session. And if something comes up, you can Cancel up to 24 hours in advance at no cost. Whatever challenges you're facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Sessions average about $20 with insurance and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.comdom today to get started. That's growththerapy.comdom availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. Managing your finances takes time. Like way more time than anyone actually wants to spend. Canceling old subscriptions, tracking expenses, trying to stick to a budget. It adds up. That's why I love Rocket Money. It really does the heavy lifting for you and simplifies the whole thing. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, keeps an eye on your spending, and even helps lower your bills so that you can grow your savings without turning it into a second job. Their dashboard lays out your full financial picture all in one place. Dates that bills are due, paydays, all of it. And they do it in a way that's actually easy to understand. Also, you can create custom budgets based on how you Also, you can create custom budgets based on how you've really been spending, not how you wish you were spending. Okay, now this part's really cool. Rocket Money will even try to negotiate lower bills for you. The app scans your bills, looks for opportunities to save, and then goes to work getting you better deals. They'll even talk to customer service so you don't have to, which honestly, feels like a gift. And it works. Rocket Money has saved users over 2.5 billion, including over 880 million in canceled subscriptions alone. Their 10 million members save up to $740 a year when they use all of the app's premium feature. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com Dinner today. That's RocketMoney.com Dinner RocketMoney.com Dinner welcome back to Dinner's on Me. I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Here's more of my conversation with actor and comedian Patton Oswald, which we had at Levant Bistro and Bakeshop in Echo Park. Patton had a very creative approach to proposing to his wife, Meredith. I thought it was sweet to hear how his daughter Alice was involved in the planning of his proposal and how much the memory of her mom, Michelle McNamara, who died in 2016, is still very much a part of their family. Okay, let's get to the conversation.
B
How did you propose to her?
C
Well, we both love this. We're big into board games. And there's this board game called Corkle, which is like a Scrabble type game with colored and shaped tiles. It's very, very addictive.
B
Never heard of it.
C
Yeah, well, it's just a really quirkle. Quirkle. Q, U, I, R, K, L, E.
B
It's not a real game.
C
It's a very real game. And so what I did was, and we would constantly play it and we're always playing cards, Scrabble and, and back him. And so we went to lunch with our, with my daughter, with Alice, because, because Meredith was always like, I'm marrying you guys. It can't just be like she's got to be cool with it, too.
B
Alice was about how old?
C
She was like seven, seven going on eight. So I took, oh, this is going to be so cheesy. But I took a, when you get quirkle, there's a bag of all the tile. So what I did was I took a bag of quirkle tiles and I, and I unzipped this so there's like a side, you know, like the lining. And I unsewed the lining, filled it with all the quirkle tiles. So it sounds like it's full of quirkle tiles. Sewed it back up. And then I had seven custom tiles made saying, because will you marry me, Meredith Salinger? Because they're in rows of six and those are the only tiles in there. I'm like, let's, we went to lunch. Let's play some Corkle. Let's play a game we always playing at lunch. I go, here, take your towels out first. I'll take my towels. And then she was like, something's wrong with this bag. And then she took them out. And then she was like. And then it. Oh, my. Yeah, that's how I did it. And then we. My, My daughter put a message in a bottle and we walked out. Let's all walk out to the beach as a family. So we went out there and then when she wasn't looking, we chucked the bottle in the water so it rolled up. And then we opened that up. It was a whole.
B
So she was in on this.
C
Alice was in on the whole thing.
A
I love that.
C
She had to be. You know, it was. It's not just me do. It's like, you know, my cuz I was like, there was another father at my school who had lost a spouse and who had remarried and said, you know, don't let your kids kind of lead it. This is. They're actually going through a way worse trauma than you. And this has to be as much about them as it is about you. It can't be like, this is your new parent. Like, let them hang out. Let them meet each other. And they just, they got along great. Like, they, she's so, you know, Meredith. All of her friends call her Auntie Mare because she was the one that would hang out with everyone's kids. They just, all the kids loved her. So we had to like, you got to do that. Like, that had to be part of it.
B
I mean, it's completely understandable. I have a five year old and.
C
A three year old now and the best age. The best age.
B
So incredible.
C
Oh, man.
A
But I remember when I watched, you.
B
Know, your special Annihilation.
C
Yeah.
B
The second half of that special. You are very open about the loss of your, of your first wife and just navigating how to deal with giving that information to your daughter. And I think if I'm doing the math correctly, Alice was probably the age that my son is now. Around that age.
C
What were the ages?
B
Five and three and three.
C
She was, she had just, she had literally just turned seven.
B
Okay.
C
She'd literally just turned seven. Right, Right.
B
I mean, I, I, yeah, we have, Me and my son have. He has so many questions about death and my. I lost my mom about a year ago. And, you know, the first time he, you know, asked about Grammy, Annie and me having to say, oh, you know, she's not coming back. And he was at that point, four years old. It opened up this. I don't want to call it a burden, but, like, I was suddenly had to. I was suddenly confronted with, how am I Going to discuss this big thing with this channel child who has such a young brain and who. Who learns things so literally, too. That was the other thing. There's not a lot of room for nuance, metaphor, stuff like that.
C
Like, what is this? What is happening?
B
Sometimes I feel like the metaphors are like the, you know, she's gone to another place is. Is maybe not helpful in times like this because it's like, well, if you're going to another place, you can come back. And, you know, there's that, you know, I had to really make him understand that she wasn't coming back. But it opened up a whole series of conversations about, like, well, I. Is that gonna happen to me? Is that gonna happen to you? And, you know, it's balancing that, like, that discussion of. In life, these things happen with the fact that that's not something you have.
C
To worry about right now. Yes.
B
And it's a very tricky conversation to navigate.
C
Yeah. And it's also. It's very tricky to navigate because sometimes if you.
A
You.
C
If you do use metaphors or vague language, you're subconsciously giving them the idea that this is a bad, dangerous thing that we are trying to avoid talking about, and then that puts that in their head. So how direct do you want to be? You don't want to totally go, oh, we're not talking about that. Yeah, but you also don't want to sometimes when you're too direct, that can be.
A
Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Patton and I discuss how his first wife, the late true crime writer Michelle McNamara, played a role in identifying the Golden State killer. Okay, be right back. Big thanks to HomeServe for sponsoring this episode. You know, owning a home, it's amazing until it's not. One minute you're enjoying your morning coffee, and the next, you're ankle deep in water from a burst pipe. Oh, here's a true story. I had a near miss with a faulty water heater a while back, and I kept thinking, if this had gone out over the weekend, how much would this have cost? Repairs. They don't care about timing. They definitely don't care about your budget. That's where homeserve comes in. It's like a subscription for your home, covering the things your regular homeowner's insurance usually doesn't, like plumbing failures, H Vac breakdowns, or electrical issues. For as little as $4.99 a month, they've got back. And the best part, you don't have to panic searching for a contractor. You can just call HomeService24.7 hotline and schedule a repair with a reliable local professional. They've been helping homeowners for over 20 years. With a network of 2,600 contractors across the country and with 4.5 million customers, a 4.8 out of 5 post repair rating and an A BBB rating, you know they're the real deal. If I had needed this, HomeServe is what I'd use. Knowing that peace of mind is just a call away is worth it. Help protect your home systems and your wallet with HomeServe against covered repairs. Plans start at just $4.99 a month. Go to HomeServe.com to find the plan that's right for you. That's HomeServe.com not available everywhere. Most plans range between $4.99 and $11.99 a month for your first year. Terms apply on covered repairs. Okay, this happens every holiday season. I get a little depleted and off my routine after the holidays. Listen, I don't know why I did it, but I decided to double down on the eggnog this year. Double down on the eggnog and I'm feeling its effects. So Prolon's five day Fasting Mimicking Diet really makes it easy to reset heading into the new year. Prolon's Fasting Mimicking Diet is a rev plant based nutrition program that nourishes the body while keeping it in a fasting state. It works at the cellular level to support fat loss, glowing skin, sharper focus, all that good stuff. And with its simple structured plan, you can really build momentum in just a few days. Provon is Based on over two decades of research from USC's Longevity Institute and backed by top medical centers. Everything comes prepackaged. Five days, five boxes, no guesswork, and three consecutive cycles have been shown to reduce your biological age score by 2.5 years and your waist by 1.5 inches. Plus. Prolon is the first and only patent nutrition program to support longevity through cellular rejuvenation. Just in time for the new year, Prolon is offering Dinners On Me listeners 15% off their five day nutrition program for your post holiday. Glow up when you go to prolonlife.com that's P R O L O N life.com D O M for 15% off. And we're back with more Dinners on Me.
B
I reached out to you shortly after I realized because I was sort of a few months behind but I was watching the documentary about the Garden State Killer.
C
Tell me the name Golden State Killer.
B
The Golden State Killer.
C
Garden State Killers of New Jersey.
B
Right? Jersey. No, no, this is the Land of Enchantment Killer.
C
No.
B
Which one was it?
C
The Famous Potatoes Killer. No, it was. Yeah. Out here in California.
B
Yeah. Tell me the name of the documentary again.
C
It's called I'll Be Gone in the Dark. Right. And it was about, you know, she passed, and her book was. She was writing a book about it. So then I gathered up there was a investigator she worked with and then a data miner that she worked with, and then this homicide cop, Paul Holes. And we all kind of, like, got together to finish this book and make sure that it came out. And then the week that it came out, we started the book tour. That's when he got captured, which was so bizarre.
A
Yeah.
C
And that's caught on film. Liz Garbus, the director, is amazing. She got us, like, at 5am we're leaving the hotel in Chicago. The first. We just did our first book tour event. Now it's 5am and we're going to the airport, and everyone's cell phones blowing up. We're like, oh, my God. And we're all in the lobby. Like, I don't know what is. Ha. Like, we were. It was very surreal and sort of.
B
You know, really closing that circle, too, a bit, in a strange way.
C
Yeah. And it was closing the circle in a very surreal way, too, because I remember one of the things about what she did. And this is going to sound kind of creepy, but this is. This is what a homicide cop said to us. One of the reasons he stayed on Caught for so long is because he was never given a cool name. He was originally called the East Area Rapist. Then he vanished.
B
Oh, that's got a ring.
C
And then he popped up a bit later and was called the original Night Stalker and all that. Well, he's. This Easter. He's also this. And like. And then. So she came up with Golden State Killer, which was one of the things that helped reopen the game. This guy's like. He never had a cool name like Zodiac, Night Stalker, you know? And it was very surreal watching these cops at the press conferences and people asking, did Michelle McNamara's work have anything to do with the. And he's like, Michelle McNamara's work had nothing to do with the capture of the Golden State Killer. And we're all like, you. You just said the name that she. That she was the reason that it got opened again. So. But, like. But that happens. The homicide cops that she worked with, like, Paul Holes, and there Was two other guys were like, yeah, she absolutely helped capture.
B
Alice is a teenager now.
C
Alice is now a teenager. She is 16. And you know, just, you know, I, because of, you know, there's certain people in life where you meet them, you're like, oh, this person's been through a jolt. And they have kind of have a little bit of, they've got some wisdom, maybe not wisdom that they wanted, but they've got it. And so she does have that very much. Like, oh, she's experienced some stuff.
A
Yeah.
C
And there's some stuff that like, I'm not saying she's smarter than anybody, but she is a little more mature and, and like stuff that people her age get wrapped up in. You can, there's this gentle kind of like, who cares? Why is this, you know, so I.
B
Would love a little bit more that.
C
Oh, really?
B
Yeah, like a little bit. Like, why are we worrying about this?
C
What, what are their, what are their things right now? Like, the five year old is what, like what is his, what is his world?
B
This morning he really pissed me off. So this morning out of the book. Because Beckett is one of Those kids, my 5 year old, who, you know, he, he was open to everything and he just started kindergarten.
C
Yeah.
B
And I know he's having now relationships with kids. And you know, there's, he's gone from, you know, 9 in the morning until 4:30. And like this whole life that's being lived that I don't know anything about.
C
Yep.
B
And as many questions as you ask him, you'll never know what that day is unless you like literally shadow him through a day. And it's, it's, I, I, he told me to this morning. It made Justin and I so mad. He said, mermaids are not for boys. And we were both like, what? I beg your pardon? And we have this book called Pink is for Boys. And it's about like how pink is for boys and blue is for girls. And like, everyone likes, everyone can like everything.
C
Yeah. It doesn't matter.
B
And you know, we're like, who told you that mermaids are not for boys? And he named name. And I was like, you know, I want to like talk to this kid now. But, you know, it was a lot of, you know.
C
And how, how popular is this kid's podcast that he heard it from? Like, huge. Elementary. Really huge.
B
Yeah, yeah, Huge, big numbers. Just sold to Spotify. Massive deal.
C
It's so strange how when you, when you bump into things like that, like that stuff still flares up. And yet among my daughter and her Friends, the idea of someone being straight and gay. Like, I tried to explain to them, like, we had a. When I was growing school, we didn't even have, like, a gay and lesbian club.
B
No.
C
She was like, why would you have a. What do you mean? Like, to do what? Cause everyone around her is just like, I'm gay and I play football. Or I'm like, there's not a club for that thing anymore, because no one cares.
A
Yeah.
C
You know, at least in her generation now, I think they've had to kind of bring those back, because now there's this again, the meddling pushback of all these people that are terrified that the world is changing and evolving in better ways. But kids seem to be so much more open about. It's all. Just figure it out, you know, I.
B
Mean, I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was. You were Virginia.
C
Right. Northern Virginia.
B
I mean, I do think that even now, I mean, I think there's probably much more acceptance and just awareness of different types of people and at an earlier age. And I'm sure that, you know, growing up in Albuquerque now would have been a much different experience than it was when I was a kid. But I still feel like it's probably rough. Oh, I'm sure it's still here in California. And it is truly, like. I mean, I was like, how are you? So all.
A
How are. How do you.
B
There no trouble with the pronouns. That's the one that really. I still have trouble. I trip up on pronouns.
C
Yeah, I trip up and I trip up all the time.
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And, you know, just no problem with that whatsoever.
C
Wow.
B
It's quite impressive, actually.
C
Yeah. But again, that's. There's evolution going on whether you want it to or not. So a lot of the people that are making the biggest noise, this. This huge evangelical revival, it's just dinosaurs and tar, and those are the ones that make the loudest noises before they go under. So we're gonna have to kind of live through this. It's gonna be a little. And then we're just gonna move on. Yeah. You know what I mean? I remember in. In Portugal, which is a very, very Catholic country, and then they made gay marriage legal, and there was like, two weeks of just.
B
That's where everyone wants to go now.
C
Yeah. But, like, there was two weeks of insane uproar, and then. And then they never talked about again. And you realize, oh, the uproar was from the people that were using it as a tool to secure power. Actually, in everyday life, people are like, I Don't. I got eight other things I have to worry about right now. Yeah.
B
I could focus on this for, like.
C
Five more minutes, and then I got to go. Exactly.
A
Yeah.
C
And I. And I really. When I see two dads dropping off their kids at school and they're also wearing sweatpants like me, and you can see the. I can't. Okay. How angry can I get right now?
B
That's right.
C
Yeah. Right. There's a documentary that's on still on hbo called Q Into the Storm. Do you know about this? It's all about QAnon.
B
Oh, you talked about this on your special.
A
Yeah, yeah.
C
And when I was. Remember, I was watching this thing in the first episode. Like, you know, what does QAnon believe? Well, they believe that there are a list. Celebrities who molest and cannibalize children in underground caverns. They put up a picture of Oprah and then Tom Hanks and then me. I was like, and this is still in the documentary. And the next day, my agents freaked out, and they called me and they were like, did you see that documentary? I was like, I know.
A
A list.
C
They're like, no, no, Patton, that's not.
B
That's not what we want.
C
Yeah. It's like, I was next to Oprah.
B
Yeah.
C
Yeah. So there's always that weird push pull of like, okay, is this bad or is this good?
B
I know. For a while, Zachary Quinta is one of my good friends. We were living together in New York. Isn't he great?
C
Yeah, he's great.
B
We were doing a. He was doing a play at the same time I was doing a play, and we were roommates for a little while together, and we would go out all the time together, and we went to a gay bar one night because we were both single at the time, and someone saw us walk into the gay bar together, and they thought that we were together and for the longest. Now I'm, like, part of his dating history. Like, if you Google, like, Zachary Quinto's ex boyfriends, like, I'm there. Like, I. I'm not taking off this list.
C
A bad list to be on. No, I'm thrilled.
B
I'm one of, like, models.
C
Yeah, exactly. So, yeah, be on.
A
Like, put me on that list.
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
C
No, I'm one of Quinto's quints, right? Yeah. You leave me on that list.
B
Leave me on the list.
C
Not take me off that goddamn list.
A
Jesus.
B
No.
C
Any Wikipedia editors out there? Don't touch his fucking entry. Leave it the way it is. I put that there for a reason.
B
Don't move it.
A
Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, I tell Patton the story of when Justin first met singer songwriter Lorde. Let's just say he didn't keep his cool. And Patton relates to me with an awkward moment he had just the night before. Okay, be right back.
C
On January 9, Greenland 2 is making an impact across the globe. Hang on. Audiences rave. It's deeply emotional and better than the first. I wanted you beginning first. You'll be holding your breath from start to finish. Greenland 2, migration, rated PG 13.
A
And we're back with more dinners on me.
B
So we shot an episode, Modern Family in Australia. And on the trip back from Australia to la, okay. It was the entire Modern Family cast in the first class, business class section. And the only other person that was not part of our group was Cate Blanchett, who was flying back to LA to basically, we didn't know this moment, but we were all pretty certain to pick up her Oscar for what was the movie she won for?
A
Blue.
B
Blue Jasmine.
C
Blue Jasmine, yeah.
B
Couldn't have been cooler. So nice. So awesome. And, you know, they have all those parties around the Oscars and around the Grammys and around the Emmys. We were invited to one of these parties and it was a lot of the people from Australia that were at this party, like Baz Luhrmann and his wife were there.
C
And we're outsourcing all our movie stars to Australia, by the way. I don't know if you've noticed that. Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
B
But also from New Zealand, Lord, the singer Lorde was there. Oh, Lord.
C
My daughter loves Lorde. And another genuinely brilliant songwriter.
B
Brilliant. Yeah, brilliant. So she was at this party and she's much younger than not only me, but my husband. My husband's 10 years younger than me and she's probably 15 years younger than him. She at this moment was probably maybe 16 or 17 years old.
C
Yeah.
B
And we're at this party and Cate Blanchett's there and she's being lovely. She had just seen her on an airplane a few weeks before. And so she's saying hello, and I'm introducing Justin to Cate Blanchett. He basically sees Lord over Cate Blanchett's shoulder and does that disengages from the greatest actress we have.
C
Because Lord is there.
B
Because Lord is there. And shuts down and is like, oh, my God. Oh, my God. And starts crying because Lord is in the room. And I'm like, pull your shit together. We're in front of Cate Blanchett. We finished the conversation with Cate Blanchett. I was like, what's going on with you? He's like, you have to introduce me to Lord. I don't know Lorde. Fortunately she was lovely and kind and met Justin. Justin wept in front of this teenager who doesn't like want to deal with this in her eyes. Middle aged man crying over her.
C
This is like a modern family plot.
A
Yes.
C
How do I get my. So many things were happening from this woman.
B
So many things were happening. It's like get us out of the presence of Catemanship.
C
Yeah, yeah. Everything's going wrong right now.
B
No, everything's going wrong.
C
Yeah, yeah. I was at a screening last night. The people that I get all because I'm such a movie nerd. And I was at the screening also on the Paramount lot and at the after party, Walter Hill was there. Walter Hill, an amazing writer director, directed 48 Hours. The Warriors. Wrote the original Alien screenplay. Just nothing but brilliant movies. This career brilliance. And I had just read his script for a Ryan o' Neill film called the Driver because Quentin Tarantino said that's one of the few scripts when you read it you're like, this is how a script should read when you read it. This is how it actually, if you read it, you will see the movie as you read it. And it was unlike anything I'd ever read. This is early 70s. It's so good. And I went up to him and, and, and even as I started talking my head's like, leave him because he's very old, he's got his cane. He's very, very nice. He's sharp as hell. But I'm just like. So like yesterday your stuff. Okay. So I was like reading your script and I had. There's a book I have, this is called the Walter Hill looks like all your movies. So I read that and. And in my head I'm like, fucking leave him alone.
B
Just.
C
And then I. And it just basically turned into so then. And then 48 and then. Thank you, thank you. And then I just went away. So the.
B
So my list office credits to him and then walked away.
C
God, I'm still like my skin is crawling thinking about it. Like he met me and he's like, I was at some screen last night. I guess I let some. Someone's like nephew in and he was very. I don't know. I mean he seemed a little troubled. But I was nice to him, you know, I don't know what that. But yeah, like those are the people that I get Freaked out. Also, Joe Dante was there. But luckily, I kind of know Joe Dante, so I didn't, like, bother him that much. Right. Like, I get. Those are the people that send me over the edge.
B
Yeah. Those are the people. I'm like, I just don't necessarily want to even have a conversation with. I think it's not gonna go well.
C
And now, all today, I'm like, where the fuck did I go bother Walter Hill? What was I gonna say to him? What was I gonna say to him?
B
You know, it's interesting. I feel that way. But then also, there are times, like, I mean, this is a little different, I guess. And for me, it was very exciting. But I was at a opening night of a show here in Los Angeles, and Angela Lansbury sat down next to me.
C
Wow.
B
And, like, right next to me.
C
Yeah.
B
And she was, like, looking at me like.
A
She's like, I know.
B
I know you're from somewhere. I was like, oh, I'm on a show called Modern Fan. She's like, oh, yes, I've seen it. And she was lovely. And anyway, intermission of the show comes, and she's staying put, and I kind of have to go to the bathroom, but I'm also, like, I'm sitting next to Angela Lansbury, and we have 15 minutes of free time.
A
I'm not gonna get up.
B
And I ended up talking to her for 15 minutes and having the most lovely conversation. And at one point, she even. She's like, if you need to go to the bathroom or something, you can go now. It's like, no, I'm fine, probably. She was like, stop talking to me, please.
C
I don't want to, but I had.
B
So many questions for her, and I feel like she would. She was, I don't know, touched by the fact that I was so taken by her career.
C
And she's had an incredible career.
B
An incredible career.
A
Yeah.
C
And, like, the ups. Not just the ups and downs, but the. Some truly bizarre casting choices that she just.
A
Yeah.
C
Completely now. Like a Manchurian Candidate.
B
Yeah.
C
Because she was still an ingenue. And they went, you're playing the mom. And there's no, like, makeup effects or anything. She's like, I'm. I'm this old. Like.
B
Yeah.
C
At, like, Method. Before Method.
B
Yeah.
C
That's who I am now. Yeah. Oh, my God.
B
Yeah.
C
You know?
A
Yeah.
C
Yeah. She was incredible.
A
She really was. Yeah.
C
Yeah.
B
You know, after she passed, I was.
A
Like, well, I'm so glad I had.
B
That 15 minutes with her.
A
That was a little bit more from my chat with actor and comedian Patton Oswald. If you haven't heard our full conversation yet, make sure to check it out on Dinners On Me. This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Levant Bistro and Bakeshop in Los Angeles, California. Next week on Dinners On Me. You know her from Varsity Blues Heroes and most recently as Angela on the Paramount plus series Landman. It's Ally Larder. We'll get into her fascinating acting origin story that involves a fake magazine cover working alongside Billy Bob Thornton and what made her want to leave LA for the Midwest. Dinners On Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.
B
Hi, it's will cooley from the new york rangers. Cooley scores. Bring in the new year with me in miami. The NHL winter classic is coming to the sunshine state. Watch as we take on the florida panthers in the 2026 discover NHL winter classic in miami. Catch all the action on january 2nd at 8:00pm eastern on tnt and hbo max. That's january 2nd at 8pm on tnt and hbo max. For tickets and more info, visit NHL.com winter classic.
Episode: Side Dish: More with Patton Oswalt
Date: January 1, 2026
Restaurant: Levant Bistro and Bakeshop, Echo Park, LA
Guest: Patton Oswalt (Actor, Comedian)
In this heartfelt and humorous "Side Dish" episode, Jesse Tyler Ferguson sits down with Patton Oswalt for an intimate conversation that explores love, grief, parenting, and the oddities of fame. Over a meal at Levant Bistro, the two discuss Patton's creative marriage proposal, the ongoing impact of his late wife Michelle McNamara's legacy, navigating tough parenting conversations, and their most memorable and awkward celebrity encounters. The episode is packed with personal anecdotes and moments of warmth, vulnerability, and laughter.
[03:55–06:27]
[06:38–09:17]
[13:08–15:36]
[16:04–20:30]
[20:39–22:16]
[23:10–28:53]
On parenting through loss:
“This has to be as much about them as it is about you.”
– Patton Oswalt, [05:43]
On generational shift in acceptance:
“There’s evolution going on whether you want it to or not.”
– Patton Oswalt, [19:34]
On accidental internet infamy:
“I was next to Oprah… So there’s always that weird push-pull of like, okay, is this bad or is this good?”
– Patton Oswalt, [21:25]
On being part of Zachary Quinto’s rumored dating history:
“Not a bad list to be on. No, I’m thrilled. Put me on that list!”
– Patton Oswalt, [22:02–22:08]
On meeting a childhood idol:
“I ended up talking to [Angela Lansbury] for 15 minutes and having the most lovely conversation… I’m so glad I had that 15 minutes with her.”
– Jesse Tyler Ferguson, [28:53]
The conversation is open, playful, and gently self-deprecating, weaving between humor and emotional candor. Jesse and Patton create an inviting and relatable atmosphere, sharing not just anecdotes but genuine feelings and vulnerabilities. Their chemistry makes for a warm and insightful listen, filled with laughter, empathy, and the kind of real talk that can only happen over a shared meal.
Summary prepared for those looking to catch up on the best moments and insights from Dinner’s on Me: Side Dish with Patton Oswalt.