This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Patton Oswalt To Premiere New Stand Up Special About Life After His Wife's Sudden Passing
Patton Oswalt. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images)
Patton Oswalt has had quite a year. In April of last year, his wife Michelle McNamara passed away suddenly. She was 46 years old, and she and Patton had a daughter, the now-eight-year-old Alice. McNamara was a true crime writer and was in the middle of writing a book on the original Night Stalker, which Patton vowed to finish. He has since found love again, this time with fiancée Meredith Salenger, and appears to be finding new hope in the wake of such a tragic event.
Now, Oswalt is coming out with a new Netflix stand-up special, which will "dive into the last year of Patton's life, following the passing of his wife, and how he worked through the pain and grief by finding humor," according to Netflix. If there's anyone who can translate such a harrowing event into beauty and humor, it's Oswalt. The hour-long special, titled Patton Oswalt: Annihilation, will premiere on October 17. It was filmed at Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre and follows his previous special, Talking for Clapping. The latter premiered on Netflix the day after McNamara passed away.
Bring the tissues, ok?
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
