Patton Oswalt can do it all.
As a stand-up and voice talent, Oswalt has played to his comedic strengths as a stressed-out penguin on BoJack Horseman and a Lady Gaga-loving goblin dog in Neighbors from Hell. As an actor, he's shown off his serious side with roles in movies including The Circle and TV such as political thriller Gaslit.
It's amounted to an eclectic 30-year ride in Hollywood.
Following that pattern, Oswalt's latest project, Manhunt, is a conspiracy thriller that follows the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865. The actor plays Lafayette Baker, an American investigator serving the Union Army during the Civil War. After Lincoln's death, Baker was tasked with leading a team of agents to find the assassin. The series is based on the 2007 bestselling book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson.
During an interview with the Current, Oswalt talked about his character's motivation and why he thinks people believe in conspiracy theories.
The first three episodes of Manhunt are currently streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes air every Friday through April 19. Oswalt can also be seen in the supernatural comedy sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which hits theaters March 22.
I can only imagine how much information you had at your fingertips about your character. Was there anything specific about him that intrigued you?
I love the fact that he is at this crucial moment of history — this crucible of democracy — and he's thinking of the money. He's thinking about the reward. There was something so human about that. So, I always made sure to keep that in mind when I would play the scenes. I didn't want that to get lost — that weird juxtaposition of, "Oh, my God, democracy is on the line, who is paying me for this?" I love that.
Was there anything about his life that didn't make the cut in the series that you wish had?
I mean, there's way more to his life, but for the time that this took place, they got what they needed from him. Again, there's so much more, but it doesn't impact the story that we're telling.
Some of the text I read about Baker describes him as a spy master. What kind of mindset do you have to be in to play that type of character?
Well, as a spy master — a true spy — what you need is anonymity and perception. And you need to be able to perceive not only what other people want, but what their weaknesses might be, and then adjust your story and your identity to get what you want. There is a version of play acting and storytelling, even in little micro moments, that is crucial to tradecraft.
Was history a subject you enjoyed when you were younger?
Not when I was young. When I was young, I wanted to be young and live right now. But as I get older, I love history. I love reading the context and perspective that it gives you to get through the time you're living in now. To me, that's just indispensable.
Are there any conspiracy theories that you think have legs? A second shooter in the JFK assassination, perhaps?
I feel like conspiracy theories are there to comfort people. I think it's way scarier to think that no one is at the controls and that a disgruntled weirdo in Dallas can just shoot JFK from the window of a book depository. It's way more comforting to go, "Oh, no, this was all part of their plan!" I think the scariest thing is that there is no hidden hand behind the random acts of horror and mishap that occur in history. The scary part is that it truly is random. That's when people make up conspiracy theories, so they can feel better about stuff.
During an awards ceremony earlier this month, you called out Warner Bros. Discovery and its CEO David Zaslav for killing films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme for the tax breaks. Why was that a message you wanted to deliver publicly?
I know the backbreaking work that it takes to even make a bad movie. So, to look at all that creative labor and go, "Oh, wait, we can write it off and just make this much." It's billionaires going, "How can we make an extra $2 million?" Like, they have billions. All that's left for them is to ask, "Can we move a little tick up — just one more tiny bit?" It's so frustrating.
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