Rise to Fame
He spent a decade as someone's supporting character before Pixar handed him the lead. Nine seasons on King of Queens (1998-2007) as the nerdy sidekick gave him name recognition. But voicing Remy in Ratatouille in 2007 reframed him. He'd been doing stand-up since 1989 (open mics in DC alongside Dave Chappelle) and the material always ran smarter than his sitcom credits suggested. Talking for Clapping won him both a Primetime Emmy for writing and a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 2016.
In the Spotlight
His wife Michelle McNamara died in her sleep in April 2016, and he processed it in public without turning it into content. He finished her half-complete true crime book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, which debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List in 2018 and became an HBO documentary series. His 2023 Netflix special We All Scream (also his directorial debut) earned a Grammy nomination. In a career full of pivots, the grief turned out to be the most durable material.
Side Notes
He was named after General George S. Patton (his father was a Marine Corps officer), though nothing about grinding stand-up clubs for 37 years particularly matches that energy. He has a black belt in Taekwondo. He co-created the comic series Minor Threats for Dark Horse Comics, and Netflix announced a TV adaptation in 2024. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he played five different Koenig family members across four seasons, because apparently the show needed five of him.