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Comedian Patton Oswalt always figured he'd make the transition from stand-up comedy to movies. He just didn't expect his first starring role to be in a summer blockbuster. But that's what happened. Oswalt — also known for his role as Spence Olchin on “The King of Queens” — is the star of the upcoming Disney/Pixar film, “Ratatouille.” In the film, Oswalt voices the character of Remy, a rat who wants nothing more than to be a chef. Before the film opens, 210SA caught up with Oswalt.

How did you land your first starring role via “Ratatouille?”
I wish I had a better story beyond (director) Brad Bird just flat out asked me. He heard my first (comedy) album, and said, “I want that voice.” They brought me in and I got it. That's how they cast, just getting people they want to work with. They're not looking for stars or big celebrities, obviously. If they had asked me to do anything with the movie, I would have done it. It's not a dream come true because I never dreamed this would happen.

How did it feel playing a rat?
It's a Pixar film by Brad Bird, so if they'd told me I'd be playing a flea on a corpse I'd be in it because I know it would be great.

“The King of Queens” just concluded a nine-season run on CBS. It doesn't seem like shows stay on the air that long anymore.
I know, it's like the last big, long-running show. Again, it's one of those things where they saw my HBO special and brought me in. I feel like I really lucked out, to be in the pilot and to spend nine years on a great show with a great cast and great writers.

Growing up, what was your dream job?
I wanted to write and act, and I write on movies all the time. I'm always punching up movies and rewriting stuff. I wrote on “Borat” for three months.

What was that like?
I traveled with them and wrote with Sacha (Baron Cohen). We worked out how he would do each scenario. He had it in his head and could go in 15 different directions.

Is Sacha Baron Cohen as quirky as we've all heard?
I don't know how quirky but more just driven and very professional. He's obsessed about making everything perfect.

Were you surprised when “Borat” ended up being such a hit?
I knew it would end up being a hit. We watched a rough cut three months before it came out, and it was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I knew it was going to be huge.

Is there added pressure working on a Pixar film, since the box-office expectations will be so high?
For me, I'm so glad that I'm part of a great film that I don't think the box office is going to matter. I think the movie is going to have such great legs, with such positive word of mouth. A lot of others come out and have a huge opening weekend, and they don't even drop off. They just plummet because no one walks away saying they're great.

Clint Hale | 210SA