Patton Oswalt has a history as a stand-up comedian so his dramatic and nuanced depiction of Matt Freehauf, the 'hate-crime kid' in the latest Diablo Cody/Jason Reitman film Young Adult (alongside Academy Award Winner Charlize Theron, no less) has seen him turn a few heads.

Their constant self-loathing provides the film with a lot of its humour and their unlikely friendship brings some heart to a very dark comedy - but you can read our review of the film over here. 

In the interview below I very awkwardly confuse the Golden Globes with the Critics Choice Awards, unashamedly quote Alanis Morissette, discuss high school hang-ups and learn about the importance of acting coaches.

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Hello Patton, how are you?

I'm good, thank you. 

Excellent. Firstly, congratulations on the Golden Globe nomination. 

Oh, I wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe. Charlize was nominated for Best Actress… 

[Crickets riding tumbleweeds]

Oh, I thought you were nominated as well for Best Supporting?

Nope. 

My bad! Was it a Critics Choice Award?

It was! 

Well congratulations on that one!

Thank you!

What was your experience working with Jason Reitman? Charlize has said that "every single day was my favourite day on set", did you have a similar experience?

Yeah, there was this awesome thing with him where he could not be more excited to be doing a movie. He acts, when you're on set, like he just won a contest to do a movie. 

That must be pretty contagious?

Yeah, yeah. [Laughs] It's just the best work. 

And I understand it was shot with a very small team, in just 30 days?

30 days. Small crew. All people we've worked with before. We finished each others sentences, it was pretty great. 

Let's talk about the fact that it's a very black comedy, and a very dark script. How did you approach the role?

Oh I approached it by doing A LOT of work on the script. I worked with an acting coach, and uh, basically really had the character down by the time I showed up, to uh, work, so I didn't have to do a lot of over-thinking. 

[Phone cuts out] 

Sorry, you didn't have to do a lot of over-thinking?

Yeah. That was my aim. 

And was it a new thing working with an acting coach? Or is that something you've done on other roles before?

My first time with one and I'll always use one. 

When you read the script did you feel it was a good fit with your own brand of self-deprecating comedy?

Uh, yeah, if felt pretty good. And actually it did kind of work and it … well the part wasn't written for me or anything. I think I made it mine through a lot of work with the acting coach. 

Well you definitely seemed to be perfect as Matt. 

Oh, thank you. 

You're welcome. Both your character and Mavis dwell on the past in the film. Do you have any high school hang ups?

There's not really a past I dwell on. I mean, you're affected by your past whether you want to or not, but I try to make it work for me, I guess. Move forward, rather than dwelling on it. 

Alanis Morrisette once sang, "But what it all comes down to / Is that no-ones really got it all figured out just yet," and I think that…

... Or, ever. 

Well, yeah. It's certainly true for Mavis and Matt in the 'just yet' part, but regarding the 'or ever' part: do you think that by the end of the film either of them are any closer to figuring it out?

I have some pretty definite ideas along those lines, but I will never reveal them. 

Ooh!

It's what everyone talks about when they see the film, they have such wildly different ideas and viewpoints about that, I don't want to think that… they're all different and they all make sense and I don't want to mess up that. 

So you've got your own [theories] to keep to yourself?

Got my own. 

It's definitely one of those films where you can project your own ideas onto what you think those characters might do. 

It's kind of a great film in that everyone really gets something different. 

To me, it really highlights that we all just want someone to understand our flaws. 

Oh, yeah.

Well what's next for you, Patton?

I don't know, and I'm glad! It's kind of a blank slate right now and it's kind of exciting. 

Will there be more acting, or more stand-up comedy?

Yes. 

Both?

Both of those. But I don't know what. 

I also read that in the future you'd look to do some directing yourself?

Someday, yeah. Again I don't know where or when that would come from, but yes that would be, that would definitely be good. 

Well congratulations on Young Adult, and thank you for Ratatouille. 

Oh wow, thank you!