“There’s no shame in the drug game.”

Actor-comedian Patton Oswalt, 55, knows how to make people smile. He has been a stand-up comedian for over 35 years and is currently on a nationwide comedy tour. But Oswalt’s life hasn’t been all smiles. He lost his wife, author Michelle McNamara, suddenly in 2016, and he has spoken publicly about his struggles with depression. AARP spoke with Oswalt about how he’s dealing with grief, prioritizing his mental health and working to live life to the fullest.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You are waiting for a new game show. What made you want to do this? [The 1% Club is streaming on Prime Video and premiered June 3 on FOX.]

At first I was ambivalent. And then they sent me the first season of the BBC version [of the show] and I loved the format. I like that it’s more about logic and how you use your brain than just dry facts stored up there. [Players answer a series of logic-based questions to ultimately see who can correctly answer a question that, statistically, only 1 percent of the population would be able to.] When we say anyone can win this game, anyone can win this game.

How do you think you would do as a contestant? The 1% Club.?

I wouldn’t go beyond six finalists. If a play was called Useless facts that do not benefit your life in any way, this is the show I would excel in – this is what my brain is full of. But common sense and logic? No, I’m completely at sea.

Did you watch game shows growing up?

I enjoyed watching The price is right DHEA $20,000 Pyramid. I loved it Family feud with Richard Dawson. For me, this was the gold standard.

You are currently on your Effervescent Comedy Tour. How has your comedy changed over the years?

My tour features an entire hour of new material. As you grow and experience different aspects and angles of life, everything in your action will constantly change. If it doesn’t change, you’re definitely not growing as an artist. To be a father in my 50s [Oswalt has a 15-year-old daughter, Alice, from his marriage with McNamara]being an author, everything I do in life affects my comedy.