Close X
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
ADVT 
National

Patton Oswalt plays Rob Ford-inspired character on new Vince Gilligan show

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Feb, 2015 10:44 AM

    TORONTO — The ignoble exploits of a certain former Toronto mayor often seemed like a made-up Hollywood story.

    Now they appear to have inspired an episode of the new CBS/Global series "Battle Creek," which features a Rob Ford-like character whose penchant for parties and drugs gets him into a mess of trouble.

    Josh Duhamel ("Transformers," "Las Vegas") and Dean Winters ("30 Rock," "Oz") star as two mismatched law enforcement officers who butt heads over just about everything.

    Comedian Patton Oswalt makes a guest appearance in episode six as a drug-addled mayor with an overbearing brother who micromanages his career.

    Duhamel traces the dig to series co-creator David Shore, who is Canadian.

    "Well, he's from Toronto, I think that it was sort of an homage to Rob Ford," Duhamel said Monday during a stop in Toronto to promote the series with Winters.

    "Which I thought was great and I thought Patton Oswalt was fantastic. It's one of my favourite guest stars that we had."

    Shore was born in London, Ont., and began his TV writing career on Canadian shows including "Traders" and "Due South" before becoming a TV sensation with his medical smash "House."

    For "Battle Creek," he teams up with "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan to come up with an off-kilter comic-crime series that Winters said reinvents the standard network cop formula.

    Kal Penn ("House," "24") plays a fellow cop while Janet McTeer ("Damages," "Albert Nobbs") appears as their boss.

    Winters said he hopes Ford, now a Toronto city councillor, will take the tribute episode in stride.

    "The guy looks like he's got a sense of humour about life, hopefully he'll have a sense of humour about this," said Winters, whose character is a ragged local cop who prefers "old-fashioned police work" to the modern-day technical gizmos introduced by his new partner, a buttoned-down FBI agent.

    "If he was smart he'd come do a cameo.... On behalf of David Shore I'm inviting Rob Ford to come be on 'Battle Creek.'"

    "Oh that would be a fun eight days," Duhamel chuckled.

    "Battle Creek" debuts Sunday.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    If ISIL shoots at Canadians in Iraq, they'll shoot back and 'kill' them: Harper

    If ISIL shoots at Canadians in Iraq, they'll shoot back and 'kill' them: Harper
    OTTAWA — Stephen Harper and his defence minister made it clear Thursday they won't tie the hands of Canadian military trainers in Iraq, but also suggested Canada's combat mission isn't expected to escalate further.

    If ISIL shoots at Canadians in Iraq, they'll shoot back and 'kill' them: Harper

    Jean-Francois Lisee to withdraw from Parti Quebecois leadership race

    Jean-Francois Lisee to withdraw from Parti Quebecois leadership race
    QUEBEC — A candidate for the vacant Parti Quebecois leadership post is taking himself out of the running for the top job.

    Jean-Francois Lisee to withdraw from Parti Quebecois leadership race

    Federal panel values Halifax's Citadel Hill at $41.2 M in decades-long dispute

    Federal panel values Halifax's Citadel Hill at $41.2 M in decades-long dispute
    HALIFAX — A federal panel has valued Halifax's Citadel Hill at $41.2 million in a decades-long dispute between the city and the federal government, about $37.6 million more than Ottawa argued the national historic site was worth.

    Federal panel values Halifax's Citadel Hill at $41.2 M in decades-long dispute

    'Unstable' chemicals stacked floor to ceiling at Halifax cottage: RCMP

    'Unstable' chemicals stacked floor to ceiling at Halifax cottage: RCMP
    HALIFAX — Investigators in Halifax have found a variety of containers stacked floor to ceiling inside a cottage that contain "unstable" chemicals, the RCMP said Friday.

    'Unstable' chemicals stacked floor to ceiling at Halifax cottage: RCMP

    RCMP charge three people with killing child on Manitoba reserve

    RCMP charge three people with killing child on Manitoba reserve
    WINNIPEG — The mother, father and stepsister have been charged in the violent death of a 21-month-old girl on a reserve north of Winnipeg.

    RCMP charge three people with killing child on Manitoba reserve

    B.C. Man, 26, Sentenced For Killing Brother In Alcohol-Fuelled Stabbing

    B.C. Man, 26, Sentenced For Killing Brother In Alcohol-Fuelled Stabbing
    Kyle Louie was sentenced Thursday after earlier pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of his 21-year-old brother, Reece Louie, on Feb. 19, 2011.

    B.C. Man, 26, Sentenced For Killing Brother In Alcohol-Fuelled Stabbing