Close X
Monday, January 27, 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

    Laid off Target workers face grim job prospects, labour experts say

    Laid off Target workers face grim job prospects, labour experts say
    TORONTO — Laid off retail workers, including more than 17,000 hit by Target's decision to pull out of Canada, face grim job prospects as they dust off their resumes and start looking for work, according to labour experts.

    Laid off Target workers face grim job prospects, labour experts say

    Beyond Fort McMurray, oilpatch country feeling the pinch from low crude

    Beyond Fort McMurray, oilpatch country feeling the pinch from low crude
    CALGARY — If low oil prices stick around much longer, the operations manager at Lac La Biche Transport Ltd. says he will have to layoff workers.

    Beyond Fort McMurray, oilpatch country feeling the pinch from low crude

    NDP seeks probe of Canada Revenue Agency's text message destruction

    NDP seeks probe of Canada Revenue Agency's text message destruction
    OTTAWA — A New Democrat MP is asking the federal information watchdog to investigate the Canada Revenue Agency's systematic deletion of employee text messages.

    NDP seeks probe of Canada Revenue Agency's text message destruction

    Ottawa threatens to use rare law in Buy America dispute with U.S.

    Ottawa threatens to use rare law in Buy America dispute with U.S.
    OTTAWA — The Canadian government is threatening to block a U.S. construction project in British Columbia after the state of Alaska rejected Ottawa's demands that it ditch the project's Buy America restrictions.

    Ottawa threatens to use rare law in Buy America dispute with U.S.

    Former Bloc Quebecois MP Michel Guimond dies from heart failure at the age of 61

    Former Bloc Quebecois MP Michel Guimond dies from heart failure at the age of 61
    MONTREAL — Former Bloc Quebecois MP Michel Guimond died of heart failure on Monday while exercising at home. He was 61.

    Former Bloc Quebecois MP Michel Guimond dies from heart failure at the age of 61

    Magnotta wants new trial in Jun Lin killing

    Magnotta wants new trial in Jun Lin killing
    MONTREAL — Luka Rocco Magnotta is appealing his conviction in the first-degree murder of Jun Lin and wants a new trial.

    Magnotta wants new trial in Jun Lin killing