Patton Oswalt reflects on his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia as being perplexing, particularly only receiving his specific pages. There are tales of happenstance and serendipity, of intersections and peculiar occurrences shared, and Oswalt has a humorous anecdote of his own about collaborating with Anderson on the film. Playing the character Delmer Darion, a blackjack dealer and scuba diving enthusiast, Oswalt only had a limited understanding of the scenes he was filming, feeling somewhat lost in the process.
During a conversation on the Fly on the Wall podcast, Oswalt recalled his experience on Magnolia as one shrouded in mystery. Anderson’s tendency to withhold the full script from his actors meant Oswalt only knew his own scenes. Confusion set in as he found himself beaten up in a casino, then inexplicably donning a green wetsuit and suspended in a tree, with Arrowhead water being poured on him to prevent heat exhaustion. Oswalt eventually reached out to Anderson for clarification, to which the director cryptically responded, “you’re the first frog that falls out of the sky and it’ll make sense to you when you see the movie.”
Despite the perplexity of his role, Oswalt recognizes the genius of Magnolia and its director. While Anderson’s next project remains shrouded in secrecy, fans eagerly await his next cinematic endeavor. As for Oswalt, he continues to pursue various projects while acknowledging the brilliance of Anderson’s work.
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