When you think of a rat in a kitchen, your first instinct is usually to reach for a broom or call an exterminator. But Pixar somehow made us fall in love with a vermin who makes a mean confit byaldi. A huge part of that magic—maybe the biggest part—is the voice of Remy in Ratatouille. It isn't just a voice; it's the nervous, ambitious, and deeply soulful heart of a character that shouldn't work on paper.
If you grew up watching Disney movies, you might expect a big-name Hollywood star to be behind the microphone. Pixar does that sometimes, sure. Tom Hanks as Woody? Iconic. But for Remy, director Brad Bird went in a completely different direction. He didn't want a "movie star" voice. He wanted a specific kind of frantic energy. He found it in Patton Oswalt.
The accidental genius of Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt wasn't exactly a household name for children’s movies back in 2007. He was a stand-up comedian known for biting, cynical, and incredibly smart observational humor. So, how does a guy who jokes about depression and bad food end up playing a gourmet rat?
Brad Bird actually heard Oswalt’s voice on the radio. Specifically, he heard a bit from Oswalt’s 2004 comedy album Feelin' Kinda Patton. The bit was about the absurdity of the menu at a Black Angus Steakhouse. Bird was struck by the passion in Oswalt’s voice—this intense, high-pitched frustration over something as "trivial" as food.
He realized that was exactly what Remy needed.
Remy is a character defined by his palate. He lives in a world of garbage but dreams of truffles. He’s tiny, he’s vulnerable, and he’s constantly on the verge of a panic attack. Oswalt’s natural cadence—fast-talking, slightly neurotic, but undeniably sincere—fit the bill perfectly. It wasn't about being "funny." It was about the desperation of an artist trapped in a body that the world wants to crush.
Why the casting almost didn't happen
It's easy to forget that Ratatouille had a pretty rocky production history. Originally, Jan Pinkava was directing the film. When Brad Bird took over the project in 2005, he overhauled almost everything. The story changed. The tone changed. But the voice of Remy in Ratatouille remained the anchor.
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Bird knew that if the audience didn't believe in Remy’s passion for cooking, the whole movie would fall apart. You can't just tell people a rat is a chef. You have to make them feel his hunger. Oswalt delivered that. He brought a sense of "intellectual longing" that made us forget we were watching a rodent.
Behind the scenes: Finding the "Rat" sound
Recording the voice of Remy in Ratatouille wasn't just about sitting in a booth and reading lines. Pixar is famous for its "scratch tracks," where they use internal employees to voice characters during early animation. Often, these people are so good they end up in the final movie (like Bob Peterson as Dug in Up or Joe Ranft as Heimlich in A Bug's Life).
But Oswalt brought something more.
During the recording sessions, Oswalt actually had to move. To get the sound of Remy scurrying or climbing, he would physically mimic the motions. When Remy is tasting food and describing the "symphony" of flavors—the way the cheese and strawberry harmonize—Oswalt’s performance had to match the abstract animation of colors and shapes appearing behind Remy’s closed eyes.
He had to sound like he was seeing God in a piece of brie.
- The Lou Romano connection: Lou Romano, who voiced Alfredo Linguini, worked closely with Oswalt. Their chemistry is what drives the film. It's a buddy comedy where one half of the duo can't speak to the other in front of people.
- The physicality: Oswalt often talked about how exhausting the sessions were because Remy is such a high-strung character.
It's a testament to the voice acting that we never question the logistics of a rat pulling a human's hair to control him like a marionette. We're too busy rooting for the rat.
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More than just Patton: The ensemble that helped Remy shine
While the voice of Remy in Ratatouille is the lead, the surrounding cast is what grounds the world. You have the legendary Ian Holm playing the villainous Chef Skinner. Holm brought this wonderful, short-tempered toxicity to the role that provided a perfect foil to Remy's earnestness.
Then there’s Janeane Garofalo as Colette Tatou.
Garofalo went through a massive amount of training for the role. She worked with a dialect coach to perfect her French accent and even learned about the grueling, male-dominated reality of professional kitchens. Her performance is sharp and defensive, which makes her eventual softening toward Linguini (and by extension, Remy) feel earned rather than forced.
And we can't talk about the voices without mentioning Peter O'Toole as Anton Ego. If Patton Oswalt is the heart of the movie, O'Toole is the soul. His monologue at the end of the film—written by Bird—is widely considered one of the greatest moments in animation history. O'Toole's voice is like aged wine: dry, sophisticated, and carrying the weight of a thousand disappointments. When he finally eats the ratatouille and is transported back to his childhood, the silence in his voice speaks louder than any dialogue.
The legacy of the performance
What makes the voice of Remy in Ratatouille so enduring?
Honestly, it’s the lack of "cartoonishness." Oswalt doesn't do a "funny rat voice." He doesn't squeak. He speaks like a person who is tired of being misunderstood. He sounds like a dreamer.
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In the years since the film's release in 2007, Patton Oswalt has become a staple in voice acting, but Remy remains his most iconic role. It’s a performance that bridged the gap between Pixar’s earlier, more slapstick-heavy films and their later, more philosophical works like Soul or Inside Out.
Interestingly, there were some concerns at Disney early on. A movie about a rat in a kitchen is a hard sell. Marketing "vermin" is tough. But once the test audiences heard Oswalt’s performance, those fears started to evaporate. You liked Remy because you were Remy. We’ve all felt like the underdog. We’ve all had a talent that people told us we shouldn't have.
Fun facts about the casting you probably didn't know
- Brian Dennehy voiced Django, Remy's father. His deep, booming voice provided the perfect "voice of reason" (or voice of fear) against Remy's ambition.
- Will Arnett has a small role! He voices Horst, the sous chef with the mysterious past (the one who "killed a man with this thumb").
- Brad Bird himself voiced Gusteau's waiter, but more famously, he voiced Edna Mode in The Incredibles. He knows his way around a microphone.
- The French version: In the French dub of the film, Remy is voiced by Guillaume Canet, who is a massive star in France. While the English version is the "original," the French dub is equally praised for its nuance.
Why Remy still matters in 2026
It's been nearly two decades since we first met the "Little Chef." Why are we still talking about the voice of Remy in Ratatouille?
Because the movie’s message—"Anyone can cook"—is still one of the most powerful themes in cinema. It doesn't mean anyone will be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. That sentiment is carried entirely by Patton Oswalt’s delivery.
When Remy says, "I can't help it. I like food to actually be good," you hear the stubbornness of a creator who refuses to compromise. In a world of fast food and "content," that's a refreshing thing to hear.
Actionable insights: How to appreciate the performance more
If you’re planning a rewatch, or if you’re a student of voice acting, here is how you can actually "hear" the brilliance of the casting:
- Listen for the breath: Pay attention to how often Remy is out of breath. Oswalt captures the physical exertion of a tiny creature moving through a giant world.
- Watch the Black Angus bit: Go find Patton Oswalt’s original stand-up comedy about Black Angus. Once you hear that, you’ll hear Remy in a totally different way. You’ll see exactly what Brad Bird saw.
- Notice the pitch shifts: When Remy is talking to Gusteau (his imagination), his voice is softer, more melodic. When he’s talking to the other rats, it’s more frantic and hurried. This distinction shows Remy’s dual nature—the rat he is vs. the chef he wants to be.
- Follow the "Anyone Can Cook" TikTok musical: If you want to see how the character has evolved in the cultural zeitgeist, look at the 2020-2021 TikTok musical phenomenon. It shows how much the character—and Oswalt's vocal blueprint—still resonates with younger generations who didn't even grow up with the original release.
The voice of Remy in Ratatouille isn't just a fun fact for trivia night. It's a masterclass in how casting a "vibe" is often more important than casting a "name." Patton Oswalt didn't just voice a rat; he gave a soul to a creature that most of us would usually ignore. And that, really, is what Pixar does better than anyone else.