Paul Giamattistarted working professionally in the acting world in the 1980s, but did not get his true big break until the early 2000s, and many of his best movies and TV shows are from the time period after that break. Giamatti studied acting at the Yale School of Drama, which might be why he is such a great character actor who can simply disappear into a role today. He worked in theater and on Broadway before movies likeAmerican SplendorandSideways, two of his best, provided him with his breakthrough roles.
In addition to theater, movies, and television, Giamatti has expanded his work to lend his voice to video games and audiobooks. All of his roles are different from one another while still allowing him to show the depth of his skills. Giamatti often takes on roles as the ordinary man experiencing what seems like an extraordinary conflict.He takes what should be an ordinary character and makes them leap from the screen with their emotional storylines, and his best movies and television shows showcase how good he is at that - even in supporting roles.
10Private Life (2018)
As Richard Grimes
Giamatti in particular is more subtle in his performance here than he is in some of his other projects, and that makes it all the more powerful.
Paul Giamatti andKathryn Hahnare both equally adept at comedy and drama, so pairing them up for a movie seems like a no-brainer. They worked together, playing a husband and wife, in this independent movie that it’s unlikely many people saw until it landed on streaming platforms.
Giamatti and Hahn both star in the movie as writers. The couple has been struggling with fertility issues, and they both desperately want to have a child.Their chemistry and the easy believability of their performances is what makes the movie work. The movie is grounded by their warmth even as their world seems particularly heartbreaking.
Giamatti in particular is more subtle in his performance here than he is in some of his other projects, and that makes it all the more powerful. His turmoil is played mostly quietly, but it’s still very affecting for the audience.
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Paul Giamatti is a lifelong Star Trek super fan, and I’m glad he finally gets to join the franchise as part of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s cast.
9Barney’s Version (2010)
As Barney Panoksky
Giamatti has a quality that makes the audience care about someone, makes the character a star, when in another story, that character might be a footnote.
Barney’s Versionis an often forgotten movie in Giamatti’s catalog, which is a shame because his performance is fantastic. It was a critical darling when it was released, but a box office failure, not earning back its budget. It’s inspired by a 1997 novel of the same name.
The story follows the titular Barney, an alcoholic and soap opera producer who is not always the easiest person to get along with, even though he is very much loved by those close to him. Throughout the movie, his three different marriages, his relationship with his father, and the disappearance of his friend all make huge marks on his life.
What’s most interesting about Giamatti’s performance here, asRoger Ebert notedwhen reviewing the film, is that he plays an “unremarkable but memorable” man, and that is true of many of the characters in Giamatti’s best movies.Giamatti has a quality that makes the audience care about someone, makes the character a star, when in another story, that character might be a footnote.
American Splendoris one of the earlier highlights of Giamatti’s movie career. The movie provided a window into just how great his work could be as a movie lead instead of in a supporting role.
American Splendorsees Giamatti play cartoonist Harvey Pekar. The movie itself is based on Pekar’s comic book series of the same name, which is semi-autobiographical.It combines Giamatti’s performances with actual art and thought bubbles from the comics, creating a unique take on a comic book moviethat is not about superheroes or magical beings. Instead, it brings the everyday life of someone working behind the scenes to the screen.
The movie was well received by critical circles, even if it is a mostly forgotten comic book movie today. It earned several nominations across different film critic societies, specifically for the screenplay, butGiamatti was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his work.
Cinderella Man
Cast
Cinderella Man, directed by Ron Howard, stars Russell Crowe as boxer James J. Braddock, whose comeback during the Great Depression inspires a nation. Renée Zellweger plays his supportive wife Mae, while Paul Giamatti portrays his loyal manager Joe Gould. The film follows Braddock’s journey from washed-up fighter to unexpected champion, capturing the era’s struggles and hopes.
Yet again, Paul Giamatti takes on the role of a supporting player in a story who really helps to provide the emotional backbone of a movie.Giamatti is known for his emotional and grounded portrayals of “the everyman.” Here, that man just happens to be a coach.
Cinderella Man centers onRussell Croweas a boxer who is on the verge of being washed up. Giamatti is his coach whose faith in the boxer never wavers. It’s his sheer determination and commitment that helps to keep the athlete going and the audience invested in the story.
Though Giamatti was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in the movie, he lost out to George Clooney forSyriana. The movie received an additional two Oscar nominations. Giamatti and Crowe were also both nominated for Golden Globes for their work.
Where The Cast Of Cinderella Man Is Now
Russell Crowe’s Cinderella Man features an outstanding supporting cast of actors whose careers have reached new heights since the film’s release.
John Adams
The main moments in the life of John Adams, one of the great founders of the United States, including his 54-year marriage to Abigail, considered one of the most moving relationships in American history.
There have been many biopics about figures related to the American Revolution.The Broadway musicalHamiltonhas certainly increased interest in those figures in recent years, but beforeHamilton(and after the classic musical1776), there was the HBO miniseriesJohn Adams.
The series is not a musical, and it is not as lavish of a period piece as streaming shows today. It is, however, grounded by the performances of Giamatti as the titular character and Laura Linney as his wife. The miniseries takes place over seven episodes and chronicles the first 50 years of the United States of America with President John Adams and his family at the center.
Giamatti’s and Linney’s performances were so well received that they largely swept the award show circuit that season. Both actors won Golden Globes and Emmys for their work.
John Adamsalso won two additional Golden Globes and 11 Emmy Awards.
12 Years a Slave
Directed by Steve McQueen and based on the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave tells the story of Northrup, a free black man from New York who, in 1841, is captured and sold into slavery in the south. Separated from his family, and forced to endure intense brutality at the hands of his new masters, Northrup works tirelessly to stay alive and regain his freedom. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northrup, with a cast that includes Lupita Nyong'0, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
He is calculating and cold in the role, and it’s a very different one for audiences to see him do so well, which is why it is one of his best.
12 Years A Slaveis a modern classic that depicts a particularly cruel aspect of American history. It follows the life of a man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery as a result of a false identity created for him. Giamatti plays a small supporting role in the movie as the man who creates the identity and sells him.
Giamatti has been known throughout his career for playing men who are overlooked, down on their luck, or nice guys who make mistakes. He is not known for his take on cruelty, but here, he does it masterfully.Giamatti perfectly transforms himself into a man who has no regard for human life, or more accurately, no regard for those he considers less than human. He is calculating and cold in the role, and it’s a very different one for audiences to see him do so well, which is why it is one of his best.
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan: Directed by Steven Spielberg, this World War II drama follows Captain John Miller, portrayed by Tom Hanks, as he leads a group of U.S. soldiers on a mission to rescue Private James Ryan, the sole surviving brother of four, from behind enemy lines in German-occupied France.
Long before Giamatti was leading any series or movies, he was something of a character actor. He often played small roles - sometimes in just a single scene - in some big-budget movies. One of those roles was in Steven Spielberg’sSaving Private Ryan.While audiences will remember Tom Hanks and Matt Damon in the movie, Giamatti’s single sequence is a sign of just how talented he was.
Giamatti plays a sergeant who crosses paths withTom Hanks’ captainwhile on his search for Private Ryan during World War II. Giamatti is the picture of a soldier who is battle weary and beaten down by the enemy as they take on enemy fire.His anguish and the intensity of the sequence make it clear, even in 1998, that he is an actor to watch.
Saving Private Ryanwon two Golden Globes and five Oscars.
Sideways
Sideways is a 2004 film directed by Alexander Payne, chronicling the road trip of two friends—struggling writer Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti) and actor Jack Cole (Thomas Haden Church)—through California’s wine country. As they explore vineyards and reflect on their lives, both men confront personal and professional challenges. The film blends humor and drama, providing an in-depth look at friendship and life’s mid-course corrections.
Though Paul Giamatti was active in Hollywood long beforeSideways, it could be considered the movie that really gave him his big break.Sidewaysis the movie that made audiences, critics, and even Hollywood organizations take notice of the actor.
The movie follows two men in their forties who decide to take a week-long trip through wine country in California. Both men are facing a lack of success in their lives - one is a struggling actor and the other is a teacher and writer who cannot get his work published. The latter is traveling right before he gets married, but along the trip through wine country, the two men cross paths with two women that pique their interest.
The movie saw huge success at the time, making over $109 million against an estimated $16 million budget. Though the movie was inspired by a book, it’s the movie that helped bring more tourism to wine country and increase sales for the specific types of wine mentioned in the movie.TIMEnamed Giamattithe world’s best character actor following his work in the film, and it provided breakthrough roles for Thomas Hayden Church, Sandra Oh, and Virginia Madsen as well.
Sidewayswas nominated for six Golden Globes, winning one, and five Academy Awards, winning one. Both wins were for the screenplay.
The Holdovers
The Holdovers is a comedy-drama film starring Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham, a prep academy professor hated by peers and students alike. Stuck at the academy for the holidays with no family or friends to visit, he finds himself in the company of a bright-but-troublemaking young student named Angus and the school’s head cook, Mary. Together, the three will create a makeshift family as they bond during the holiday season.
It’s at turns heartfelt and tense, providing Giamatti with one of the best and most layered performances of his career.
Director Alexander Payne helmedSidewaysand then reunited with Paul Giamatti nearly 20 years later onThe Holdovers.Payne and Giamatti make for a winning team, telling stories of average people that become emotional and memorable, standing out from what others might consider “boring.”
The Holdoversfollows the employees responsible for watching the students who are “held over” at a boarding school during the Christmas break. Giamatti plays the teacher begrudgingly responsible for keeping an eye on things at the boarding school. It’s at turns heartfelt and tense, providing Giamatti with one of the best and most layered performances of his career.
The Holdoverswas named one ofComic Book Resources' best Christmas moviesof the 2020s, but it is alsoPaul Giamatti’s best movie. It also earned nominations from a slew of different critical organizations and guilds.The Holdoversreceived five Oscar nominations, winning one, and three Golden Globe nominations, winning two, including one for Giamatti.
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Billions
Billions is a drama series created for Showtime that follows hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod’s quest to accumulate power and wealth, often leading him to utilize unscrupulous tactics. The one man standing in his way is U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades - who will do what it takes to ensure Axelrod is brought to justice. The series is based on several real-world cases featuring dramatizations and embellishments for entertainment purposes.
…television provides him with a chance to really dig into the characters he plays.
Billionsis one of Giamatti’s most recent television projects. While Giamatti is known better for his character work in movies than on television, television provides him with a chance to really dig into the characters he plays. That is part of why his work inBillionsis so great.Instead of a two-hour story, the show lasted for seven seasons, bringing Giamatti’s performance to households all over.
The series follows a hedge fund manager (Damien Lewis) who engages in practices just on the other side of the law. Giamatti plays the District Attorney determined to take him down. The DA, despite his powerful job, is often overshadowed by his own family members and has to find outlets for his frustration, which includes bondage and other sexual games.
The role allows Giamatti to play the tension, the overconfidence, and the stress of a man in a high-powered position.WhileBillionsdid not earn Giamatti any Golden Globe nominations like his other projects, it still makes for Paul Giamatti’s best television show.
