Paul Giamatti

Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (born June 6, 1967) is an American actor. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globes, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award.

After studying acting at the Yale School of Drama he performed in numerous theatrical productions. Giamatti made his Broadway debut portraying Ezra Chater in the Tom Stoppard play Arcadia (1995). Later that year he played the Rev. Donald "Streaky" Bacon in the David Hare play Racing Demon (1995). He returned to theatre in the revivals of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters (1997) and Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh (1999).

Giamatti's breakout role in film was in Private Parts (1997), which led to supporting roles in My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Man on the Moon (1999). He won acclaim for his leading roles in American Splendor (2003), Sideways (2004), Win Win (2011), and Private Life (2018). He has also acted in The Illusionist (2006), Fred Claus (2007), The Ides of March (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and Saving Mr. Banks (2013). He also portrayed Limbo in Planet of the Apes (2001), Eugene Landy in Love & Mercy (2014) and Jerry Heller in Straight Outta Compton (2015). He earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Joe Gould in Cinderella Man (2005) and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as disgruntled teacher Paul Hunham in The Holdovers (2023).

On television, Giamatti played the title role in the HBO miniseries John Adams (2008), which earned him acclaim and several awards including a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe. He starred as U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades Jr in the Showtime television series Billions (2016–2023), and earned Emmy nominations for his roles as Ben Bernanke in the HBO film Too Big to Fail (2011), and Harold Levinson in the ITV series Downton Abbey (2013).

Early life and education
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti was born June 6, 1967, in New Haven, Connecticut, the youngest of three children. His father, Angelo Bartlett Giamatti, was a Yale University professor who later became president of the university and later commissioner of Major League Baseball. His mother, Toni Marilyn Giamatti (née Smith), was a homemaker and English teacher who taught at the Hopkins School and had also previously acted.

His paternal grandfather's family were Italian emigrants from Telese Terme; the family surname was originally spelled "Giammattei" before immigrating to the United States. His paternal grandmother had deep roots in New England, dating back to the colonial era. Giamatti's brother, Marcus, is also an actor, and his sister, Elena, was a jewelry designer.

Giamatti attended Yale, where he was active in the undergraduate theater scene and worked with fellow actors and Yale students Ron Livingston and Edward Norton. He graduated in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in English and went on to earn a master of fine arts degree from the Yale School of Drama, where he studied with Earle R. Gister. He performed in numerous theatrical productions, including on Broadway and a stint from 1989 to 1992 with Seattle's Annex Theater, before appearing in some small television and film roles in the early 1990s.

In 2023, Giamatti was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Yale.

1989–2002: Early roles
He made his television debut in the ABC made for television film She'll Take Romance (1990). After minor roles in the neo-noir Past Midnight (1991) and the romantic comedy Singles (1992) he acted in Woody Allen's comedy film Mighty Aphrodite (1995) and Sydney Pollack's romantic comedy remake Sabrina (1995). That same year in March, he made his Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia portraying Ezra Chater. Vincent Canby describe the role as being "a helplessly funny subsidiary" one. In November he portrayed The Rev. Donald Bacon in David Hare's Racing Demon. Both of these productions took place at the Lincoln Center Theater.

In 1997, Giamatti landed his first high-profile role as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton in the film adaptation of Howard Stern's Private Parts. Stern praised Giamatti's performance often on his radio program, calling for him to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times described Giamatti's performance as being "well played". That same year he reunited with Woody Allen, acting in the comedy Deconstructing Harry (1997). He also took a small but memorable role as Richard the Bellman in the Julia Roberts-led romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997). That same year he returned to Broadway, playing Andrei Prozorov in the revival of Anton Chekov's Three Sisters. Greg Evans of Variety wrote, "[Giamatti,] as the sisters’ pensive, dispirited brother Andrei, plays urban neurosis like a Richard Lewis stand-up routine, then slides into shaky-voiced melodrama when the going gets tough".

In 1998, Giamatti appeared in a number of supporting roles in the big-budget films including Peter Weir's drama The Truman Show, Steven Spielberg's World War II drama Saving Private Ryan, and the action thriller The Negotiator. In 1999, he played Bob Zmuda and Tony Clifton in Miloš Forman's Andy Kaufman biopic, Man on the Moon. Giamatti continued working steadily during the early 2000s by appearing in major studio releases including Duets (2000), Big Momma's House (2000), Planet of the Apes (2001) and Big Fat Liar (2002).

2003–2015: Established actor
In 2003, Giamatti began to earn critical acclaim after his lead role in the film American Splendor. In 2004, Giamatti gained mainstream recognition and fame with the independent romantic comedy Sideways. His portrayal of a depressed writer vacationing in the Santa Barbara wine country garnered him a Golden Globe nomination and an Independent Spirit Award and he was named Best Actor in a Leading Role by several significant film critics groups (New York, Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, Online Film Critics).

Following the commercial success of Sideways, Giamatti appeared in Cinderella Man, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture. In 2006, Giamatti was the lead in M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water, a supernatural thriller, followed by the animated film The Ant Bully, and Neil Burger's drama The Illusionist co-starring Edward Norton.



Giamatti had his first major role in an action movie in the 2007 film Shoot 'Em Up, while starring in The Nanny Diaries and Fred Claus. In 2008, Giamatti received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his title performance in the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams, as well as his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film, and also earned a Screen Actors Guild award. Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter praised his performance, writing "Giamatti is brilliant as Adams. He is fearless in his portrayal, confident that the character’s all-consuming sacrifices for his fledgling nation will more than compensate for his numerous character flaws". William Thomas of Empire agreed, adding "The acting, especially from Giamatti as the irascible Adams and Laura Linney as his wife Abigail, who steered him clear of vanity...has the tang of authenticity, even when burdened with great gulps of politicking". That same year, he starred in the independent film Pretty Bird, which is a fictionalized retelling about the drama behind the invention of a rocketbelt.

Giamatti received his second Golden Globe win for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for his role in the 2010 film, Barney's Version. The Associated Press praised Giamatti, describing it as "pitch perfect", adding, "the picture undoubtedly will draw kudos in its home and native land and likely beyond, buoyed by that virtuouso Giamatti performance". Giamatti starred as the lead in the comedy-drama film Win Win, which earned positive reviews from critics. Scott Tobias of NPR wrote of his performance, "By now, the Giamatti persona has been well-defined — exasperation and despair, tempered by mordant wit—but the actor's every performance is like a snowflake, and here McCarthy provides him a role that's subtly down-to-earth". The same year he had small roles in Ironclad, The Hangover Part II and The Ides of March. In 2012, Giamatti became the voiceover actor for Liberty Mutual insurance commercials. He was the narrator for the PBS Nature episode An Original DUCKumentary. Giamatti produced and starred in John Dies at the End, which is based on the book of the same name. He also had roles in the films Rock of Ages and Cosmopolis.

In 2013, Giamatti returned to his alma mater, Yale University, to perform the title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet, for which he won rave reviews in a sold-out, modern dress stage production of the play at the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven. He also had supporting roles in several films, including the animated Turbo and The Congress, as well as Parkland, Saving Mr. Banks, and the critically acclaimed 12 Years a Slave. In addition, Giamatti played the role of New Yorker Harold Levinson, the brother of Cora, the Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), in the 2013 Christmas special of the period drama, ITV Studios/Carnival Films television series, Downton Abbey. For his performance he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series nomination.

In 2014, Giamatti played villain The Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Also in 2014, Giamatti portrayed psychologist Eugene Landy in the Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy. In 2015, Giamatti portrayed N.W.A manager Jerry Heller in the biographical drama Straight Outta Compton. He also played a scientist in the disaster film San Andreas.

Since 2016


From 2016 to 2023, Giamatti played a lead role in the Showtime series Billions, portraying the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The show, debuting in 2016, is loosely based on a real event. For the role he received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. In 2016, Giamatti began appearing in commercials for Prism TV, the IPTV service owned by CenturyLink; the spots are the first-ever on-camera TV commercial appearances for Giamatti. In 2022, Giamatti appeared as Scrooge and Einstein in Verizon commercials. He served as an executive producer of the WGN America series Outsiders (2016–2017). He also lent his voice to BoJack Horseman, Rick and Morty and Big Mouth.

In 2018 he starred in the Tamara Jenkins directed film Private Life, acting alongside Kathryn Hahn. The film, distributed by Netflix, received positive reviews. Alissa Wilkinson of Vox praised the performances of the two leads, writing "Hahn and Giamatti bring their characteristic warmth-with-an-edge to their characters, and as their relationship unpacks itself onscreen, it feels authentic and lived-in". That same year he acted in Reed Morano's post-apocalyptic romance drama I Think We're Alone Now and portrayed Samuel Goudsmit in the war film The Catcher Was a Spy. He returned to film in 2021, acting in the action thriller Gunpowder Milkshake and the family adventure film Jungle Cruise.

He reunited with Alexander Payne in the coming-of-age film The Holdovers (2023), which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. The film, distributed by Focus Features, received positive reviews, with critics praising Giamatti's performance as a curmudgeonly teacher. Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood declared, "Giamatti, who so memorably starred in Payne’s 2004 Sideways, has never been better", adding "this is perfect casting for Giamatti." For his performance in The Holdovers, Giamatti received an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor.

In 2024 it was announced that Giamatti would star in a TV series based on the Hostel film series.

Wax Paul Now campaign
Giamatti is the subject of the viral "Wax Paul Now" campaign, which pushes for the actor to get a Madame Tussauds wax statue in his likeness. The movement first achieved national prominence when Giamatti appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and discussed the campaign with host Stephen Colbert. After this and subsequent articles in BuzzFeed and The A.V. Club among others, Madame Tussauds New York announced that they would host a party in Giamatti's honor to coincide with the premiere of Billions Season 3 on March 25, 2018, at which the founders of the Wax Paul Now movement would speak.

Tussauds announced that if a Change.org petition garnered 500,000 signatures in the nine days leading up to the party, they would agree to create the wax statue of Giamatti. As the petition was unable to garner enough signatures in time, the Wax Paul Now campaign is still ongoing. A short film chronicling the campaign premiered at the Virginia Film Festival in October 2019.

Personal life
Giamatti resides in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York and was married to Elizabeth Cohen from 1997 to an undisclosed date in the 2000s. They have a son, Samuel. Though not religious, he stated: "My wife is Jewish. And I'm fine with my son being raised as a Jew". Giamatti is an atheist, although for him "religion features more now in my life than it did when I was a kid".

Awards and nominations
Giamatti has received various accolades throughout his career. His breakthrough role in American Splendor (2003) won him the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Actor and earned him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. The following year, he received nominations for the Critics' Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Award for Best Actor for his role in the comedy-drama Sideways (2004), which won him the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead as well as the Critics' Choice and SAG Award for Best Cast.

Giamatti then won the Critics' Choice and SAG Award and received nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Cinderella Man (2005). He won another two Screen Actors Guild Awards, for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his roles in the miniseries John Adams (2008) and the television biopic Too Big to Fail (2011), the former of which also won him the Emmy and Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film. His performances in Too Big to Fail, Downton Abbey and Inside Amy Schumer also earned him Emmy nominations, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, respectively. With these achievements, Giamatti is one of few actors to receive Emmy nominations across all three performance (lead, supporting and guest) and genre (comedy, drama and miniseries or movie) categories.

As a member of the ensemble casts of 12 Years a Slave (2012) and Straight Outta Compton (2015), Giamatti received nominations for both the Critics' Choice and SAG Award for Best Cast. His performance in the drama series Billions (2016–2023) earned him a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

Giamatti won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor for his performances in Barney's Version (2010) and The Holdovers (2023). The latter also won him the Critics' Choice and earned him nominations for the Academy Award, BAFTA and SAG Award for Best Actor. He is among few actors to achieve Oscar nominations in both acting categories.