Paul Giamatti
| Paul Giamatti | |
|---|---|
 Giamatti at the post-2008 Emmy Awards |
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| Born | Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti June 6, 1967 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor/Comedian |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Cohen (1997–present) |
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (pronounced /dʒiəˈmɑːti/; born June 6, 1967) is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the 2000s including American Splendor, Sideways, Cinderella Man, John Adams and Cold Souls.
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Early life
Giamatti was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father, Angelo Bartlett Giamatti, was a Yale University professor who later became president of the university and commissioner of Major League Baseball.[1] His mother, Toni Marilyn (née Smith), was a homemaker and English teacher who taught at Hopkins School and had also previously acted.[2][3] Giamatti's mother was of Irish descent;[4] his paternal grandfather, Valentine Giamatti, was the son of Italian immigrants from Telese, and his paternal grandmother, Mary Claybaugh Walton, was from a New England family.[5]
Giamatti is the youngest of three children. His brother, Marcus, is also an actor, and his sister, Elena, is a jewelry designer. He was educated at The Foote School and graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in 1985. He attended Yale University, where he was elected to and then dropped out of the Skull and Bones secret society. He was active in the undergraduate theater scene, working alongside actors Ron Livingston and Edward Norton, who were also Yale students. He graduated from Yale in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in English. He 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 Broadway) before appearing in some small television and film roles in the early 1990s.
Career
Giamatti's first high profile role was in the film adaptation of Howard Stern's Private Parts as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton, Stern's antagonistic program director at WNBC. Stern praised Giamatti's performance often on his radio program, calling for him to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He appeared in a number of supporting roles in big-budget movies such as The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, and The Negotiator (all 1998). In 1999, he played Bob Zmuda (and Tony Clifton) in the Andy Kaufman biopic, Man on the Moon. Giamatti continued to be featured in major studio releases such as Big Momma's House (2000) with Martin Lawrence, the Planet of the Apes remake (2001), and in Big Fat Liar (2002) opposite Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes.
Giamatti began to earn critical acclaim after his lead role in the 2003 film American Splendor. He gained mainstream recognition and fame with the 2004 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. 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 also nominated for a Golden Globe and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture.
In 2006, he 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. He also played Mr. Hertz in the action movie Shoot 'Em Up and Santa Claus in the comedy Fred Claus.
In 2008 he received his first Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie" for his title performance in the HBO miniseries John Adams, a role that also led to a Screen Actors Guild award. 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.[6]
Giamatti will play noted science fiction author Philip K. Dick in the semi-biopic The Owl in Daylight, which he is producing through his production company, Touchy Feely Productions.
He was nominated for 45 separate awards between 2001 and 2008, and won 26 of them, including both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for John Adams. All of his nominations except one were for American Splendor, Sideways, Cinderella Man, or John Adams; the exception was a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination for Big Momma's House.[7]
The Brooklyn Academy of Music asked Giamatti, its "2007 BAM Cinema Club Chair", to pick films for an eight-movie series called "Paul Giamatti Selects" and shown at the Academy in August and September 2007. His selections indicated a taste for paranoia and "the darkest of dark comedy," according to a writer for The New York Times, and included Frenzy, Dr. Strangelove, Brewster McCloud, The Big Clock, The Seventh Victim, Dawn of the Dead (1978 version), Seconds, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 version).[8][9]
During the Season 1 finale of the television show Community, Jeff Winger asks the study group to imagine Annie as Paul Giamatti in order to elicit disgust.
Giamatti has commented on the fact that he often plays Jewish characters, but is almost never cast in Italian American roles.[1] Giamatti is set for the lead role as Colonel Tom Parker in Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires,[10] which co-stars Ron Perlman, who recently replaced Bruce Campbell.[1]
Personal life
Formally a resident of the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York,[8] Giamatti has been married to Elizabeth Giamatti (née Cohen) since 1997. They have a son, Samuel Paul (born 2001), who is raised in his mother's Jewish religion. Giamatti is an atheist.[11]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Past Midnight | Larry Canipe | |
| Singles | Kissing Man | ||
| 1994 | NYPD Blue | Man In Sleeping Bag | Episode: "You Bet Your Life" |
| 1995 | Mighty Aphrodite | Extras Guild Researcher | |
| New York News | Dr. Wargner | (TV series) Episode: "Past Imperfect" |
|
| Sabrina | Scott | ||
| 1996 | The Show | Jeffrey Roffman | (TV series) Pilot Episode |
| Breathing Room | George | ||
| Ripper | Doctor Bud Cable | (Computer Game) | |
| 1997 | Arresting Gena | Detective Wilson | |
| Donnie Brasco | FBI Technician | ||
| Private Parts | Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton | ||
| My Best Friend's Wedding | Richard the Bellman | ||
| Deconstructing Harry | Professor Abbot | ||
| A Further Gesture | Hotel Clerk | ||
| 1998 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Harry Tjarks | (TV series) Episode: "Pit Bull Sessions" |
| The Truman Show | Control Room Director | ||
| Dr. Dolittle | Blaine | ||
| Saving Private Ryan | Sergeant Hill | ||
| The Negotiator | Rudy Timmons | ||
| Safe Men | Veal Chop | ||
| 1999 | Cradle Will Rock | Carlo | |
| Man on the Moon | Bob Zmuda/Tony Clifton | ||
| 2000 | If These Walls Could Talk 2 | Ted Hedley | (TV series) Segment: "1961" |
| Big Momma's House | John Maxwell | Nominated — Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy | |
| Duets | Todd Woods | ||
| 2001 | King of the Hill | Mr. McKay | (TV series) Episode: "It's Not Easy Being Green" |
| Storytelling | Toby Oxman | ||
| Planet of the Apes | Limbo | ||
| 2002 | Big Fat Liar | Marty Wolf | |
| Thunderpants | Johnson J. Johnson | ||
| 2003 | American Splendor | Harvey Pekar | National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actor Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Also for Sideways and Cinderella Man Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| Paycheck | Shorty | ||
| Confidence | Gordo | ||
| The Pentagon Papers | Anthony Russo | (TV series) | |
| 2004 | Sideways | Miles Raymond | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Comedy Film Honor for Best Actor Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Male New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Also for American Splendor and Cinderella Man Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Performance, Male Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated — London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role |
| 2005 | Saturday Night Live | Host | (TV series) Episode: 30x10 |
| Robots | Tim the Gate Guard (Voice) | ||
| The Fan and the Flower | Narrator | ||
| Cinderella Man | Joe Gould | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Also for Sideways and American Splendor Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Performance, Male Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor |
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| 2006 | The Hawk Is Dying | George Gattling | |
| The Illusionist | Chief Inspector Uhl | ||
| Lady in the Water | Cleveland Heep | ||
| The Ant Bully | Stan Beals (Voice) | ||
| Screw-On Head | Screw-On Head (voice) | (TV series) | |
| 2007 | The Nanny Diaries | Mr. X | |
| Shoot 'Em Up | Karl Hertz | ||
| Fred Claus | Nicholas "Nick" Claus | ||
| 2008 | John Adams | John Adams | Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor - Mini Series Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama |
| Pretty Bird | Rick | ||
| 2009 | Duplicity | Richard "Dick" Garsik | |
| Cold Souls | Paul | Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award for Best Actor Nominated — Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast |
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| The Haunted World of El Superbeasto | Dr. Satan | ||
| The Last Station | Vladimir Chertkov | ||
| 2010 | Barney's Version | Barney Panofsky | |
| Ironclad | King John |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gross, Terry (2004-02-13). "Actor Paul Giamatti". NPR. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1674650. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
- ↑ Pringle, Gill (2007-11-27). "Paul Giamatti: Mr Potato face". London: The Independent. http://arts.independent.co.uk/film/features/article3199367.ece. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
- ↑ The New York Times. 1960-06-19. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00B15F738551A7A93CBA8178DD85F448685F9. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- ↑ Interview previously available at http://www.sundayherald.com/57083
- ↑ Reston, James (1997). Collision at Home Plate: The Lives of Pete Rose and Bart Giamatti. Nebraska: U of Nebraska Press. pp. 15–16. ISBN 0803289642. http://books.google.ca/books?visbn=0803289642&id=znjlwbfZOTcC&pg=RA1-PA16&lpg=RA1-PA16&ots=_8zqp4MZuD&dq=%22Bartlett+Giamatti%22+ITALIAN&sig=iGZHVZTGXmCp8qRjBnZbD5GjzyE.
- ↑ Paul Giamatti's Good Times
- ↑ According to the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Hale, Mike. "Film", The New York Times. July 29, 2007. Accessed November 29, 2007.
- ↑ [1] Web page titled "Paul Giamatti Selects" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Web site, accessed July 28, 2007
- ↑ Paul Giamatti Will Break Spine For Bubba Nosferatu! Now THAT'S Dedication!
- ↑ http://www.totalfilm.com/features/i-never-saw-russell-lose-it-on-set
External links
- Paul Giamatti at the Internet Movie Database
- Paul Giamatti at the Internet Broadway Database
- Paul Giamatti at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Paul Giamatti: 'I'm clearly not Brad Pitt,' The Guardian, Oliver Burkeman, 12 November 2009
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