When hosting the Academy Awards in 2016, Chris Rock mentioned that he believed Paul Giamatti was the greatest actor alive. While it was part of an extended joke at the Oscars’ expense, it raises the question of whether Giamatti is one of the most defining actors of his generation, and why is he not mentioned more often in regard to the Academy Awards?
Capable of mastering practically any character, Giamatti has thrived in comedic roles, as the leading man in gripping dramas, and can tackle more intense, villainous characters with aplomb. As such, the range and complexity of his filmography would be the envy of many working actors, with these films being his very best.
Updated on October 18, 2023, by Ryan Heffernan:
Paul Giamatti is one of modern cinema’s most versatile yet underrated actors, one who is celebrated for his unbelievable versatility as much as his arresting screen presence. He has proven himself time and time again across a wide range of genres and worked under some of the best filmmakers in Hollywood. The Holdovers (October 27), Giamatti’s second collaboration with director Alexander Payne, will likely showcase the actor’s versatility and talent once again on the big screen.
15 ‘Shoot ’em Up’ (2007)
Giamatti is always a blast when he gets to let loose and play an eccentric villain. While this approach may not have suited the tone of a film like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, it was perfect for the intentionally campy vibe of Shoot ‘em Up, a film in which he gets to threaten to trample over an infant with his car.
The underrated action film stars Clive Owen as a drifting gunman who finds himself defending a newborn baby from an army of armed assailants. Gleefully ridiculous, hilariously cartoonish, and completely, delightfully bloody, Shoot ’em Up is perfect for action fans and took great pleasure in showing off how phenomenal Giamatti can be as a deplorable villain.
14 ‘Ironclad’ (2011)
While posing as a historical war film, Ironclad functions better as a medieval action extravaganza which runs as a plucky underdog story basked in notions of honor and chivalry. Following a Knight’s Templar and a strung-together resistance as they defend a pivotal, strategic castle from the tyrannical King John (Giamatti), it loosely retells the siege of Rochester Castle in 1215.
The blood-soaked adventure film could hardly be viewed as an accurate history lesson, but for sheer entertainment value and well-realized battle action rich with grit, it worked a treat. It also gave Giamatti ample time to present King John as a truly disdainful movie villain with the actor a despicable highlight of the film.
13 ‘Man on the Moon’ (1999)
Man on the Moon is one of the most delightful biopics ever made, and Jim Carrey gives one of his funniest (and most heartbreaking) performances as the legendary comedic genius Andy Kaufman. Given Kaufman was himself an eccentric and often mystic performer, Carrey was able to embrace his own dazzling, performative style while delivering an uncanny portrayal of the late comic.
Impressively, Giamatti was able to keep up with him as he played Kaufman’s longtime collaborator and close friend, Bob Zmuda. Despite Carrey’s pre-existing stardom and the fact that the film was about a well-known and celebrated popular figure, Man on the Moon became a box office flop and, while it has earned some fans retrospectively, remains an underrated dramatic biopic.
12 ‘The Illusionist’ (2006)
The Illusionist is a mind-bending magician mystery following the romantic struggles of a lifelong magician (Edward Norton) as he attempts to woo his childhood crush (Jessica Biel). Giamatti has a menacing supporting role as the ruthless Chief Inspector Walter Uhl, who arrests Norton’s character during the film’s prologue.
The Illusionist’s reputation was under fire at the time of its initial release because it happened to come out in the same year as another masterful magician period piece film: Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige. However, both films managed to receive Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography.
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11 ‘The Ides of March’ (2011)
At the time of its release, The Ides of March felt like an authentically cynical yet rational depiction of modern politics rife with moral corruption and brewing scandals. It follows Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), an idealistic staffer for a presidential candidate who learns of the industry’s cut-throat scheming when he joins the campaign trail and is embroiled in a play to destroy his position which gradually reveals much more.
Amid an outstanding cast including George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and Jeffrey Wright, Giamatti shined as Ted Duffy, a political rival who conspired against Meyers. While the film’s ideas on politics were tightly constructed, it became difficult to resist enjoying it as a constant battle between Giamatti and Hoffman as to who could steal more scenes.
10 ‘Win Win’ (2011)
A fantastically fun blending of drama and comedy, Win Win enabled Giamatti to showcase his brilliance in both genres in equal measure. He starred as Mike Flaherty, a struggling lawyer whose plan to exploit a client with dementia is thwarted by the unexpected arrival of Kyle (Alex Shaffer), his client’s troubled grandson who poses an unlikely solution to the woes of the wrestling team Mike coaches.
The heartwarming sports movie excelled with an irresistible sense of warmth and humanity which never felt forced, mixed its genres with astute precision, and thrived as a smartly written story. The film’s cast included Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Melanie Lynskey, Burt Young, and Jeffrey Tambor alongside Giamatti’s sensational lead performance.
9 ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ (2013)
A charming tale of overt though powerful sentimentality from a reminiscent Disney, Saving Mr. Banks thrived as a heart-warming, idealized reflection on the past. It focuses on the life of P. L. Travers (Emma Thompson), preoccupying the bulk of its runtime with Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) pursuit to adapt her Mary Poppins books into a film.
While the film was criticized by some for romanticizing elements of the adaptation of Mary Poppins, it did find an undeniable excellence in its all-star cast. Among the best supporting parts was that of Giamatti’s Ralph, the chauffer to Travers while she was in Los Angeles with whom the writer developed a lovely bond throughout the course of the film.
Watch on Disney+
8 ‘Cinderella Man’ (2005)
Even though Chris Rock made a correct assumption about Giamatti’s talents while hosting the Oscars, Giamatti shockingly has only one nomination. However, the recognition he earned for Ron Howard’s incredible boxing biopic Cinderella Man couldn’t have been more deserving; in fact, he deserved to win the award over George Clooney’s performance in Syriana.
Giamatti sinks his teeth into the role of James J. Braddock’s (Russell Crowe) inspirational boxing coach, Joe Gould. Giamatti’s persistence isn’t just inspirational to Braddock but for the viewer as well. He’s the template that all great teachers should look up to.
Watch on Netflix
7 ‘Straight Outta Compton’ (2015)
Giamatti was taking on a major challenge when he was cast in the 2015 music biopic Straight Outta Compton. Jerry Heller’s role within the N.W.A.’s history has always been controversial, and it’s always difficult for an actor when the real subject they are playing is still alive and able to comment on the performance.
Giamatti’s performance goes more in-depth than just being a manipulative music producer. There are moments when it seems like he genuinely cares about Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell) and his personal struggles. It’s a complex and multi-faceted part that Giamatti plays with his usual gusto.
6 ‘Love & Mercy’ (2014)
Releasing just a few years before the popularity boom of music biopics, Love & Mercy can be considered one of the most criminally overlooked films of the genre. It tells the story of Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson across two different eras of his career; one starring Paul Dano as a younger Wilson during his initial health struggles in the 1960s, and the other with John Cusack portraying an older version of the artist who has been taken advantage of by a manipulative health advisor in the ’80s.
Amid the star-studded cast, Giamatti was featured as Dr. Eugene Landy, Wilson’s terrifying and abusive psychiatrist who became the artist’s legal guardian for a period of time. Despite the film’s unwieldy plotting, it was the express desire of the filmmakers to depict Wilson’s life as accurately as possible.
Watch on Prime Video
5 ‘American Splendor’ (2003)
American Splendor is one of the greatest comic book movies ever made, but it has absolutely nothing to do with superheroes. The film starred Giamatti in what was a breakout performance as the legendary cartoonist Harvey Pekar, whose comics revolved around real-life subjects and issues everyone could relate to and laugh at.
The film’s creative structure combines Giamatti’s performance with the real Pekar and many samples of his work brought to life through animated segments. While it managed to snag an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, Giamatti was sadly overlooked in the Best Actor category.
Watch on Max
4 ‘Private Life’ (2018)
As unfortunate as it is, it is not uncommon for Netflix to pick up independent films from the Sundance Film Festival only to barely promote them when they are released on the platform. This was the case with Tamara Jenkins‘ heartbreakingly beautiful romantic drama Private Life, a strikingly authentic film about the realities of relationships in middle age.
Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn star as a couple (both of whom are writers) who are desperately hoping to become parents in spite of the many obstacles thrown in their way. Jenkins, who also wrote the screenplay, excels at finding a grounding warmth amid dark comedy as the couple’s woes are laid bare, something that both Giamatti and Hahn were superb at bringing to the screen.
Watch on Netflix
3 ’12 Years a Slave’ (2013)
In addition to playing major parts in many wonderful movies, Paul Giamatti has also had minor appearances in many modern classics. One such occurrence was with his brief part in the biographical historical drama 12 Years a Slave which followed Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who was kidnapped and sold into slavery where he was put to work on a plantation in Louisiana for 12 years.
The film boasted many fine performances, from Ejiofor’s powerful starring role to Michael Fassbender’s horrific portrayal of Edwin Epps, and Lupita Nyong’o’s Oscar-winning debut as the abused favorite slave of Epps. Giamatti’s impactful turn saw him appear as Theophilus Freeman, the slave trader who gave Northup a false identity and sold him to a Georgian plantation owner.
2 ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
For years before he broke out as an established acting talent, Paul Giamatti worked in a string of minor supporting roles under some of Hollywood’s best directors. Among the most prestigious of these ventures came in the form of Steven Spielberg’s WWII epic Saving Private Ryan, which focused on a small squad tasked with finding a soldier whose three brothers had died during the war so he could go home to his family.
Giamatti appears as the weary sergeant William Hill, the soldier Captain Miller’s (Tom Hanks) squad encounters in Neuville-au-Plain where they are fired upon by a German sniper. The scene marks Giamatti’s only appearance in the famous film, but it is one of the most memorable and intense passages in the movie.
Watch on Netflix
1 ‘Sideways’ (2004)
Before the popularity of their collaboration on The Holdovers, Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti first joined forces for 2004’s Sideways, which might just exhibit both artists at the absolute peak of their powers. It is Giamatti’s most well-rounded performance, imbued with a prickly yet comedic exterior that covers a deep and earnest beauty about human existence.
He stars as the wine connoisseur Miles Raymond, who contemplates his life, failed marriage, personal writings, and love of the fine beverage as he travels with his best friend on a luxury tour of vineyards in California. It is essentially a world-weary and wise road trip movie that is realistically grounded though adventurous as it engages with considered ideas of life and love.
