Paul Giamatti is a seasoned American actor and producer with a career spanning the past two decades. He has had a variety of roles in many films, ranging from humble projects to critically acclaimed box office golds. Most people recognize him for his work in Intimate Parts, a Howard Stern biopic, as well as Saving Private Ryan, the phenomenal Cinderella Man and box office Sweetheart – Aside.
He earned significant acclaim and fame for his performances, including his role as John Adams on the eponymous HBO series which earned him a Golden Globe, Primetime TV Emmy Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award.
Paul Giamatti – Biography
Paul was born into a family of five in Connecticut to college parents on June 6, 1967. His father, Bart Giamatti, was a professor at Yale. The man took over as president of the university and was named commissioner of the Baseball League after leaving Yale. Paul’s mother was an English teacher and homemaker with a theater background.
The prolific actor began his studies at FooteÉcole, before moving on to Thing Rosemary Hall. He studied English at Yale, participating in the school’s theater scene. After graduating, he returned to the Yale School of Drama in order to earn his MFA degree.
His acting career started with plays, he was featured on Broadway and later had some screen time after appearing in small television and film roles.
Paul Giamatti’s big break came when he was cast as the antagonist of Howard Stern in the biopic about the radio personality’s life titled Private Parts. After that, his popularity increased and he began to be sought after for more and more roles. This led to him landing supporting positions in some major movies, including Saving Private Ryan, The Truman Show, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon
The opportunity to play her own leading role came with the HBO movies American Splendor and If These Walls Could Talk 2. The former brought him several award nominations. He ascended to a role in Sideways in 2004, which earned him nominations for Best Actor at the Screen Actors Guild Award and Best Performance at the Toronto Film Critics Association Award.
Hollywood began to recognize Paul Giamatti as an incredible actor and remarkable performer with a range that many could only dream of. In 2005, he received his first Oscar for Cinderella Man, which won nine other awards.
From that moment, his career was set. He could choose the roles he wanted and try his hand at different characters, including John Adams, the protagonist of the HBO miniseries, which won him a Golden Globe, an Emmy and many other awards.
Paul has had wonderful performances in several other films such as The Hangover Part II, Win-Win, Rock of Ages, 12 Years a Slave, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Madame Bovary. He has also branched out into dubbing, lending his voice to animated film projects like The Little Prince, Ant Bully, as well as video games and audiobooks.
Net value
The acclaimed actor has made a name for himself, no doubt evidenced by the size of his bank account. In 2018, his net worth was estimated at around $25 million.
Paul Giamatti’s wife
Paul Giamatti married his girlfriend, Elizabeth Cohen in a beautiful ceremony on October 13, 1997, after dating her for months. However, the union did not last very long as they divorced in the early 2000s. They have a son together, Samuel Paul Giamatti who was born in 2001, a few months after their split.
Other interesting facts about Paul
1. Paul Giamatti was asked to play the role of Michael Scott on the hit American TV series The Office, but he turned down the part. One wonders how different the show would have been if he had accepted the role.
2. He didn’t always want to be an actor. His first dream was to become a teacher, just like his father. Even though he used to put on weird costumes and pretend to be a movie character, it was more because of his weird nature than his passion for acting.
3. He’s surprisingly very happy to play supporting roles in movies rather than the lead role. He thinks it gives him more space to have fun with the character.
4. Paul Giamatti once had to sit in human poop while playing a homeless character in NYPD Blue
5. Before accepting a role in a film, the first thing he asks himself is whether he will be bored playing this role.