Paul Giamatti: A Splendid Actor
There are many actors that grab Hollywood’s attention with their good looks and Academy Awards, and then there is Paul Giamatti.
“I’ve got to be the geekiest guy in the world in a lot of ways, Giamatti states. “I’m like a zeta male.” (The Internet Movie Database)
Giamatti, 41, from New Haven CT first captured the hearts of American audiences with his ‘splendid’ performance in American Splendor. Playing eccentric comic book writer Harvey Pekar, Giamatti stole the screen with what critics call an outstanding performance however it wasn’t enough to receive an Academy Award.
Giamatti went on to star in another film called Sideways, receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Many of his peers thought that he would win the award, but Giamatti took a light hearted view point in the matter.
“You are absolutely free to describe me as a turtle or something,” Giamatti states. “Seriously, when you profile someone, there has to be a narrative, and my narrative just happens to be ‘Who is he?’, ‘Oh, he’s that guy’ and ‘He looks like a squid!’ Sideways doesn’t change that. Honestly, I never wanted to be more than a good supporting actor. Really, I enjoy it.” (The Internet Movie Database)
Giamatti continued to play different roles including a conflicted police inspector in the romantic fantasy adventure The Illusionist. He finally received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Cinderella Man.
“I don’t consider myself a very interesting person,” Giamatti states. “I have the mentality of a supporting actor.” (The Internet Movie Database)
As the youngest of three brothers, Giamatti comes from a very gifted family. His mother is a popular author, his father is the president of Yale University, and his brother is an actor. Giamatti received an M.A in Fine Arts from Yale University, indulging himself into stage acting.
“For a long time stage acting was all I basically did,” Giamatti states. “I regret not doing it as much these days, and I feel like in a lot of ways I’ve gotten kind of soft as an actor, not doing stage stuff, but in terms of being a better actor, it’s really important.” (The Internet Movie Database)
Giamatti is married with a son and continues to capture audiences with his acting talents. He may not have all the awards but he enjoys being on the big screen.
“I think one of the great things about acting is the instant gratification: you just get up and start being a part of the story,” Giamatti states. “The immediacy is something you get really addicted to.” (The Internet Movie Database)
Sources:
http://movies.aol.com/celebrity/paul-giamatti/26680/biography
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0316079/bio
http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Paul_Giamatti/197973#fullBio
Movie: American Splendor
Filed under: American Splendor Reviews