Since his theatrical debut in the late 1980s, Paul Giamatti has climbed to the forefront of the film industry, etching out his own definitive place in the annals of pop culture. Though not a mainstream actor in the same mold as Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt, Giamatti has earned a reputation for his willingness to take on eccentric characters time and time again.
In particular, Giamatti has proven himself adept at portraying cantankerous individuals with a soft-hearted interior, a common trait seen in most Paul Giamatti movies and TV shows, like Sideways, John Adams, Billions, and The Holdovers.
1. John Adams (2008)
While most viewers could recognize Giamatti when John Adams aired on HBO, the series only solidified Giamatti’s place as a multi-faceted actor of startling dramatic range. Portraying the second, often overlooked U.S. president, Giamatti brings out all the contrasting elements of his real-life counterpart, from Adams’ deep intelligence and proficient wisdom to his paranoia, narcissism, and infamous fiery temper.
2. Sideways (2004)
Though Giamatti had an active career throughout the 1990s, his breakthrough performance came with 2004’s Sideways. Giamatti’s first collaboration with director Alexander Payne, Giamatti stars in the film as Miles, a frustrated novelist coming to terms with his dwindling career and overarching depression.
Although an often difficult personality when interacting with others, Miles also shows a deep affinity for the finer things in life, pouring his love into the miraculous wonders of vintage Pinot Noir. To date, Sideways remains one of the defining Paul Giamatti movies.
3. The Holdovers (2023)
Like Giamatti’s previous characterization of John Adams and Sideways’ Miles, The Holdovers’ Paul Hunham shares the same inherent flaws and strengths as many of Giamatti’s most well-known characters.
A depressed, disgruntled private school teacher struggling with alcoholism, Giamatti weaves enough redeeming qualities to Hunham’s character for viewers to sympathize with. As a result, the film leaves audiences with a deeper understanding of Hunham’s gruff exterior and authoritarian teaching style, making his gradual transformation much more meaningful to witness.
4. American Splendor (2003)
A genre-bending biographical drama, American Splendor offers a complex look at the life and career of underground comic book creator, Harvey Pekar, the author of the popular American Splendor series. In one of Giamatti's first breakout performances, the actor encapsulates a sweeping portrait of Pekar, from his earliest days as a despondent file clerk to his rapid rise in the comic book medium.
With his gravel voice and physical body language, Giamatti makes for a dead ringer when it comes to Pekar, handing in yet another moving biographical performance.
5. Billions (2016-2023)
Next to John Adams, Giamatti’s best television role came with the Showtime series Billions. As New York District Attorney Chuck Rhoades, Giamatti displays the same undying loyalty to law, order, and morality as his earlier presidential counterpart, chasing after billionaires who feel they’re above common societal rules.
Despite his noble intentions, Rhoades still agonizes over the lack of recognition he receives for his work–a recurring character flaw that flares up throughout Billions.
6. Cinderella Man (2005)
A film that further cemented Giamatti’s place as an awe-inspiring actor of first-rate abilities, Cinderella Man sees Giamatti portray the real-world boxing manager Joe Gould.
A faithful confidant and inspirational figure in boxer James J. Braddock’s (Russell Crowe) life, Gould’s overarching belief in Braddock’s potential gives the titular Cinderella Man the confidence to step back in the ring. A harrowing sports biopic, it also landed Giamatti an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
7. Barney's Version (2010)
Giamatti’s proficiency as an actor has always involved his ability to portray two conflicting emotions at once. Like most well-known Paul Giamatti movies, Barney’s Version displays this talent to extreme effect, showcasing an alcoholic producer’s (Giamatti) romantic escapades through three turbulent marriages.
Though he meets heartbreak and tragedy around every corner, Giamatti’s Barney never sheds his persistent romantic worldview, even as his personal life spirals out of control.
8. Private Parts (1997)
An early role for Giamatti, Private Parts finds Giamatti in the supporting role of Kenny “Pig Vomit” Rushton, the on-screen foil to Howard Stern’s rebellious radio personality. T
he personification of traditional entertainment values, Rushton’s conservative approach to radio meshes well with Stern’s brash, crude, often vulgar on-air hijinks, allowing for plenty of comedic and dramatic moments between the two.
9. The Ides of March (2011)
An unsung addition to Giamatti’s filmography, The Ides of March focuses on the nightmarish transformation most individuals attached to politics experience at some point in their careers.
A recurring professional rival to Ryan Gosling’s idealistic press secretary, Giamatti’s jaded Paul Zara acts as a fascinating future incarnation of Gosling’s character, showing his younger counterpart what the price of success in politics looks like.
10. Man on the Moon (1999)
Another early yet integral role for Giamatti, Man on the Moon documents the eventful life of groundbreaking comedian, Andy Kaufman (Jim Carrey). An ideal creative collaborator to Kaufman, Giamatti’s Bob Zmuda appears willing and ready to commit to any one of Kaufman’s outlandish bits, contributing to each joke with total dedication (especially Kaufman’s infamous alter ego, Tony Clifton).
11. Win Win (2011)
Another overlooked entry in Giamatti’s past body of work, Win Win offers up a heartrending story about the power of escape through sports.
As anxiety-riddled wrestling coach Mike Flaherty, Giamatti pines after a form of stress relief granted to him via coaching his team. Taking a troubled young man (Alex Shaffer) under his wing, Flaherty undergoes a startling metamorphosis, learning to tackle his own issues head-on rather than running and hiding from them.
12. Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Yet another ensemble film that Giamatti appeared in, Straight Outta Compton, chronicles the early days of the influential rap group N.W.A. In the film, Giamatti appears in the supporting role of Jerry Heller, the music manager responsible for launching N.W.A. to new heights in the music industry, all the while embezzling from his clients’ lucrative contracts.
A shadowy figure in Straight Outta Compton, Giamatti’s imminent charisma makes him the ideal antagonistic manager–a figure who seems harmless and well-meaning yet harbors his own self-interested motives.
13. The Last Station (2009)
A stunning biographical drama film centered around iconic Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), The Last Station focuses on the intense legal battle for Tolstoy’s copyrighted works. Standing in sharp opposition to Tolstoy’s wife (Helen Mirren), Giamatti’s literary scholar, Chertkov, attempts to distribute Tolstoy’s to the public domain, robbing the writer’s family of their rightful monetary inheritance.
With both sides justified in their respective positions, The Last Station does an amicable job showing the larger complications around Tolstoy’s estate, as well as the public’s access to an author’s work.
14. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Though relegated to a mere supporting role, Giamatti uses every second of his limited screen time in 12 Years a Slave to get under viewers’ skin.
Popping up in the film as a diabolical New Orleans trader of enslaved persons, Giamatti’s Theophilus Freeman underscores the disturbing levels of casual racism and bigotry that permeated through the South before the Civil War.
15. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
If 12 Years a Slave showed Giamatti at his most unsettling, Saving Mr. Banks finds the actor at his most gregarious and sociable. As Ralph, Giamatti acts as the personal Disney-appointed driver to Emma Thompson’s P.L. Travers. Perfect opposites in both their personality and appearance, Giamatti’s Ralph maintains some inspired chemistry with Thompson, providing Saving Mr. Banks with some of its most cathartic moments.
16. Love & Mercy (2014)
Next to 12 Years a Slave’s Theophilus Freeman, Giamatti’s appearance in 2014’s Love & Mercy ranks as one of the actor’s most nefarious roles. In the film, Giamatti appears as the unconventional psychologist Eugene Landy–a mental health professional known for his controversial treatment methods.
Manipulating, abusing, and berating Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson (John Cusack), Giamatti’s terrifying portrayal of Landy proves powerful enough to chill audience members to the bone.
17. White Fang (2018)
An animated adaptation of Jack London’s classic novel, White Fang follows an independent-minded wolfdog's adventures in the Alaskan wilderness. Forced to participate in barbaric dog fights for his cruel master (Giamatti), White Fang soon earns the love and attention of a more benevolent owner (Nick Offerman), allowing him to overcome his tumultuous upbringing and violent past.
18. The Illusionist (2006)
Another successful outing for Giamatti, The Illusionist also serves as an effective mystery film that draws on several satisfying plot twists.
As Chief Inspector Uhl, Giamatti’s government official investigates the talented Eisenheim (Edward Norton), attempting to unravel the magician’s elaborate tricks to advance his career. Despite their status as adversaries, Uhl accepts Eisenheim’s prodigious talents, acknowledging his opponent's ability to fool him with admirable disbelief.
19. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
One of Giamatti’s more recent films, Gunpowder Milkshake doesn’t measure up to the best of Giamatti’s earlier films. A boilerplate action thriller, the film follows a reformed assassin (Karen Gillan) attempting to protect a young girl (Chloe Coleman) from her former employer (Giamatti).
The closest thing Gillan’s hitwoman has to a father, Giamatti’s Nathan displays conflicting emotions as the de facto antagonist, torn between his love and affection for Gillan and his pragmatic duties as a criminal mastermind.
20. Planet of the Apes (2001)
Though far from a great movie, certain elements of Tim Burton’s 2001 Planet of the Apes remake deserve praise. In addition to the film’s incredible makeup and visual design, the cast does a fantastic job in each of their respective roles, as seen with Giamatti’s portrayal of the orangutan human trader, Limbo.
A bumbling comic relief character interested only in self-preservation, Giamatti’s egocentric portrayal of Limbo owes plenty to the larger-than-life inspiration of W.C. Fields.
