Paul Giamatti Best Movies, Films, Performances, Shows

10. “Big Fat Liar” (2002)

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Who Giamatti plays: Marty Wolf, an egotistical and greedy movie producer who accidentally hits teenage compulsive liar Jason (Frankie Muniz) with his limousine. When Jason leaves behind his creative writing assignment in the car, Marty takes it and plagiarizes the story into a blockbuster film, prompting Jason to travel to Hollywood and seek revenge.

Why he’s great: Yes, “Big Fat Liar” is a very silly movie. But that doesn’t change the fact that Giamatti is genuinely, unironically great as the pompous dirtbag Marty. He leans fully into the role’s unlikability, practically sneering with every line. What makes his performance great is the physical comedy chops he gets to demonstrate when Jason’s revenge scheme begins, as he endures horrific pain throughout the various pranks and jokes he’s made the victim/butt of, and very appropriately hams it all the way up. You’re both cheering for the blowhard to get his comeuppance, and feel a bit bad when it actually happens.
9. “Man on the Moon” (1999)

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Who Giamatti plays: Bob Zmuda, a writer and comedian mostly known for his collaborations with the acclaimed alt-comic Andy Kauffman. As Zmuda, Giamatti plays a supporting role in Miloš Forman’s “Man on the Moon,” a biopic of Kauffman with Jim Carrey in the lead role.

Why he’s great: “Man on the Moon” is best remembered for Carrey’s acclaimed performance as Kaufman, and the comedian is so great that he practically sucks up the oxygen for the rest of the cast. But Giamatti is still able to resonate in his role as Zmuda, bringing welcome sardonic energy as Kaufman’s friend, and getting to demonstrate his comic chops taking part in various recreations of Kauffman’s famously postmodern sketches.
8. “Cinderella Man” (2005)

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Who Giamatti plays: Joe Gould, a real-life boxing manager. Ron Howard’s biopic “Cinderella Man” focuses on the story of Gould’s most famous client James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), a Great Depression-era day laborer who returns to ring in a quest to become World Heavyweight champion.

Why he’s great: Giamatti received his first Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category as Gould. And while the part isn’t the most challenging — it’s the type of snarky, hard-nosed sports mentor type you’ve seen in hundreds of movies — he brings his all to it, delivering both comic relief via his wildly entertaining all-out approach to the role and finding the more human, empathetic core Joe buries in his bluntness.
7. “Billions” (2016-2023)

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Who Giamatti plays: Chuck Rhoades, a U.S. Attorney representing New York. The seven seasons of the Showtime hit focus on Chuck’s work prosecuting those responsible for financial crimes — primarily his rivalry with hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis).

Why he’s great: Part of what makes “Billions” such a compulsively watchable show is that there isn’t a real hero; Chuck might ostensibly be on the side of the law, but in practice, he stoops to levels just as bad as the man he’s pursuing. Giamatti hones in on Chuck’s abrasive resentfulness and plays it up, while clearly having a lot of fun with the many snide jokes and bitter monologues the show’s scripts serve him. If you’re wondering how “Billions” managed to get to seven seasons in this TV economy, it’s seems to safe to argue it’s because Giamatti is just that fun to watch in it.
6. “Private Parts” (1997)

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Who Giamatti plays: The main foil for shock jock extraordinaire Howard Stern in a comedic adaptation of the radio personality’s autobiographical book of the same name. Specifically, Giamatti plays Kenny Rushton (lovingly known as “Pig Vomit”), the program director at WNBC where his show first goes nationwide.

Why he’s great: “Private Parts” ended up being Giamatti’s major breakout film role, and it’s not hard to see why. He’s terrific and extremely funny as stick in the mud Kenny, both relatable as an ordinary person confronted with Stern’s button-pushing persona and as hammily over-the-top as he is easy to root against. Your tolerance of Stern’s schtick may vary, but it’s impossible to deny that Giamatti rules in the role.
5. “Private Life” (2018)

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Who Giamatti plays: Tamara Jenkins’ “Private Life” casts Giamatti opposite Kathryn Hahn as one half of a middle-aged couple trying to have a baby. Due to multiple fertility issues, they undergo the process of artificial insemination, which has a profound effect on their relationship.

Why he’s great: Giamatti is the exact type of actor you should cast in a small, intimate dramedy like “Private Life.” He carefully toes the line between his character Richard being a bit of a self-righteous git and a lovable husband, and hones in on the emotional devastation that their failed efforts to conceive are causing. And he has marvelously understated chemistry with Hahn, making Richard and Rachel feel like a real couple you could know in your day-to-day life.
4. “John Adams” (2008)

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Who Giamatti plays: Giamatti doesn’t do a ton of period pieces; there’s something about his snarky, everyman persona that feels particularly suited to exploring the indignities of modern life. But one of the exceptions is his Emmy-winning work in “John Adams,” a 2008 film that casts him as the second president of the United States, focusing on Adams’ rise from his status as a well-respected lawyer to a prominent Revolutionary War figure to Vice President to President.

Why he’s great: Giamatti often plays slimy, somewhat small men, but he’s a classically trained actor who can communicate gravitas. His performance in “John Adams” is brimming with charismatic solemnity, giving the highly passionate and stubborn man a fiery, grandstanding disposition. Most of Giamatti’s characters are everymen, but “John Adams” proves he can easily inspire awe onscreen.
3. “The Holdovers” (2023)

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Who Giamatti plays: Classics professor Paul Hunham, a despised figure at the New England boarding school where he teaches, disliked for his bitter disposition and authoritarian approach to mentorship. When he’s roped into looking after the boys left behind during the Christmas break, he develops an unexpectedly sweet bond with the most troubled among them, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa)

Why he’s great: Hunham is the type of role that Giamatti was practically born to play — his scruffy, sharp-tongued nature is a perfect fit for Giamatti’s knack for playing assholes and blowhards. But the film’s emotional power comes from how Hunham defrosts, with Giamatti conveying that shift effortlessly, ensuring he always feels recognizable as the same semi-pretentious guy. Giamatti has particularly dynamite chemistry with Sessa as the kid who brings the transformation on, finding a kindred spirit dynamic that makes the spikey relationship between the two pop.
2. “American Splendor” (2003)

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Who Giamatti plays: Harvey Pekar, an alternative comic writer and office clerk best known for his “American Splendor” series that dramatizes his own life. “American Splendor” the movie is a unique mix between documentary and fiction, featuring Giamatti as Pekar while also including multiple appearances from the real Pekar.

Why he’s great: The fact that the real Pekar is in the film makes it easy to see just how good Giamatti is in the role; he nails Pekar’s essence as a grouchy, neurotic sad sack without parodying him in mean-spirited way, making the character his own rather than doing a simple impression. He finds a real human sensitivity to what could be an unremarkable man, and gives by far his funniest performance in any film. In Giamatti’s hands, the Pekar of “American Splendor” isn’t a comic book hero, but a flesh-and-blood man.
1. “Sideways” (2004)

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Who Giamatti plays: In his first collaboration with Alexander Payne, Giamatti takes on the role of wine aficionado and unpublished writer Miles. A depressive toiling away as an English teacher and struggling to get over his recent divorce, he attempts to escape his troubles for a week by taking his soon-to-be-married friend Jack (Thomas Hayden Church) on a road trip through Santa Ynez Valley wine country.

Why he’s great: Although “Sideways” was an Oscar darling the year it came out, Giamatti’s acclaimed performance in the lead narrowly missed out on the Best Actor category. That’s a shame, because he truly delivers his best work as the prickly, sensitive, wounded Miles, who struggles to let go of the past and move on from his demons. Giamatti’s performance manages the perfect balance of making Miles both slightly exasperating and completely charming, making it easy to see what love interest Maya (Virginia Madsen) appreciates in him. Giamatti and Church imbue the friendship between their characters with a deep sense of history, one that makes both feel resonant and alive.

Paul Giamatti’s Best Performances: ‘The Holdovers,’ ‘Sideways,’ ‘Private Life,’ and More

Wilson Chapman

10. “Big Fat Liar” (2002)

9. “Man on the Moon” (1999)

8. “Cinderella Man” (2005)

7. “Billions” (2016-2023)

6. “Private Parts” (1997)

5. “Private Life” (2018)

4. “John Adams” (2008)

3. “The Holdovers” (2023)

2. “American Splendor” (2003)

1. “Sideways” (2004)

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