Paul Giamatti - Actor Profile

Paul Giamatti

Acting
Freshness: Jan 19, 2026
50Total Films
8.4 Highest Rated
Born: Jun 6, 1967
Birth Place: New Haven, Connecticut, USA

About Paul Giamatti

Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (/ˌdʒiːəˈmɑːti/JEE-ə-MAH-tee; born June 6, 1967) is an American actor. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globes, and nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award. After studying acting at the Yale School of Drama, he performed in numerous theatrical productions. Giamatti debuted on Broadway, portraying Ezra Chater in the Tom Stoppard play Arcadia (1995). Later that year, he played the Rev. Donald "Streaky" Bacon in the David Hare play Racing Demon (1995). He returned to theatre in the revivals of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters (1997) and Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh (1999). Giamatti's breakout film role was in Private Parts (1997), followed by roles in My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Man on the Moon (1999). He won acclaim for his leading roles in American Splendor (2003), Sideways (2004), Win Win (2011), and Private Life (2018). He has also acted in Planet of the Apes (2001), The Illusionist (2006), Fred Claus (2007), The Ides of March (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Love & Mercy (2014), and Straight Outta Compton (2015). He has earned Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for portraying Joe Gould in Cinderella Man (2005) and Best Actor for playing a disgruntled teacher in The Holdovers (2023). On television, Giamatti played the role in the HBO miniseries John Adams (2008), earning him acclaim and several awards, including a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe. He starred as U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades Jr. in the Showtime television series Billions (2016–2023). He earned Emmy nominations for his roles as Ben Bernanke in the HBO film Too Big to Fail (2011) and Harold Levinson in the ITV series Downton Abbey (2013). In the Netflix anthology series Black Mirror episode Eulogy (2025), he played a grieving lover. Description above from the Wikipedia article Paul Giamatti, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Career Statistics & Market Influence

Analyzing the cinematic journey of Paul Giamatti reveals a career defined by exceptional commercial consistency. With a total of 50 major appearances, the actor has established a significant footprint in global cinema.

Genre Dominance: Drama

The majority of Paul Giamatti's filmography leans towards the Drama genre. Audience data suggests that viewers respond most favorably to this persona, though their versatility has allowed for successful crossovers into other categories.

The "Box Office" Signature

With a 82% Success Ratio (movies rated above 6.5), Paul Giamatti remains a reliable draw for studios. Their peak performance was recorded in Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler, which continues to be the benchmark for their career rating-wise.

Best Paul Giamatti Movies Ranked

Must-watch hits from Paul Giamatti's career based on audience ratings.

Complete Filmography & Success Status

Tracking the career evolution and box office verdicts of Paul Giamatti.

YearMovieCharacterSuccessMore
2025 Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Harold Levinson Hit Similar →
2023 The Holdovers Paul Hunham Super Hit Similar →
2022 Woodpeckers: The Hole Story Narrator Hit Similar →
2021 A Mouthful of Air Dr. Sylvester Hit Similar →
2021 Jungle Cruise Nilo Hit Similar →
2018 Private Life Richard Grimes Hit Similar →
2018 Sex, Lies and Butterflies Narrator (voice) Super Hit Similar →
2017 Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond Self Super Hit Similar →
2015 Straight Outta Compton Jerry Heller Super Hit Similar →
2015 The Little Prince The Academy Teacher (voice) Super Hit Similar →
2015 Love & Mercy Dr. Eugene Landy Hit Similar →
2014 The Wages of Heroism: Making The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Self Hit Similar →
2014 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Aleksei Sytsevich Hit Similar →
2013 Saving Mr. Banks Ralph Hit Similar →
2013 12 Years a Slave Theophilus Freeman Super Hit Similar →
2013 Romeo & Juliet Friar Laurence Hit Similar →
2013 Turbo Chet (voice) Average Similar →
2013 The Congress Dr. Barker Average Similar →
2013 Love, Marilyn Self Hit Similar →
2013 John Dies at the End Arnie Blondestone Average Similar →
2011 Too Big to Fail Ben Bernanke Hit Similar →
2011 The Ides of March Tom Duffy Hit Similar →
2011 The Hangover Part II Kingsley Hit Similar →
2011 Win Win Mike Flaherty Hit Similar →
2010 Barney's Version Barney Panofsky Hit Similar →
2009 The Last Station Vladimir Chertkov Average Similar →
2009 Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler Uncle Chaz (archive footage) Super Hit Similar →
2007 Trumbo Self Hit Similar →
2007 The Nanny Diaries Mr. X Average Similar →
2007 Shoot 'Em Up Hertz Hit Similar →
2006 The Amazing Screw-On Head Screw-On Head (voice) Hit Similar →
2006 The Illusionist Inspector Uhl Hit Similar →
2005 Cinderella Man Joe Gould Super Hit Similar →
2005 The Fan and the Flower Narrator (voice) Average Similar →
2005 Robots Tim the Gate Guard (voice) Hit Similar →
2004 Sideways Miles Hit Similar →
2003 American Splendor Harvey Pekar Hit Similar →
2001 Storytelling Toby Oxman Hit Similar →
2000 If These Walls Could Talk 2 Ted Hedley Hit Similar →
1999 Man on the Moon Bob Zmuda Hit Similar →
1999 Cradle Will Rock Carlo Average Similar →
1998 The Negotiator Rudy Hit Similar →
1998 Saving Private Ryan Sergeant Hill Super Hit Similar →
1998 The Truman Show Simeon Super Hit Similar →
1997 Deconstructing Harry Professor Abbott Hit Similar →
1997 My Best Friend's Wedding Bellman Hit Similar →
1997 Private Parts Kenny Average Similar →
1997 Donnie Brasco FBI Technician Super Hit Similar →
1995 Mighty Aphrodite Extras Guild Researcher Hit Similar →
1992 Singles Kissing Man Average Similar →

Paul Giamatti - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best movie of Paul Giamatti?

According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Paul Giamatti is "Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler" with a rating of 8.4/10.

How many movies has Paul Giamatti acted in?

Paul Giamatti has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.

What are some other popular movies by Paul Giamatti?

Other notable films include "Saving Private Ryan", "The Truman Show", and "Sex, Lies and Butterflies".