Paul Giamatti’s birthday: his best roles from the ‘Truman Show’ to ’12 Years a Slave’

In the world of cinema, there are stars and stellar performers, and Paul Giamatti, who just turned 56, belongs to the second group. Since she debuted in the 90s in the telefilm fake romanceGiamatti has managed to establish himself in that gray area between the first sword and the eternal characteristic in which many have tried to survive, but few, like Giamatti, have managed to make their home.

Thirty-three years and dozens of awards later, the Connecticut-born actor’s resume is dotted with incorrigible scoundrels and of blameless men; of ubiquitous protagonistsand also of secondary ephemera that squeezed the most out of their few seconds on the screen.

Although his participation in series (he will be present in the next season of 30 coinsby Álex de la Iglesia) and miniseries has helped to affirm his prestige, through awards such as the Golden Globe that earned him his performance in John Adams (2008), its great moments have been screened in a movie theater. Here we see some of them.

‘Mighty Aphrodite’ (1995)

It doesn’t matter that it was for a tiny role: Yes Woody Allen he already counted on him in what was still his third film, it is because there was an enviable future waiting for him.

mighty aphroditestarring Woody Allen himself and a Mira Sorvino whose horizon was equally promising until, in it, Harvey Weinstein crossed paths, Paul Giamatti gives life to an unnamed investigator for the association of extras. He barely manages to articulate a couple of sentences, but does it matter, when those few sentences have been written by Woody Allen?

mighty aphrodite Is available in Amazon Prime Video.

‘Donnie Brasco’ (1997)

The same year in which Giamatti repeated with the New York director in dismounting harryappeared in Donnie Brasco next to Al Pacino and even Johnny Depp who had not yet become addicted to extreme makeup. In this Mike Newell film, Giamatti plays an FBI technician, part of the fragile safety net that separates Johnny Depp’s character from the underworld.

Donnie Brasco Is available in Movistar Plus.

‘The Truman Show’ (1998)

the truman show came into the hands of Giamatti at a crucial point in his career: after demonstrating his charisma in the meager bursts of time of those available to their characters on the screen, his seemed one of the many faces doomed to be diluted by the hollywood sinkhole: actors who appear, for five years, in all the films without the public learning their names, and then they disappear forever.

Before Giamatti’s ship crashed into posterity in the form of a papier-mâché blue sky, Peter Weir offered him the role of control room director in the truman shownext to Jim Carrey and Ed Harris.

the truman show Is available in Movistar Plus.

‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)

In case you still need help, Spielberg made Paul Giamatti a sergeant in Saving Private Ryan. In this way, the American actor began to gain ground in two different directionss: the productions in which you work were getting better and your characters in them, less fleeting.

Saving Private Ryan Is available in SkyShowtime and in Movistar Plus.

‘Negotiator’ (1999)

In this hostage-taking kidnapping-negotiator thriller, Paul Giamatti stars as a snitch unfortunate enough to stop by the police station just as Samuel L Jackson he decides to entrench himself in it to clear his name.

Under normal conditions, an actor’s job would be strangled by being sandwiched between two industry giants like Samuel L Jackson and Kevin Spacey, but Giamatti’s abilities are far from normal.

Deal maker Is available in Amazon Prime Video and in DisneyPlus.

‘American Splendor’ (2003)

The first great protagonist in Giamatti’s career comes thanks to this independent comedy in which reality and fiction are intermingled until they become inseparable. Despite the fact that, by then, Giamatti had already appeared in movies of Woody Allen, Peter Weir, Spielberg, Milos Forman either Tim Burtonthe Association of North American critics awarded him the prize of Best New Actor of the Year.

American Splendor Is available in HBO Max.

‘Between the drinks’ (2004)

Your good experience in American Splendor invited Giamatti to repeat in independent cinema, this time in a bitter comedy of alexander payne, who, just a year earlier, had directed Jack Nicholson in About Schmidtperhaps the last memorable film of the three-Oscar-winning interpreter.

Once again, the critics once again surrendered to the actor with a nondescript physique but explosive talent, nominating him for a Golden Globe and granting him the best actor award for him Critics Circle New York. Giamatti and Payne have recently joined forces again in The Holdoversa comedy that will be released in November of this year.

Between glasses Is available in disneyplus.

‘Cinderella Man’ (2005)

Despite the fact that, at present, he is bogged down in productions of dubious (or rather obvious) quality such as The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) or Wild (2020), Russell Crowe he began the 21st century as one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. In Cinderella Man (Ron Howard), Paul Giamatti is the trainer of palingenetic James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe).

For his performance, Giamatti received his, until now, only Oscar nomination (in the category for best supporting actor), whose statuette went to George Clooneyby syrian.

Cinderella Man Is available in disneyplus and Movistar Plus.

‘The Illusionist’ (2006)

Giamatti donned his detective suit in The ilusionist (Neil Burger) with the aim of keeping an eye on a supernaturally talented magician whom he embodied Edward Norton. Even the critics who didn’t like this twin sister of the final trick They made, however, one caveat when describing Giamatti’s trade and dedication throughout his footage.

The ilusionist Is available in Apple TV.

‘The young woman from the water’ (2006)

If a year earlier it had been directed by Ron Howardin this bold fable of shyamalanPaul Giamatti discovers a nymph in an apartment block to which he gives life Bryce Dallas Howardthe daughter of his former boss.

Critically pummeled upon its release (which isn’t unusual for a Shyamalan film, either), in recent years it has begun to be claimed as one of the most original works by the Indian filmmaker, so perhaps it is time to return to it if at the time we do not manage to step into the pool of The young woman of the water.

The young woman of the water Is available in Apple TV.

‘The World According to Barney’ (2010)

measure yourself to Dustin Hoffmann on a screen it is a game that is never won and rarely tied. However, Paul Giamatti got his first Golden Globe for his work in The world according to Barneywhere he shares the limelight with the interpreter of The graduate.

The world according to Barney Is available in Apple TV.

’12 Years a Slave’ (2013)

In a dazzling cast like the one in this film by Steve McQueen the name of Paul Giamatti could not be missing, on whom falls the unfortunate honor of interpreting the slave trader Theophilus Freeman.

12 years a slave Is available in filming and in Movistar Plus.

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