Paul Giamatti on ‘Sideways’ Oscar Snub, the Secret to His ‘Holdovers’ Lazy Eye and How He’s Still ‘Figuring Out How to Act on Film’
16.02.2024 - 17:13
/ variety.com
Paul Giamatti is our real-life Brad Pitt,” declares actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Giamatti’s Oscar-nominated co-star from “The Holdovers.” And she’s not joking. After all, as Randolph points out, “We can’t all be Brad Pitt, and I mean that in the most positive way.” The actor argues that Giamatti, in roles ranging from Revolutionary War heroes and Depression era boxing coaches to, in “The Holdovers,” a cranky New England boarding schoolteacher, has displayed a talent for always seeming natural on screen. Just as Pitt blazes on screen, Giamatti draws audiences in.
“Paul is a man of a certain age that men can relate to,” Randolph says. “That’s why I think Paul is our real-life Brad Pitt — [he’s] a champion of reality. What is real? An everyday man.” The unassuming actor, who normally lives a paparazzi free existence in Brooklyn, eschewed a glitzy celebratory bash following his Golden Globe triumph in Alexander Payne’s poignant dramedy.
Instead, he opted for the simple pleasures of an In-n-Out Burger in Los Angeles — and a photo of him dining there in his tux, with his trophy and burgers on the table, went viral on social media. “I’m on the edge of my seat for that endorsement deal,” he quips. “That’s when things are really going to explode.” Weeks later, the 56-year-old Giamatti received his first lead actor Oscar nomination.
He chose to stay up late in Brooklyn the night before, preferring the embrace of sleep over the suspense of the Academy’s early morning reveal “I would rather be asleep and not want to know,” he muses. “I figured I’d hear from people no matter what.” The sting of Oscar nomination mornings past, when anticipation was met with silence, is not foreign to Giamatti. In 2004, “Sideways” — a hilarious
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