Anecdotes

In his senior year at Yale University he was elected to the Skull and Bones secret society.

Russell Crowe stated in an interview that working with Giamatti in De l'ombre à la lumière (2005) was one of his favorite experiences in show business.

Son of Bart Giamatti, late president of Yale University, major league baseball commissioner and nemesis of Pete Rose.

Graduated from Yale University with a degree in English.

Graduated from the Yale University School of Drama with a master's degree in drama.

In the 1998 remake of Dr. Dolittle (1998), he played a human in charge of a talking orangutan, in the 2001 remake of La planète des singes (2001), he played a talking orangutan in charge of humans.

Has one child, a boy named Samuel, born in 2001, with his wife, Elizabeth Giamatti.

Despite his portrayal of the character Miles in Sideways (2004) and Miles' passion for Pinot Noir, Giamatti himself admits that he has very little knowledge of wines and is not much of a fan of them.

In Sideways (2004) his character, Miles, looks at a picture of himself as a younger man standing with a man in sunglasses. This is a photo of him with his father, (Bart Giamatti).

Is a big fan of science-fiction.

His father, Bart Giamatti died in 1989, while still in office as Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music asked him, its "2007 BAM Cinema Club Chair", to pick films for an eight-movie series called "Paul Giamatti Selects" and shown at the Academy in August and September 2007. His selections indicated a taste for paranoia and "the darkest of dark comedy", according to a writer for "The New York Times". Giamatti chose: Frenzy (1972), Dr. Folamour ou : comment j'ai appris à ne plus m'en faire et à aimer la bombe (1964), Brewster McCloud (1970), La grande horloge (1948), La Septième Victime (1943), Zombie : Le Crépuscule des morts-vivants (1978), L'opération diabolique (1966), and L'Invasion des profanateurs (1978).

His paternal grandfather, Valentine John Giamatti, was born in New Haven, CT, to Italian parents, from Campania. His paternal grandmother, Mary Claybaugh (Walton), was born in Wakefield, MA, and was of largely English descent, with deep Colonial American roots in Massachusetts and Maine. Paul's mother's ancestry included German, English, Dutch, Irish, and distant Scottish and French.

He has twice portrayed an actual President of the US: in John Adams (2008), the second President , and as Theodore Roosevelt (voice), the 26th President, in The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014).

During the shooting of Dressé pour vivre - The Hawk Is Dying (2006), which is mainly about his character and a Red-Tailed Hawk, he became a raptor (birds of prey) enthusiast.

His life ambition was to star in a crime caper with Robert Duvall and John Hurt (who died in 2017). He planned on contacting the two stars with his idea should Sideways (2004) have won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

He has appeared in four films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Il faut sauver le soldat Ryan (1998), Sideways (2004), 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Winter Break (2023). 12 Years a Slave won in the category.

Is a Boston Red Sox fan.

Often plays roles based on real people--Parties intimes (1997), Winchell (1998), Man on the Moon (1999), American Splendor (2003), De l'ombre à la lumière (2005), John Adams (2008), Too Big to Fail (2011) and Parkland (2013).

He and wife Elizabeth Giamatti own a home in Venice, CA.

Lived in Seattle, WA, for a brief period after college.

Was named in 'Weird Al' Yankovic's song "Lame Claim to Fame". "I don't mean to brag but Paul Giamatti's plumber knows me by name.".

Is a lifelong Democrat.

Younger brother of Marcus Giamatti.

Listed as a potential nominee on both the 2003 and 2007 Razzie Award nominating ballots. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Supporting Actor category on the 2003 ballot for his performance in Méchant menteur (2002) and in the Worst (Leading) Actor category for his performance in La Jeune Fille de l'eau (2006). He failed to receive either nomination.

Graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall.

Has starred in three films (Parties intimes (1997), American Splendor (2003) and Man on the Moon (1999) that feature characters who appear on Late Show with David Letterman (1993) and a fourth, Storytelling (2001), that starred Conan O'Brien, who hosted "Late Night" after Letterman moved to his own show on CBS.

He has appeared in two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Il faut sauver le soldat Ryan (1998) and 12 Years a Slave (2013).

Ex-brother-in-law of Kathryn Meisle.

Graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in 1985.

Mentioned in 80's Guy (2021).