Paul Giamatti is a gifted character actor who always delivers shin whatever film he appears in. His on-screen persona is interesting as it mixes likability with a persnickety. His career has spanned across several genres, and he has worked with prominent directors like M. Night Shyamalan, Ron Howard, and Alexander Payne. While Giamatti has starred in several great independent movies, he has also proved that he can take on big-budget films in the leading role. We have seen him play everyday people, as well as extraordinary, darker characters. He is a joy to watch on screen and one of the greatest actors working.

Giamatti was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and began working in theater while attending Yale University. He earned a Master of Fine arts from Yale and went on to perform on Broadway. His breakthrough film role was playing Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton in Private Parts, a film about the rise of Howard Stern. Since then, Giamatti has been working steadily, receiving much critical acclaim along the way. Here are Giamatti's best movies, ranked.

Update November 6, 2023: In honor of the release of The Holdovers, this article has been updated with more great performances by Paul Giamatti and where you can stream each title.

10 Private Life (2018)

Private Life is a fantastic and honest film following a New York City resident Richard and Rachel's (Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn) struggle to have a child as a middle-aged couple. Directed by Tamara Jenkins and released on Netflix in 2018, the film also features Molly Shannon, Denis O'Hare, Emily Robinson, John Carrol Lynch, and Desmin Borges.

Why It's Great

The chemistry between Giamatti and Hahn is top-notch, and the film offers a great blend of comedy and drama. Giamatti, as well as Hahn, depict the deep struggles that infertility can have on a relationship, and the film is also a great look at life in New York City. It is also a very honest depiction of what kind of obstacles one can run in trying to have a child and the emotional toll it takes on a relationship.

Stream on Netflix

9 Private Parts (1997)

In the adaptation of Howard Stern's autobiography Private Parts, Giamatti plays the infamous NBC executive, Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton. Giamatti proved, with his first major screen role, and while he is known for being a dramatic actor here he brings that tone to a comedy where he makes for the perfect "straight man" foil. He is Stern's arch-nemesis in the film, and Giamatti delivers several moments of intense rage.

Why It's Great

Private Parts provides viewers with a very honest look inside Stern's life and the ups and downs of his career. It is outrageous and hilarious, just like Stern's comedy. Giamatti excels at playing a bureaucratic upper management business villain and shows he is just as good in comedies as dramas.

Stream on Prime Video

8 Barney's Version (2010)

Based on Mordecai Richler's novel of the same name, the movie Barney's Version tells the story of a man named Barney Panofsky (played by Giamatti), an infamous TV producer and the various twists and turns of his life until his death. It's a comedy-drama film where the main character Barney goes through love, tragedy, and drama, until we see him get older and starting to have acute memory loss.

Why It's Great

Barney's Version allows Paul Giamatti to take center stage as the protagonist, and we can see his capabilities fully flourish. The film is an underrated and widely underseen film, as it only had a limited release and never cracked the top 20 at the box office, but that does not mean it isn't a film worth watching.

Rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video

7 Man on the Moon (1999)

Milos Forman's Man on the Moon follows the rise of comedian Andy Kaufman's (Jim Carrey) career. Paul Giamatti plays Bob Zmuda, Kaufman's friend and comedic partner. At the same time, Giamatti dresses up and plays the iconic role of Tony Clifton.

Why It's Great

Giamatti gives a fantastic supporting performance, and he has great chemistry with Carrey. The film is a fascinating look into the unconventional career of Kaufman, led by Carrey's method acting. A documentary following Carrey's transformation into Kaufman, Jim & Andy is currently on Netflix.

Rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

6 Win Win (2011)

Win Win is a fantastic film about self-discovery and the power of love and family. In this independent sports drama, Paul Giamatti takes on a role as an every-day Joe struggling with his personal and family life. Mike Flaherty (Giamatti) takes in a troubled teen named Kyle (Alex Shaffer) and leads him to be a high school wrestling champ.

Why It's Great

Directed by Tom McCarthy (who would later direct the Academy Award winning Spotlight), Giamatti, once again, gives an honest and effective performance. The center of the story is the powerful relationship between Mike and Kyle, and the film, as a whole, is endearing from start to finish.

Rent on Apple TV

5 American Splendor (2003)

American Splendor tells the true story of the comic book writer Harvey Pekar (Giamatti). It offers an in-depth into the life and career of the successful artist. The film is part of an adaptation of Pekar's American Splendor comics and also a dramatization of his life. The film captures the essence of the comic by mixing live-action, animation, and documentary styles together to form a unique comic book adaptation unlike any other.

Why It's Great

Giamatti completely embodies the quirky personality of Pekar, perfectly capturing his mannerisms. His performance was praised by critics and audiences alike, and the film currently holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This is a performance many believe Giamatti should have gotten an Oscar nomination for.

Stream on HBO Max

4 Cinderella Man (2005)

In Ron Howard's Cinderella Man, Giamatti plays a fierce boxing coach named Joe Gould. He trains underdog James J. Braddock (Russel Crowe) and leads him to victory despite all odds. While the film underperformed at the box office, it is certainly an underrated gem from everyone involved.

Why It's Great

Cinderella Man is a fascinating look into the Great Depression era and one of the best boxing movies of all time. Giamatti is brilliant from beginning to end as the intense and passionate boxing coach. Giamatti went on to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Stream on Starz

3 Straight Outta Compton (2015)

In the acclaimed film Straight Outta Compton, focusing on the rise of N.W.A, Giamatti plays the corrupt and manipulative manager, Jerry Heller. Heller originally comes off as an ally and friend to the group of young men, even speaking up for them when they are harassed by police. It soon becomes clear he is manipulating them to profit from them, particularly preying on Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell).

Why It's Great

Giamatti's chemistry with the entire cast is fantastic, yet it is his scenes with Jason Mitchell that show Giamatti's talents. He somehow can appear weak but is in constant control of every situation. Funny enough, this was one of two movies released in 2015 where Giamatii played a manipulative person to a music icon, the second being in Love & Mercy about Beach Boys singer Brian Williams. Straight Outta Compton was that rare biopic blockbuster and is a highlight in Giamatti's impressive career.

Stream on Peacock

2 The Holdovers (2023)

Read Our Review

The Holdovers is the most recent movie that Giamatti has starred in, has only recently hit theaters. The comedy-drama film depicts the journey of a history teacher named Paul Hunham (played by Giamatti) in a prep school in New England who has to chaperone a few of his students during the Christmas break because they have nowhere else to go. He soon forms a bond with the only student left at the school, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa). While the two start off as foes, they soon become friends.

Why It's Great

The heart-touching movie is set in the 1970s and truly captures the look and tone of those movies. Giamatti plays a complex character where audiences are left both rooting for and against him at times, but as the film goes on, the layers are soon peeled away to see what makes this man who he is. In the films final moment, he shows his true heroism. The Holdovers allows Giamatti to explore a fascinating character with many layers and is another winning collaboration between Giamatti and director Alexander Payne.

The Holdovers is in limited release and opens nationwide on November 10, 2023.

1 Sideways (2004)

This first time that Alexander Payne and Giamatti collaborated together just had to take the top spot. Payne wrote and directed the Oscar-winning film Sideways, following two middle-aged friends on a journey through California wine country. The brilliant script is absolutely hilarious from beginning to end, and both Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church deliver the best work of their career.

Why It's Great

It is an unconventional yet honest story about friendship, and Giamatti's character of Miles Raymond delivers a fascinating perspective on good wine and food. It is the type of movie that can be rewatched several times, once again proving Payne's capabilities as a filmmaker. It was the film that launched Giamatti's career to new heights and thanks to Sideways, he is one of the biggest actors working today.

Stream on DirecTV