Here's a retro review of Paul Giamatti when he was promoting the classic "Sideways." Pictured right is a photo of me looking silly with the gifted actor.Giamatti makes right turn in “Sideways”
By Jon Chattman
Paul Giamatti admits he’s not your typical leading man. “Take a look at me. I don’t look like what you usually see running across the American movie screens causing hearts to throb across the nation,” he confessed earlier this month.
That assessment may be true, but even though he doesn’t resemble a “Brad” or a “Tom,” the 37-year-old actor is slowly becoming the unlikeliest leading man in cinema today.
For the second consecutive year, the actor best known for his memorable supporting roles in “Private Parts” and “Saving Private Ryan,” is headlining a critically acclaimed film. Last year, he earned rave reviews for playing comic book idol and eccentric schlep Harvey Pekar in “American Splendor.” This year, the actor is earning praise and dare we say Oscar buzz for playing another lovable loser. In “Sideways,” a new film from auteur Alexander Payne, Giamatti stars as Miles, a wine connoisseur and recently divorced junior high school English teacher who takes off with his best friend/washed up actor Jack (Thomas Haden Church) for a weeklong trip to California “wine country” to celebrate Jack’s impending wedding day. While Jack engages in a week of infidelity before he gets hitched, Miles copes with his failures in life –his marriage for one, a failed novel for another- romances small-town waitress Maya (Virginia Madsen), a beautiful divorcee who shares Miles’ love of wine and is just looking for a good man. The film is based on the Rex Pickett novel.
For Payne, selecting Giamatti was a no-brainer. The “About Schmidt” and “Election” director explained, “Giamatti is a star. You can’t take your eyes off of him. You see thoughts ripple across his face as they happen. In this, he’s funny, pathetic and romantic. The guy can do it all.”
We recently spoke with the busy actor, who will co-star in at least two films next year, among them the Russell Crowe/Ron Howard boxing picture “The Cinderella Man,” and asked him how he’s dealing with his new leading man status, what the experience was like going it “Sideways,” and where he sees himself in or out of Hollywood.
Q. Following the success of “About Schmidt,” Alexander Payne could’ve worked with anybody he wanted. Instead of choosing a top star, he says he cast those he felt would be best for the character. Did you have to audition for the role?
A. Yes, indeed. I had to audition for it. There wasn’t a script available. Tom [Haden Church] got a hold of it somehow. They gave a couple of scenes. It was very standard. I was very excited going in for him (Payne). He’s a very kind man. He’s a forthcoming guy. He puts you at your ease very readily.
Q. How did you prepare for the part once you got it?
A. I usually just read the script a lot. That helps me. I probably do it too much. The big thing is obviously the wine stuff, but not so much actually knowing about wine as much as it was looking at the people really. I studied people --- big wine fanatics. I have a friend who I’ve known for years who’s a big wine guy. He’s fascinating. He’s a normal human being until he starts talking about wine then he just turns into a pedantic horse’s ass. I know nothing about wine, and I don’t really care either. So, that was what was interesting: the slurping sounds, the way they swirl [the wine], the way they are, and the way they gab out it. That’s probably the most preparation I did for it.
Q. Did you identify with the character at all?
A. One thing I liked a lot of about character was this idea: the persona of a wine expert. The whole idea of wine being some sort of aspiring there’s something greater in life--- a façade of sophistication. It’s genuine. [The character] genuinely loves the stuff, but it’s also a blind for getting drunk in a lot of ways, too.
Q. Many of the characters you have played whether it’s Pekar or Miles are often depressed guys. Is this something that is coincidence or do you share common traits with them?
A. I suppose I am a little bit. There must be something about me that I had to bring to the parts every time that people see in me to hire me. Definitely, there’s a more kind of desperate quality to a lot of the guys I play and I don’t know whether I bring it to it or if it’s there already.
Q. You do sometimes play the flipside …like in big studio pictures you seem a bit more zany…
A. I’m a little goofier. It’s weird I’m either depressed or I’m really aggressive. It’s really weird. Somebody said , I think it was Dustin Hoffman, that all actors really only have basically two characters that they play---- three if you’re lucky but two basic guys you play variations on and that’s what you always do. I guess my two guys are depressed passive guy or psycho aggressive guy. It’s something about yourself that always leaks into whoever you’re playing. [I wouldn’t mind playing] an English butler--- somebody who’s just really in control and calm and not depressed. I’ve played those roles on stage.
[On doing stage work now] It’s a big commitment and I’m a little bit afraid about it now. You get lazy. The idea of doing a play is kind of scary.
Q. Moving on, how would you describe your character in this film? He kind of has a revelation about himself as the film goes on.
A. Jack is the more screwed up guy ultimately which makes [Miles] wake up a bit because he sees someone a little more fucked up then he is.
Q. You and Thomas Haden Church have great chemistry together on-screen. Was it the same off?
A. He’s a bronze God. He’s unbelievable. He was nothing but a pleasure the whole time. He’s a very serious guy underneath it all, but he never stops fucking around. He was great because he’s completely different from the way he works. He’s all over the place.
Q. “Sideways” is your second straight film in which you headline. Have there been more offers your way for more leading roles?
A. No. There is more interest in lead roles. I’m a hard sell no matter what. It’s tough. It’s really nice like ‘American Splendor’, and this movie has made people see me in a different way, but I think people actually are more confused. They’re kind of like ‘we can let him read this, but I don’t wanna offer it to him.’
Q. Do you prefer Hollywood or Independent films or both? You seem to interchange between big studio picture to small Indie.
A. It just depends on what you’re doing. I’m happy to work generally. I’m generally lucky there’s some reason that’s compelling me to do it, and that I am enjoying about it. They both offer great things.
Q. Last question. How do you deal with Oscar buzz? You had it last year for “Splendor,” and rumblings have already started for “Sideways.”
A. I don’t know how is one supposed to deal with Oscar buzz? It’s very flattering. It has no sort of actually reality to me, but it’s a nice thing.
By Jon Chattman
Paul Giamatti admits he’s not your typical leading man. “Take a look at me. I don’t look like what you usually see running across the American movie screens causing hearts to throb across the nation,” he confessed earlier this month.
That assessment may be true, but even though he doesn’t resemble a “Brad” or a “Tom,” the 37-year-old actor is slowly becoming the unlikeliest leading man in cinema today.
For the second consecutive year, the actor best known for his memorable supporting roles in “Private Parts” and “Saving Private Ryan,” is headlining a critically acclaimed film. Last year, he earned rave reviews for playing comic book idol and eccentric schlep Harvey Pekar in “American Splendor.” This year, the actor is earning praise and dare we say Oscar buzz for playing another lovable loser. In “Sideways,” a new film from auteur Alexander Payne, Giamatti stars as Miles, a wine connoisseur and recently divorced junior high school English teacher who takes off with his best friend/washed up actor Jack (Thomas Haden Church) for a weeklong trip to California “wine country” to celebrate Jack’s impending wedding day. While Jack engages in a week of infidelity before he gets hitched, Miles copes with his failures in life –his marriage for one, a failed novel for another- romances small-town waitress Maya (Virginia Madsen), a beautiful divorcee who shares Miles’ love of wine and is just looking for a good man. The film is based on the Rex Pickett novel.
For Payne, selecting Giamatti was a no-brainer. The “About Schmidt” and “Election” director explained, “Giamatti is a star. You can’t take your eyes off of him. You see thoughts ripple across his face as they happen. In this, he’s funny, pathetic and romantic. The guy can do it all.”
We recently spoke with the busy actor, who will co-star in at least two films next year, among them the Russell Crowe/Ron Howard boxing picture “The Cinderella Man,” and asked him how he’s dealing with his new leading man status, what the experience was like going it “Sideways,” and where he sees himself in or out of Hollywood.
Q. Following the success of “About Schmidt,” Alexander Payne could’ve worked with anybody he wanted. Instead of choosing a top star, he says he cast those he felt would be best for the character. Did you have to audition for the role?
A. Yes, indeed. I had to audition for it. There wasn’t a script available. Tom [Haden Church] got a hold of it somehow. They gave a couple of scenes. It was very standard. I was very excited going in for him (Payne). He’s a very kind man. He’s a forthcoming guy. He puts you at your ease very readily.
Q. How did you prepare for the part once you got it?
A. I usually just read the script a lot. That helps me. I probably do it too much. The big thing is obviously the wine stuff, but not so much actually knowing about wine as much as it was looking at the people really. I studied people --- big wine fanatics. I have a friend who I’ve known for years who’s a big wine guy. He’s fascinating. He’s a normal human being until he starts talking about wine then he just turns into a pedantic horse’s ass. I know nothing about wine, and I don’t really care either. So, that was what was interesting: the slurping sounds, the way they swirl [the wine], the way they are, and the way they gab out it. That’s probably the most preparation I did for it.
Q. Did you identify with the character at all?
A. One thing I liked a lot of about character was this idea: the persona of a wine expert. The whole idea of wine being some sort of aspiring there’s something greater in life--- a façade of sophistication. It’s genuine. [The character] genuinely loves the stuff, but it’s also a blind for getting drunk in a lot of ways, too.
Q. Many of the characters you have played whether it’s Pekar or Miles are often depressed guys. Is this something that is coincidence or do you share common traits with them?
A. I suppose I am a little bit. There must be something about me that I had to bring to the parts every time that people see in me to hire me. Definitely, there’s a more kind of desperate quality to a lot of the guys I play and I don’t know whether I bring it to it or if it’s there already.
Q. You do sometimes play the flipside …like in big studio pictures you seem a bit more zany…
A. I’m a little goofier. It’s weird I’m either depressed or I’m really aggressive. It’s really weird. Somebody said , I think it was Dustin Hoffman, that all actors really only have basically two characters that they play---- three if you’re lucky but two basic guys you play variations on and that’s what you always do. I guess my two guys are depressed passive guy or psycho aggressive guy. It’s something about yourself that always leaks into whoever you’re playing. [I wouldn’t mind playing] an English butler--- somebody who’s just really in control and calm and not depressed. I’ve played those roles on stage.
[On doing stage work now] It’s a big commitment and I’m a little bit afraid about it now. You get lazy. The idea of doing a play is kind of scary.
Q. Moving on, how would you describe your character in this film? He kind of has a revelation about himself as the film goes on.
A. Jack is the more screwed up guy ultimately which makes [Miles] wake up a bit because he sees someone a little more fucked up then he is.
Q. You and Thomas Haden Church have great chemistry together on-screen. Was it the same off?
A. He’s a bronze God. He’s unbelievable. He was nothing but a pleasure the whole time. He’s a very serious guy underneath it all, but he never stops fucking around. He was great because he’s completely different from the way he works. He’s all over the place.
Q. “Sideways” is your second straight film in which you headline. Have there been more offers your way for more leading roles?
A. No. There is more interest in lead roles. I’m a hard sell no matter what. It’s tough. It’s really nice like ‘American Splendor’, and this movie has made people see me in a different way, but I think people actually are more confused. They’re kind of like ‘we can let him read this, but I don’t wanna offer it to him.’
Q. Do you prefer Hollywood or Independent films or both? You seem to interchange between big studio picture to small Indie.
A. It just depends on what you’re doing. I’m happy to work generally. I’m generally lucky there’s some reason that’s compelling me to do it, and that I am enjoying about it. They both offer great things.
Q. Last question. How do you deal with Oscar buzz? You had it last year for “Splendor,” and rumblings have already started for “Sideways.”
A. I don’t know how is one supposed to deal with Oscar buzz? It’s very flattering. It has no sort of actually reality to me, but it’s a nice thing.
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