Born on June 6, 1967, Paul Giamatti started his acting career via supporting roles in the 1990s. After dabbling in theater while studying English, and later drama, at Yale, he took on minor roles in television movies like 1990's She’ll Take Romance, and in movies like 1992’s Singles.
His first major film role was courtesy of the adaptation of Howard Stern’s autobiography Private Parts, as Kenny ‘Pig Vomit’ Rushton. Howard Stern himself loved the portrayal, and campaigned for Giamati’s nomination for an Academy Award. His career nevertheless got a boost, when he started playing many supporting roles in movies such as The Truman Show (Jim Carrey) and Saving Private Ryan (Tom Hanks, Edward Burns), both released in 1998, and the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon, again alongside Jim Carrey, a year later. Paul Giamatti also appeared in the 2000 film Big Momma’s House with Martin Lawrence, the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, and the 2002 film Big Fat Liar, opposite Amanda Bynes and Frankie Muniz.
Paul Giamati’s lead performance in the 2003 film American Splendor earned him acclaim, giving him nominations for different awards like the Independent Spirit Awards and the Chlotrudis Awards. In 2004, he received more acclaim for his performance in the film Sideways, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. In 2005, his role in the film Cinderella Man, which also stars Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2006, Paul Giamatti appeared in M. Night Shyamalan’s disappointing thriller Lady in the Water and The Illusionist alongside Edward Norton. He also provided voice acting work for the 2006 animated feature The Ant Bully. In 2007 he appeared in the family film Fred Claus. In 2008, he also appeared in the HBO miniseries John Adams, playing the title character.