I suppose there must be some way in which I'm compelled to show some side of myself - or of people - that's paranoid and fraught and beleaguered and downtrodden, just as Tom Cruise wants to show that he's terrifyingly upbeat and terrifyingly heroic all the time.

Paul Giamatti

Categorized in : Way People Want

You are absolutely free to describe me as a turtle or something.

Paul Giamatti

describe-me turtles

I think that deep down all I have been looking for is to be accepted and liked by as many people as possible.

Paul Giamatti

accepted people thinking

I get tired of myself pretty fast. So I can't imagine other people don't get tired of me.

Paul Giamatti

tired imagine people

I definitely have a tendency to only see the blemishes of things, and see lots of things about my acting that I don't like. I think I've gotten a little easier on myself, or at least a little more usefully critical of myself. I think before, I just couldn't take looking at myself at all.

Paul Giamatti

acting thinking

I like playing weird, kind of shady people.

Paul Giamatti

shady kind people

I have a son who's been raised Jewish because his mom is Jewish. I have a whole different set of holidays to celebrate. Everybody is thrown together with their family in such an intense way, opening all of that stuff again. You're cooped up with everybody and forced to exist with them, and you're forced to try to relate to them in this way that's more open. I guess that just doesn't work for a lot of people.

Paul Giamatti

holiday mom son

I wouldn't say that I'm aggressive in going out to find work and stuff like that. I just sort of, if something comes along, and it's something I like, and they want to hire me, I'll do it. I won't just do anything.

Paul Giamatti

going-out want stuff

I don't think I gave a good enough performance to be nominated for it. I thought I gave a fine performance, but those things are supposed to be about giving an extraordinary performance.

Paul Giamatti

good-enough giving thinking

I don't consider myself a very interesting person. I have the mentality of a supporting actor.

Paul Giamatti

actors persons interesting

I get tired of myself pretty fast.

Paul Giamatti

tired

I think I have a tendency to overwork things. I have a hard time finding that sweet spot that most actors seem to be able to hit where they're doing the exact right amount of work, not overthinking, not underdoing it. I seem to either overdo it or underdo it.

Paul Giamatti

hard-times sweet thinking

I'm not a big wine guy. And bars, I never go to bars anymore. It's such a drag, man.

Paul Giamatti

guy wine men

I still want to be the guy who can get on the subway and check out the freak on the subway.

Paul Giamatti

subway guy want

I learned how to fire a sniper rifle, which I'm sure will be useful at some point.

Paul Giamatti

snipers rifles fire

I felt like I did lots of crappy work in the past. I can't even tell.

Paul Giamatti

past

I just don't want to be bored. That's the only criteria I have when I choose a role to play. I like it if the script is good and the director seems like he's gonna be good. But if I can find a variety of things to do, which I feel like I manage to do, as far as the actual performing goes and the character, that's huge for me. To be able to feel like I can do a fairly diverse array of things. I've been lucky in that way. I don't mind being stereotyped in some way and playing certain kinds of guys, but if I can find something to occasionally get a break from that, that would be nice.

Paul Giamatti

bored nice character

Well, you know, when people say stuff about you, it's always really flattering. But does it mean anything to me? It's not really real to me; there's no reality to it.

Paul Giamatti

real mean people

I mean, I'm not going to play the hero of something.

Paul Giamatti

hero play mean

I never thought I would have any particular career in movies at all.

Paul Giamatti

particular careers

I'd like to have permanent time off, really. The goal is financial security and permanent time off, basically.

Paul Giamatti

financial permanent goal