Paul Giamatti

Prior to becoming one of the more unlikely leading men in Hollywood, actor Paul Giamatti made a career out of playing comic foils and repressed loners constantly on the verge of exploding with rage. Giamatti first grabbed the public's attention with his vitriolic performance as Kenny - a.k.a. Pig Vomit - Howard Stern's nemesis in "Private Parts" (1997), before quickly developing into the go-to guy for a director looking for an everyman-type actor who could convincingly project simmering intensity. His sour yet endearing performance as bitter comic book writer Harvey Pekar in the offbeat biopic, "American Splendor" (2003) did much to put him on the mainstream moviegoer's radar. But it was with his highly-lauded performance in the surprise hit "Sideways" (2004), that Giamatti vaulted to the A-list as a kind of unlikely leading man, a leap that made the comfortable character actor a bit unsettled. With award-worthy performances in "John Adams" (HBO, 2008) and "Barney's Version" (2010), Giamatti became one of those rare actors capable of excelling in both leading and supporting roles, allowing him the freedom to oscillate between big budget fare and small indie films, while developing a reputation as one of the most mesmerizing performers of his time.