Known as a prolific character actor who specializes in "broken-down sad sacks," Giamatti was born and raised in that bastion of cultural growth and awareness, New Haven, CT, the son of a Yale professor and an English teacher. He attended Yale twice, once for his B.A. in English (class of ‘89), and again for his Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama.

After graduating, Giamatti's career took off swiftly. He ascended from barely-noticed secondary roles (The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan), took a side bar to do some pretty awful pieces (Big Momma's House, Big Fat Liar), and in 2003 and 2004 finally broke through with his roles in American Splendor and Sideways, roles that got him all sorts of hardware. His role as Russell Crowe's manager and friend in 2005's Cinderella Man got him an Oscar nod, although he lost the statue to George Clooney for Syriana. In 2008 he got his first Emmy and first Golden Globe (second nomination), for the HBO miniseries John Adams.

Giamatti lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife, Elizabeth of 15 years, and their son Sam, born in 2001.

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